We quiz ‘the Badger’ about what it takes to get ahead in business, The Apprentice, money and her tips on how to run a successful business.

Ruth Badger, 29, first came to public attention after appearing in the second series of BBC hit The Apprentice alongside Alan Sugar, in which she was runner-up. Prior to appearing on the show Ruth, from Wolverhampton, who left school at 16 with just 3 GCSEs, was a senior management executive for a financial services company, managing over 150 staff. Since appearing on the show she has set up in business as a consultant on and has appeared in her own TV series on Sky One, Badger or Bust, where she used her business skills to turn around failing businesses.

You came second in the 2006 Apprentice; do you think Sir Alan Sugar made the right decision?

Yes, I think he did make the right decision; he wanted an apprentice. When I went onto the show I hadn’t realised what I’d achieved prior to that. I wasn’t an apprentice really. The fact that I had been accountable for 79% of a Plc share at the age of 26 obviously shows that I’ve got some business acumen. The Apprentice was a bit of a shock: I went from being in charge of £22 million in revenue on the Friday to selling apples in the market on Monday. I didn’t realise exactly what my capability was and I never acknowledged what I’d done.

Do you think The Apprentice brings out the best in people and actually demonstrates the skills needed to succeed in business?

I’m not sure if it does bring out the best in people to be honest. It is good entertainment though. The one thing it does do is it takes people out of their comfort zones. From a personal point of view it does make you fearless because you never know what you are going to be faced with. And that’s what it did for me. It was an experience that money couldn’t buy. It doesn’t always show your best side though, which is why it’s such good entertainment.

Tell us about the show Badger or Bust?

The one thing I wanted to do with this new show was cover small businesses and not just focus on London. I travelled around the country to all sorts of different businesses. Some of the companies are just about to go bust. Some aren’t but need to step up in order to begin making real money. There were some businesses I went into harder than others but they all got the same treatment and that’s me trying to put their business right.

But the one thing that all of these companies have in common is that they don’t keep their eye on the ball in terms of where they are at in reaching targets. Secondly, none of the companies are effectively managing their teams and motivating them to perform. These are simple things that don’t actually cost much money. Generating sales leads for example, doesn’t cost much money and the trick is not to waste it. When you have customers coming through the door, the biggest crime is wasting business.

So did you succeed in getting them all back on track?

I am not superwoman and the answer is no, I didn’t. This isn’t manufactured television it is true and I haven’t got a team of experts with me when I go into a business, it’s just me and them. Of the six businesses I visited in the series there was one I couldn’t help.

Do we pay too much tax in the UK?

Absolutely. I work myself to the bone and then I have to pay VAT and my 40%, then I have to pay my corporation tax, and all the tax on my staff; I’m paying tax for tax’s sake, it’s manic. I don’t know what I actually pay tax for: I can never get a doctor’s appointment because they’re all full, I never use a hospital and I don’t know what I pay my national insurance for because I’ll never get a pension.

What do you think of plans for new environmental taxes then?

I think all this rubbish about the environment and that we need to increase taxation to protect it is just a smokescreen to get more money from us. Let me give you a commercial view on the environment. If you want people to recycle more then the Government should team up with the supermarkets and make the recycling bins bigger so that we can put more stuff in them and the minute you recycle you should be given vouchers to spend in the stores. That’s a good tax-free way to encourage more people to recycle.

They’ve gone and put the taxes on my car up to £400, too, and the roads that I drive on are that congested that I have to put more fuel in my car. The only road I can drive on properly is the M6 toll road, which I have to pay. Don’t get me on my soap box about tax I could go on about it all day.

Do you have a pension?

Oh, God no. Personally, I don’t think they are a good idea. I invest more in property. I prefer to invest in stuff that I know I can get my money back from. I prefer to keep a closer rein on my money than pensions offer.

Do you use a credit card?

I don’t use a credit card any more. I used to use them when I was younger. I got burnt very early and now I don’t use them at all. I do own a credit card though for emergencies, but I never use it and always tend to pay on my debit card.

What business people do you most admire?

Sir Alan Sugar obviously. I like Nicola Horlicks too [dubbed the City Superwoman]. I also think Gordon Ramsay is a good example of an entrepreneur who has worked hard and done really well for himself. I do admire him a lot.

Any business people you don’t admire?

I’m not a Richard Branson fan, largely because I have to wait so long for Virgin trains and planes, plus his colas pretty crap too!

The Badger’s Five Must-Dos for Business Success:

1). Anyone with a business brain should start their own business because if you are that way inclined I don’t think you can be truly happy while you are picking up a pay cheque.

2). Don’t be scared to make the decision. It’s the decisions you don’t make that you regret and you can learn from the ones you do.

3). Be prepared to invest your pounds to get your ten pounds. You are going to have to spend a bit of money to generate business, but so long as you spend it wisely then it should work in your favour.

4). Be prepared to make mistakes, because you will. No body is perfect in business. Anyone who thinks they are is either foolish or watching the apprentice and is not in business.

5). Enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy it, get the hell out of it.