Driven by a dual desire of bringing Caribbean food to the masses and encouraging young entrepreneurs to get into business ownership, could Levi Roots be a suitable candidate for franchise success?

When Levi Roots sauntered up the stairs of the Dragons' Den in early 2007 singing about his Reggae Reggae Sauce and proceeded to 'slay' Dragons Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh for an investment of £50,000, it seemed as if the Jamaican had struck lucky. His inspired performance proved a hit with consumers, propelling Reggae Reggae Sauce to the top of Sainsbury's fastest selling products list. What you didn't see was the decades of toil selling the product at Brixton market and his 'Rasta'raunt' every year at the Notting Hill Carnival.

The recipe for Levi's sauce has its roots in his grandmother's own jerk chicken sauce, taught to him as a child in Clarendon, Jamaica, but the business itself is a product of a lifetime entrepreneurial drive that goes right back to his school days. "When I came over from Jamaica I couldn't read or write," says Levi. "But I had other skills. I would buy a packet of biscuits from the shop on the way to school with my lunch money, then sell the biscuits individually to my schoolmates. I ended up making three times as much!"

Now a popular speaker at after-dinner and motivational events, Levi seeks to inspire entrepreneurialism and is particularly focused on encouraging young people to follow their dreams of going into business. "I can spot an entrepreneur a mile off," he remarks. "You have to have a certain boastfulness, a belief that you're gonna make it. An entrepreneur will always be confident in explaining their business to anybody that will listen!"

Talking the talk is all well and good, but what makes an entrepreneur successful? "The main thing is to have vision," Levi answers. "No serious business will offer an instant return, a true entrepreneur thinks about the long-term and is prepared to give a business space to earn its money."

That vision also extends to choosing the business opportunity you are going for. "Many entrepreneurs are a success because they have spotted something that somebody else has passed over and turned it around," says Levi. "Being able to bounce back is also important, this comes as your experience of making money and losing money grows. That helps you to develop belief in yourself."

Finally, and unsurprisingly given his experience on Dragons' Den, Levi identifies proper funding as vital to the success of an entrepreneur. "As my grandma said: 'You've gotta have money to make money!' Money is important in the early stages to allow you to move the business along. When I started out I didn't have any money behind me and that's when the banks won't help you out - they'll only lend to people who already have it! The first thing for any young entrepreneur to do is to secure a good source of funding."

The national recognition of Levis' Reggae Reggae Sauce brand is leading to some high profile tie-ins with chains such as Hungry Horse, Slug & Lettuce and the recently announced deal with international sandwich franchise chain Subway to create a Reggae Reggae Chicken Sub for sale in its UK outlets. The new sandwich is being backed by a TV and radio ad campaign and Levi has written a Reggae-inspired jingle: Mr Reggae Reggae Chicken Sub. "I'm proud that my Reggae Reggae Sauce is being used by the Subway chain," says Levi. "When another company buys into the Reggae Reggae brand they buy into the whole concept of mixing music and food."

The franchise model followed by Subway is an avenue that Levi has given serious thought to for the future of his own business. "Franchising is a great idea," reflects Levi. "It was something I considered about before getting into this business and now that I have a popular brand in place it is something I am thinking about. We have a brand that's growing and that people respect - the work is 80 per cent done. Creating a franchise would be a great way of putting something back, of giving other potential 'Levi Rootses' an opportunity."

With three sauces and the Reggae Reggae Cookbook now on sale, plus a further six sauces in development, Levi sees the franchise route as one which would enable him to continue in his mission to bring Caribbean food to the masses. "Internationally it's a wide market waiting for someone to grab hold of it," says Levi. "There's a lot of marketing to be done and right now we're out there at the forefront of it. A move into franchising will need more time to develop, but we would seek franchisees who want to take the business forward, perhaps to come to us with a business plan or even a shop already established. With the Reggae Reggae brand the hard bit is done and with the fantastic back-up of the Dragons we are ready to give strong support."

Levi's desire to provide opportunities to other entrepreneurs and support them reflects the experience he has enjoyed as a graduate of the Dragons' Den, where he has incubated a successful business under the guidance of his Dragon investors Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh. "When I look behind me I see Dragons leaning over to pick me up in case I fall," he refects. "They've taken this talent that I have to their hearts, they are my business partners, gurus, mentors and friends." With the enthusiasm and commitment Levi is showing to assist young entrepreneurs to realise their own dreams of business ownership, you sense that through franchising Levi might be well equipped to put these experiences forward.

Interviewed by Stuart Anderson