NO offence to Mary ‘Queen of Shops’ Portas, Alex ‘The Fixer’ Polizzi, or Gordon Ramsay and his Kitchen Nightmares, but for many people, the ultimate TV business guru is former ICI chairman John Harvey- Jones. He was better known to viewers in the 1990s as The Troubleshooter, which ran for five successful series and picked up a Bafta.

That means Digby Jones has a big job ahead as he takes on the mantle for a new, three-part series. But his CV suggests he is the perfect candidate. This successful lawyer and businessman started out working in his parents’ shop and ended up in the House of Lords, via stints as the director general of the CBI and Minister of State for Trade and Investment.

So, he has certainly got the knowledge and expertise to advise small (and medium- sized businesses) on how to face the future in uncertain economic times – and he has also got the enthusiasm.

“I am thrilled to be making this series of programmes. It is vital that a wider audience understands how business ticks, especially smaller businesses where so much of the growth and employment in our economy will come from over the next few years,” he says.

While he may be a big believer in the important role these firms play, pointing out that their taxes are vital to Britain’s schools and hospitals, the owners should not expect that he will come in, commend them on providing a national service and tell them to simply keep up the good work.

“I look forward to drilling down into businesses, asking the awkward questions, thinking the unthinkable and constructively challenging the status quo,” he adds.

“I want to get the audience thinking and asking questions as well, and hopefully the younger members of local communities will also find something in the programmes for them to see why developing skills is so important. Bring it on.”

The first enterprise to come under scrutiny is a family-owned company with more than 40 employees, which makes and sells furniture. The managers are keen and ambitious, but after recording a loss, there are problems to be addressed.

With that in mind, they grant Jones access to every area of the operation over the course of five months, as he tries to come up with ways to secure Hereford Furniture’s future.