Most business advice is given on a one-to-one basis, but can you teach people to be better entrepreneurs en masse?

Former Dragons' Den star Doug Richard thinks so and he is in Leicester next month to show us how it is done.

The software entrepreneur now runs enterprise ''boot camps'' for up to 500 people at a time.

His next event is at the University of Leicester on Monday, May 10.

"The great thing about business is it's teachable, people forget that," said Mr Richard.

"It's a myth that you are born an entrepreneur. You become what you want to be.

"I want to show you can take a large of group of people and teach them how to be good entrepreneurs.

"The current systems are not adequate for groups, they teach people one at a time."

Mr Richard's School for Start-ups is open to both new firms and those thinking of setting up in business. Mr Richard will stand on stage and pick out people from the audience and then analyse their businesses.

"I analyse how to make your business successful by breaking it up and putting it back together again," said Mr Richard.

"I can take any business from the audience, deconstruct it and re-assemble it, making it more profitable.

"It's easier to understand what makes a business a success when another business is used as an example.

"My sole goal is to make business successful. It is aimed at redefining how you can run your business and become much better. It's an eight-hour boot camp. But I haven't done it on this scale before.

"I start by looking at a business like a piece of clockwork. It's got a middle and all these moving parts. The first area of discussion is looking at what it makes for people and questioning who the customer is.

"We look at how you choose to make money out of that and if there is something else you can do."

Mr Richard said it was more important than ever for entrepreneurs to embrace new ways of running their businesses.

"The world is changing so quickly," he said. "A business doesn't stand still in the face of change, it changes itself. Any business that stays the same won't be successful.

"Most of changes are changes for the better if you take advantage of them."

Mr Richard made an appearance in the centre of Leicester yesterday to promote his Entrepreneurs' Manifesto. The document sets out a series of recommendations aimed at ensuring the new Government creates a better environment for small firms.

Mr Richard said he had decided to do this in Leicester because of its "large entrepreneurial community".

Tickets cost £95 plus VAT, and £40, plus VAT for students.

www.schoolforstartups.co.uk