St Albans businesswoman Luisa Zissman makes debut on The Apprentice

Luisa Zissman, who owns Dixie’s Cupcakery in Market Place, is one of the candidates to fight it out for the £250,000 investment in the ninth series of the BBC One show.

In last night’s programme Lord Sugar called the 16 new candidates to his London boardroom for the first time.

He said: "In this climate people like you that have the seed of a business idea find it very difficult engaging with banks and financial services.

"Those people, quite rightly so, will not lend you any money to start up a new business because they are looking for collateral and they are looking for assets.

"This is an unbelievable opportunity because I tell you where the collateral and the assets are for me - they are here. You are the collateral and you are the assets."

The candidates were then split into two teams, making it a battle of the sexes, and given their first task.

Each team was given a shipping container full of imported products, including leather jackets, bottles of water, toilet roll and Union Jack mugs, which they had to sell.

Before they could start, both groups had to come up with a team name and the girls decided on Luisa’s suggestion, Evolve.

She said: "I thought evolve because we’re all evolving together as a team and growing as a team.

"Done. Boom. Move on."

The girls then split into two teams in a bid to sell the most.

Luisa’s team headed to an all night pub where they managed to sell two cases of bottled water.

They then headed to Farringdon and Luisa pointed out that she was not happy with making small orders.

She said: "I don’t want to faff around and spend two hours here to sell two cases of water again. I just think we need to sell in bulk."

She went on to have a disagreement with teammate Leah Totton about who should pitch to a chain of American diners.

She said: "Every day I run three businesses all of which are sales.

"No offence but you are a doctor.

"We agreed that I was going to do this so I should do it."

To this Leah replied: "I really don’t think you should. I think I will do it better because I know the figures."

Luisa came back: "You just told me you’ve got them written down so all I have to do is look at them. I’m sure I cam memorise a few figures."

After being the go-head by her teammates, Luisa pitched to the owner and sold all of the water for £280, £50 more than the boys made on the sale.

As their time ran out the girls headed back to the boardroom.

When she found out how much the other group of girls had made, Luisa said: "No way on this Earth, even if we lose, any of us four are going back in that boardroom. If she even suggests it I will be on her like a fly on muck."

When they arrived back at the boardroom Lord Sugar quizzed each team about how the task had been.

When asked about the leadership of project manager Jaz Ampaw-Farr said: "We didn’t really have much communication from her.

"To me Leah was project manager on this task."

After the boys’ team was put through the same questioning the final sums were announced.

The girls made £1109.30 compared to the boys’ £1167.90.

This meant that while the boys were treated to the winners’ prize of a fancy dinner the girls were sent to the cafe where the bickering soon began.

When they were called back in the following morning Luisa managed to avoid being called back into the boardroom and escaped the dreaded "you’re fired" from the Lord Sugar.

Jaz, Sophie Lau and Ozma Yakoob had to battle it out to keep their place in the competition but in the end it was the project manager who took the hit and was sent to the black taxi home.

In the next episode, which will be aired tonight, the candidates will be tasked with creating and selling a flavoured beer.