When he steps onto the stage at Elite Business Live, Richard Harpin will have an important message to share with the audience and as someone who built a business into a £4.1bn empire he’s definitely worth listening to.
As the Founder and Chairman of HomeServe and Growth Partner, Harpin has achieved remarkable success in building a multi-billion pound business empire. But his journey wasn’t always easy, which is why he’s eager to impart the eight secrets he wishes he had known when starting out.
“I’m going to be sharing my eight secrets to building a £billion business,” Harpin says. “These are the eight things I wish I’d known when I was setting up HomeServe 30 years ago. If I had, I could have built HomeServe in half the time!”
Harpin hopes to inspire entrepreneurs and founders to new heights with his formula.
“I want all founders and entrepreneurs to remember these eight secrets and apply them to their own business. My mission is to inspire breakthrough and I want to help as many founders and entrepreneurs as I can scale their businesses to heights they never thought possible.”
So, what are these eight powerful secrets that can unleash exponential growth?
- Copy and pivot: Everyone is in a rush to be first. Second movers have the advantage. Watch, correct and adapt.
- Get an investor: Capital is what you need not just to fund growth but to accelerate momentum.
- Get some CoachMent: No matter how successful, every business leader needs a coach or mentor.
- Bricks, clicks and paper: Build a seamless experience in bricks and mortar and online.
- Hire your replacement: Think now about hiring your replacement so you have more time to build your business outside of the day-to-day.
- Go global with locals: Use local talent to run your international businesses.
- Evolution not revolution: Constant evolution is essential.
- Follow a NOT to do list: Saying no can sometimes be hard, but it is necessary – stay focused.
But even beyond these tactical secrets, Harpin emphasises the critical importance of an often-overlooked factor: character.
“Secret 0. Your character. The characteristics I always look for in the amazing entrepreneurs I back are resilience, persistence, curiosity, non-conformity, low ego, courage and integrity.”
Drawing from his experience in building HomeServe from a £50,000 startup into a business empire, Harpin knows first-hand what it takes to transition an organisation from successful to truly huge.
“You need a strong leader and sound strategy to take a business from medium scale and grow it into a £billion business. I firmly believe the eight secrets helped me build HomeServe from £50,000 start-up to a £4.1bn sale. You need to have the courage to take the business to the next stage.”
That courage means confronting harsh realities head-on.
“That means confronting the brutal facts and doing whatever is necessary to take you on the next stage of your growth journey,” he says.
He advocates enlisting the guidance of experienced mentors, adding, “Find a good coach or mentor who can help you achieve your goals – I did, and it was the smartest decision I made.”
Risky business
In Harpin’s view, massive business success isn’t about risky gambles, but purposeful strategy backed by data.
“You shouldn’t need to gamble in business. I call it ‘think slowly’ and ‘act quickly’. Think carefully about where you’re heading and execute plans quickly to stay ahead of the competition. Data is key.”
Even in uncertain economic times, Harpin believes opportunities are there for those willing to seize them.
“There is no better time to accelerate the growth of your business. A difficult climate can create opportunities and when the good times return your businesses will be well positioned.”
Paramount to realising this potential is the ability to align teams towards a unified vision.
“Strong leadership is vital,” he says. “Strong leaders help unify their teams and organisation to deliver their mission. Everyone from the CEO to the intern needs to be on the same track to deliver success. Only hire great leaders, and if you want to improve your own leadership, take a course and invest in your own development.”
One size fits all
The beauty of Harpin’s eight secrets is that they can be applied to businesses of any size. “The eight secrets apply to any business at any stage of its growth journey. Pick and choose the secrets that apply to you and map out where you want to get to, by when.”
For entrepreneurs negotiating with investors, Harpin offers a piece of contrarian wisdom: “It’s so important founders and entrepreneurs have the know-how to have these important conversations. Getting an investor can boost your business growth exponentially but you should never give away more than you’re comfortable with. Prepare for those conversations and seek advice from others with expertise.”
Despite the headwinds buffeting British businesses, Harpin remains optimistic about the nation’s entrepreneurial potential.
“I believe the UK can be the most entrepreneurial economy in the world. We have so many talented founders and entrepreneurs and we need to harness that talent to unleash their potential,” he says.
By sharing the secrets that propelled his own success, he hopes to inspire entrepreneurs everywhere to shatter perceived limitations and reshape what’s possible in business. Don’t miss him.
Richard will be kicking off Day 1 of Elite Business Live 2024 with his 8 Secrets to Building a $billion Business keynote. Want to see him in action? Secure one of our last remaining tickets, or register for our free virtual livestream here:
