When all of my childhood friends were building Airfix models, I was trying to build businesses. From the moment I set up my first venture aged 14, through to the seat-of-my-pants moment when I snatched success from the jaws of failure with HomeServe and help from my first investor South Staffordshire Water, all the way to the essential lessons I learned as I expanded globally, I’ve been obsessed with how to build a better business.

But this is not about me. It’s about you, and thousands like you. If I can achieve this success, then I’m certain you can too. You just need a steer on what to do and when, to hear from another entrepreneur about how to make the transformation from good to great.

I believe these are the eight secrets to building a strong, large, sustainable business. They also happen to be the eight things that I wish I’d known when I started out. Armed with this advice, I’m certain I could have avoided mistakes, been able to make decisions with an extra level of certainty that I sometimes needed, and that I’d have been able to develop HomeServe that much faster.

Each rule or message has been specifically designed to build on each other. You might find that only two or three apply to you at this very moment and that’s fine, use them as required. However, think of these eight stages in order; one leads to the next.

Today, my passion is to inspire your success, to turn medium-sized businesses into large ones by following this simple step-by-step guide which reflects the smartest moves and silliest mistakes I’ve ever made.

Sophie Milliken MBE, founder and CEO of Moja Group, will be conducting an insightful interview with Richard Harpin. Together, they will explore the intricacies of entrepreneurship, share strategies for achieving business growth, and discuss the personal journeys and challenges that shape successful ventures.