How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps cover art

How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps

INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps

By: Sir Richard Harpin
Narrated by: Marston York
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £17.94

Buy Now for £17.94

**THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**

'Richard is the real deal . . . If you don't believe simple steps can deliver a business worth billions, read this, and then think again.'
JAKE HUMPHREY, author of High Performance

'How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps is a blueprint for success, full of practical strategies that actually work.'
SARA DAVIES, TV Dragon and author of The Six-Minute Entrepreneur

'There's nothing that entrepreneurs need more than inspiration and practical advice . . . Richard's book has this in bucketloads . . . This is a crucial toolkit.'
THEO PAPHITIS, TV Dragon & Retail Entrepreneur
_____________________________________________

Richard Harpin became an entrepreneur at the age of just seven when he started selling conkers to his school friends. Fifty years later he sold a company he founded, HomeServe, for over £4 billion.

In How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps, Harpin shares the lessons he learned along the way, and the things he wishes he had known that could have got him to a billion-pound valuation faster.

He reveals his uncomplicated, grounded and honest approach to business, showing that start-up success is not rocket science. And he shares his practical wisdom for building a company from the ground up, identifying opportunities, creating effective marketing, planning for future growth, hiring brilliant people and developing the key qualities of a great leader.

It will inspire a new generation of CEOs, fitting them for a world of ever-evolving challenges, and revealing the path to extraordinary success.

Richard Harpin's book 'How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2025-07-14.©2025 Sir Richard Harpin Business Development & Entrepreneurship Career Success Entrepreneurship Motivation & Self-Improvement Small Business Success Inspiring Business
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

Richard is the real deal. No fluff, no BS . . . just clear, actionable insights and an easy-to-follow blueprint for success. If you don't believe simple steps can deliver a business worth billions, read this, and then think again. (JAKE HUMPHREY, author of HIGH PERFORMANCE)
Richard didn't just magic up a £4 billion business - he rolled up his sleeves and built it brick by brick with the incredible team he hired. How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps is a blueprint for success, full of practical strategies that actually work. (SARA DAVIES, TV Dragon and author of The Six-Minute Entrepreneur)
There's nothing that entrepreneurs need more than inspiration and practical advice on when to pivot and when to hold their nerve. Richard's book has this in bucketloads - sharing his own challenging and transformational moments in business to upskill readers with nine key elements. This is a crucial toolkit for medium-sized business owners who crave the next level and are willing to learn from the good, the bad and the ugly! (THEO PAPHITIS, TV Dragon & Retail Entrepreneur)
No jargon, no fluff - just hard-won lessons from a straight-talking northern entrepreneur. This book will help a ton of founders and execs. (Gary Vaynerchuk, author and entrepreneur)
Richard understands what it actually takes to build and scale a business over decades. Not just the highlights, but the setbacks, pivots and difficult decisions along the way. How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps is practical, honest and full of lessons that stay with you. (Adam Jay, CEO of Vinted UK)
I have know Richard for almost 40 years. He is without question one of the most driven, hands-on and focused entrepreneurs I have ever met. His book is packed with practical, real-world insights into what it truly takes to break through as an entrepreneur. (Chris de Lapuente, former CEO of SEPHORA)
How to Make a Billion delivers an essential blueprint for scale and value creation - a must read for founders and operators. (Michael Chu, Chairman and Co-founder, L CATTERTON)
I am often asked for advice on starting a business. I could save myself some time by handing out copies of this book. These steps apply to most business models, and they are brought to life in a very engaging way by real examples from the coal face. Good hard earned common-sense advice that most founders of start-ups would benefit from, as well as anyone involved in running a medium to large scale business. (Nick Jenkins, founder of Moonpig, TV Dragon)
All stars
Most relevant
I listened to this on a long drive and kept me entertained the entire journey!

Great Guide

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Following on from Richards first book the advise here is hard won treasure! Both mixed with early hustle failing wards honest human nature with inspiring practical balance! Thank you 🙏🏻

A veritable forest of knowledge

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great advice and knowledge given. Really well written and narrated. Already implementing into my business and seeing a difference.

Fantastic Book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The chapters I enjoyed the most were 9 and 10, which I found engaging and insightful. Overall, the book was interesting, though compared with similar titles, I felt it focused too heavily on the author’s own business story. While this gave a close look at how they built and managed their venture, I missed a broader perspective with more general advice, frameworks or systems that could be applied beyond their specific case. At times, staying so close to their personal journey made the book feel more singular than universally useful. Even so, I appreciated the narrative and found value in the content.

Interesting Business Story, Limited General Advice

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I enjoyed the content of this book but the narrator is poor (putting on strange accents for contributors) and endless, and I mean endless footnote URLS being read out.

Jarring Narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews