What’s it like to sell your business to a billionaire?

In this episode of the Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins sits down with Andrew Scott, Founder and CEO of the Ascot Group, serial entrepreneur, investor, and the previous owner of Business Leader magazine, which he successfully sold to billionaire Richard Harpin.

Andrew’s story is one of resilience and reinvention: from arriving in the UK aged 18 with no money or qualifications, to scaling his companies to multi-million turnover, building a respected media brand, and ultimately selling it at a premium valuation.

Together, Paul and Andrew uncover the mindset, strategies and lessons behind scaling fast, building brand equity, and thinking global – plus what it’s really like negotiating with billionaires.

If you’re a CEO or founder aiming to scale faster, increase brand value, or prepare your business for a world-class exit, this episode is for you.

• Billionaires move at speed: Deals get done fast – but you must have systems, numbers, and information ready on demand.
• The 3 Levers of Scale: Everything comes down to lead generation, sales conversion, and customer retention.
• Brand drives multiples: A strong brand reputation can dramatically increase the price buyers are willing to pay.
• Good isn’t enough: To scale, you must be willing to break your own business model and reinvent before growth stalls.
• Lifestyle vs scale-up: Decide if you want comfort or if you want to build enterprise value – the identity shift matters.
• Health = wealth: Scaling is a full-contact sport – staying physically and mentally fit is essential for resilience.
• Think global, not local: UK entrepreneurs must widen their horizons to capture true market scale.

Andrew Scott is the founder and CEO of the Ascot Group and a portfolio of multimillion-pound businesses across marketing, tech, media, home improvement, and property. He is best known for creating Business Leader magazine, which he scaled into the UK’s leading media brand for entrepreneurs before selling it to billionaire investor Richard Harpin.

A true self-made entrepreneur, Andrew arrived in the UK at 18 with no money and no qualifications, but went on to build and sell multiple companies while mentoring business leaders and speaking internationally. His upcoming book, Imposter Millionaire, shares his journey from setbacks and adversity to building enduring business success.

• Connect with Andrew Scott on LinkedIn → Andrew Scott | LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Ascot Group → ascotgroup.co.uk
• Follow Paul Avins for Scale Up insights on LinkedIn → Paul Avins | LinkedIn
• Transform your business at the Grown Up Business Retreat → The Grown Up Business Retreat 2025

Action Now: Write down 3 specific strategies from this episode you will apply in the next 72 hours.

Think Bigger: Want to increase your company valuation or prepare for exit? Download free resources at paulavins.com.

Scale Up: Get actionable tips from Paul in your inbox every Saturday, Subscribe to Scale Up Saturday Newsletter

Level Up: Book a Call with Paul and Get ready to level up your business and transform your life!

📘Watch out for Andrew’s new book → Imposter Millionaire (coming soon)