What if the biggest barrier to building a multimillion pound
business isn't talent or strategy, but your willingness to go all
in, hire the right people, and build a culture that makes people
want to stay? In this episode, Paul Avins sits down with Andrew
Hulbert, a former council estate kid who started a facilities
management business from his bedroom, scaled it to over £50 million
in turnover with 550 staff, and exited for £80 million at age 37.
Andrew shares his journey from earning £8 a week stuffing
newspapers at age eight, to director at 24, to starting Pareto FM
at 27 and growing it through two exits. A private equity deal let
him take money off the table, pay off his mortgage, buy his parents
and sisters houses, and give his dad £250,000 to retire early. He
explains why he built a personal brand before it was a thing, how
winning 50 awards opened doors to multimillion pound contracts, why
he hired mums on flexible contracts as his secret weapon, and why
he gave away 20% of the business in sweet equity to a management
team of 15 who never left. Paul and Andrew explore hitting an
organic ceiling at £18 million, realising the business was worth
three times what he thought, working with a psychologist for two
years before exiting to prepare for sudden wealth syndrome, and
building a "social heart" business in a sector that had lost touch
with people. Andrew also opens up on the cost of going all in: the
strain on his marriage, the 1000-day countdown he put on the wall
to keep his promise to his wife, and the £25,000 he spent on donuts
in one year to win contracts. What you'll learn: • Why Andrew
started earning money at age eight and how working class values
shaped his path. • How he became a director at 24 and why a mentor
changed everything. • Why he started Pareto FM at 27, spotting that
big businesses were terrible at serving small customers. • How he
won his first contract with Bulgari Hotel through relationship
building. • Why he built a personal brand early through articles,
awards, and relentless networking. How he scaled from £1.2m to £18m
in six years and hit an organic growth ceiling. • The moment he
realised his business was worth £20m, not £6m. • Why he sold to
private equity instead of trade, taking money off the table to
secure his family. • How investing £1m into overhead took him from
£18m to £32m in one year. • Why hiring Bill as his first serious
hire freed him to focus on sales and ops. • How giving away 20% in
sweet equity to 15 senior leaders kept every one of them for 10
years. • Why hiring mums on flexible contracts built loyalty and
cut turnover. How he built a movement around social value in
facilities management. • Why he spent £25,000 on donuts in 2019,
and how small gestures built unbreakable culture. How working with
a psychologist for two years prepared him for life after the sale.
• Why he put a 1000-day countdown on the wall and promised his wife
he'd retire at 37. How he answered 854 due diligence questions in
three and a half weeks. • Why he hired an entire hotel on Christmas
Day for 75 family members after the sale. • The cost of going all
in, and why his wife Heather is the hero of the story. Apply this:
Spend your 20s learning skills, not chasing money — go work for a
fast growth company first. Build your personal brand before you
need it: articles, awards, relentless networking. Hire for trust
and cultural fit, not just skills, especially for senior roles.
Invest in overhead when you hit a ceiling — sometimes a million
pounds unlocks the next level. Give away equity to the people who
matter; sweet equity creates loyalty and alignment. Work with a
psychologist before you exit to prepare for sudden wealth syndrome
and identity shift. Set a get-out date — without one, the business
takes you hostage. About Andrew Hulbert Andrew Hulbert started
Pareto FM from his bedroom at 27, scaled it to over £50 million in
turnover with 550 staff, and exited for £80 million at 37. He grew
up on a council estate in Oxford, became a director at 24, and
built a business that won over 50 awards by putting people and
social impact at its heart. He's now a business coach, podcaster,
and advocate for social value in business. Connect with Andrew on
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhulbert/ Scale with
Paul Avins If this episode resonated, Paul's work focuses on
helping founders step out of the day to day and scale with
structure and confidence. Connect with Paul:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulavins/ Book a call with Paul:
https://www.paulavins.com/book-a-call Subscribe to the Scale Up
Newsletter: https://www.paulavins.com/newsletter-opt-in Level Up.
Team Up. Scale Up. Fire Up.
Kommentare (0)
Melde dich an, um einen Kommentar zu schreiben.