How to Build a Billion-Dollar Business

INTRODUCTION

Not everyone is cut out to build a billion-dollar business. It takes an enormous amount of self-belief, internal drive and ambition. (A bit of madness, too.) I am wired differently to many people. I acknowledge that. I don't say that to be boastful; I say it because this level of unwavering determination, commitment to purpose and relentless passion does not come naturally to most people.

The hard truth is that serious entrepreneurship — the kind that I will detail throughout this book, the kind that creates vast and life-changing wealth for all involved — is not for everyone. Looking back, after everything that happened, I feel lucky to still be standing in one piece. We are told ‘everything is possible’ — think, dream, believe and all that — but it must be backed up with years of effort, energy and application. There are few, if any, formulas for making fast money. (For the record, it will most likely take a minimum of a decade to turn a fledgling concept into a multimillion-dollar proposition.) It starts with making an extraordinary product, selling it for a profit, and then doing it again, again and again.

Whether you want to build a billion-dollar business, a ten-million-dollar business, or a million-dollar business, this book will be of value. You can apply the lessons to any business, at any level, in any sector. In the case of Swisse, with the help of many extraordinary individuals, we took a $15 million business that employed 30 people and turned it into ...