Scaling too soon is one of the fastest ways to crash and burn. You might think your business is ready for the big leagues, but if you don’t have a proven model, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Richard Harpen’s story with HomeServe is a perfect example of how crucial it is to validate your business model before taking it to the next level.
When Richard started, things weren’t going great. The business model wasn’t working as planned, and they were burning through cash. Instead of trying to scale quickly or taking on massive investments, he paused, evaluated, and refined what they were doing. He didn’t rush to expand until they had proof that their model was solid.
The key takeaway here? Start small. Test your business model in a controlled environment, validate that customers are interested, and make sure you’re actually making a profit before scaling. Richard didn’t accept bigger investments until he knew his model could work and generate returns. It wasn’t about rushing to the top; it was about building a strong foundation first.
It’s tempting to jump in headfirst and think you’ll figure it out as you go. But without that proof of concept, you’re risking it all. Scale too fast, and you’re just throwing money at a problem without knowing if it’ll stick. But when you validate your model, you get the confidence to scale smart, knowing you’ve got the right product, the right market, and the right customers.
Richard’s patience paid off. Once they proved the model worked—by testing it on a small scale and validating customer interest—they were able to confidently seek out investors and scale the business to incredible heights. That’s the power of validating before scaling.
The lesson here is simple: Don’t scale just for the sake of scaling. Prove your model first. Get customer feedback, iron out the kinks, and ensure profitability before you go big. Only then will you be ready to scale smart and sustainably.✌️
Justin Hubbard
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