Episode #452 - Insights on Scaling Businesses With Purpose - with Dr Serge Santos

Feb 5, 2025

In this engaging episode of ScaleUp Radio, host Kevin Brent sits down with Dr. Serge Santos, a self-described "business physicist" and seasoned entrepreneur, to uncover his unique journey in business acquisition, scaling, and team building. Serge, with his multicultural roots spanning Switzerland, Portugal, and Britain, shares invaluable insights from his transformation from a management consultant to an independent business owner and investor.

Key Highlights from the Episode:

1. Business Acquisition Philosophy:
   Serge delves into why he transitioned from consulting to business ownership, highlighting his criteria for purchasing a company. His focus on profitability, recurring revenue, fragmented industries, and businesses requiring TLC offers a masterclass in selecting the right acquisition targets.
2. Lessons in Leadership and Team Building:
   He reflects on the challenges of taking over an established team, emphasising the importance of nurturing culture, trusting your staff, and adopting a "no dickhead policy" to maintain a collaborative and positive work environment.
3. Starting a Scalable Business:
   Serge shares how he balanced his venture into the compressed air industry with launching the Funding Alternative Group, a virtual lending business aimed at helping SMEs. His step-by-step strategy of securing financial stability before embarking on riskier ventures is an inspiring takeaway for any entrepreneur.
4. Pragmatic Insights on Cash Flow and Operational Excellence:
   With a strong focus on "cash is king," Serge discusses his approach to operational efficiency, sustainable growth, and building customer trust through reliable service delivery.
5. Key Challenges and Takeaways:
   Serge opens up about learning from setbacks, including a legal battle over unpaid work, and how those experiences shaped his approach to scaling businesses. His advice to entrepreneurs about maintaining focus, delaying gratification, and the value of mentors is invaluable.

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For now, continue listening for the full story from Serge.

 

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[e-mail]

 

Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!

Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.

More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/

 

Serge can be found here:

[e-mail]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/santosserge/

 

Resources

"The Missing Billionaires" by Victor Haghani & James White - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-missing-billionaires-a-guide-to-better-financ-ial-decisions-v-haghani/4997533?ean=9781119747918

Podcast: The Storytelling Lab by Rain Bennett - https://www.rainbennett.com/thestorytellinglab/categories/podcast

ChatGPT - https://chatgpt.com/

Fireflies - https://fireflies.ai/

Perplexity - https://www.perplexity.ai/