A business expert who was the bottom of his class in school has revealed how he’s now turning everyday people into millionaires with a Dragon’s Den-style programme.
Samsher Singh has always been hungry for money.
But as a student, his grades and attitude stood in the way of making that dream a possibility – until a business lesson changed his life forever.
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Now, with three successful companies under his belt, the 30-year-old is using his real-world expertise to help others.
“I’ve met a lot of people who had a business idea but never believed in themselves,” said Samsher, who runs the mentoring company Hukm Launch Pad.
“A year later, they’ve seen it elsewhere and been disappointed that someone else got in there first.
“Those are the people we’re helping.
“It’s not as difficult as you think to turn an idea into a financial success when you’ve got the right support.
“We’re doing the heavy lifting – all you’ve got to do is trust in yourself.”
Hukm, which means “destiny” in Punjabi and is also the name of Samsher’s son – was born with a focus of partnering business founders with investors.
Samsher and his team get investors hooked through ‘Launch Pad’ – a 12-week programme that he designed.
It costs £15,000 but this money is quickly recouped as business founders receive unparalleled advice and connections to quick-start their dreams.
Some of the 280 businesses Hukm has worked with have a net worth in the millions after just a few years.
He said: “It’s a simple five-step programme, but it can change people’s lives forever.
“We focus on the tech side of things; we build a commercial-ready MVP, which is just a working version of someone’s idea, that can be tested and shown to investors.
“From there, we create everything they need to get started; their website, social media presence and a professional pitch deck, so they’re ready to start selling or meeting investors straight away.
“Aside from mentoring and lessons on how to be in the 10% of startups that succeed, we also put them in touch with business owners who were once in their shoes but now have billion-dollar companies.
“It offers a bit more of a personal approach and one that almost anyone can understand.
“Our workshops aren’t just about how to run a business, there’s also a focus on wellbeing and mental focus.
“There’s one we run called ‘Conscious Decision Making’, which is about understanding your consciousness to create a decision, led by Dav Panesar, the UK’s leading expert in this space.
“For example, we ask ‘What’s the difference between intellect, intuition and intelligence?’
“Not many people can answer that correctly but this workshop teaches you how.
“And of course, we also invest in these companies to give them a helping hand – and, in return, we get to see some of the rewards in our bank account.
“There’s also pitching days, where we bring in investors, just like Dragon’s Den – which is funny, because I always pictured myself as a Dragon.
“Selling is the most important part of any business – it’s the driving force behind making things work right – so you’ve to sell yourself, too.”
As a child, Samsher thought he’d become a car salesman – until sixth form, when he chose to do Applied Business and got his first taste for entrepreneurship.
In this class, he and his friends set up a business creating printed hoodies for clubs and years within his school, which was a big success.
He then applied for a coursework-based degree in Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management at Lord Ashcroft International Business School in Cambridge, though was already miles ahead of his peers with a business venture he began during the summer holidays.
Samsher said: “The year before I went to university, I set up my first-ever solo business.
“It was called Bucks Munch and was essentially an online voucher cloud for local restaurants, pubs and bars to give them a space to promote any deals and offers.
“At the time, franchises had a space to do it but there was nothing focused on family-run businesses.
“In four months, I had 175 customers on board and was making £3,000 per month.”
After graduating, Samsher used his “gift of the gab” to make record-breaking commissions in a sales job.
He quickly noticed a gap in the market and went on to form his first official business, generating leads for those buying telematics; similar to Compare the Market.
Samsher soon sold that business for over seven figures and joined forces with a friend, Gautam Passi, to create a mobile application for opticians and pharmacies to find locums with ease without the need for recruiters.
It took a lot of hard work, and learning, but after four years, its success was spotted by a pharmaceutical recruitment company who offered to buy it, which Samsher couldn’t refuse.
Looking for his next venture, he set up Hukm Launch Pad – after seeing a market for people who needed technical development help and in the early stages of setting up a business.
Now, he’s gone from having a team of four in 2023 to having 52 people in offices across London, Dubai and Delhi covering all time zones.
Samsher, who lives in London, says the best piece of advice to give a founder is not to fear the future.
He added: “You’re only fearful when you’re not confident in what you’re offering.
“What we see with our founders is that they come in all nervous.
“But come week six, they know how to talk and deliver with belief.
“And so when they pitch to investors in the final week, they’re ready to go.
“It makes them pitch-perfect.
“But my biggest piece of advice is that nothing beats hard work.
“There needs to be a balance between health and effort, though.
“Keep yourself grounded within the journey, as it’s the most interesting and profound thing you’ll ever experience.”
