Top-Tier Expertise and a Methodical, Evidence-Led Approach Sets The Grafter Apart as a Leader in Our Field: Rachel Murphy

Rachel Murphy, founder and CEO of The Grafter, is a well-known serial entrepreneur. She recently launched her third venture, a consulting business, leveraging her rich experience in the entrepreneurial landscape. Following the successful sale of her previous enterprise, Difrent, to TPX Impact in 2020, Rachel openly acknowledged the challenges she had to face during the sale process, primarily due to the lack of adequate support. This experience fueled her determination to assist other businesses in navigating similar pathways. As a result, she founded The Grafter, a unique mix of a venture builder and a consultancy. The Grafter is dedicated to guiding businesses through critical growth phases, offering expert advice and strategies for scaling, and preparing for successful exits. Rachel's vision with The Grafter is to provide the kind of support and insights she wished she had during her entrepreneurial journey, thereby smoothing the path for other business owners in their quest for growth and success.

In Conversation with Rachel Murphy, Founder and CEO of The Grafter

Please tell us about the circumstances or events that led to the founding of The Grafter.

In my journey, I have navigated the complex labyrinth of business, learning the hard way so that you don't have to. It's a path filled with challenges, but with the right knowledge and team, it becomes a rewarding adventure.

My story in business mentoring began with a thirst for knowledge. I sought insights from a spectrum of businesspeople, entrepreneurs, mentors, and venture capitalists. They had a wealth of experience, having built and sold businesses multiple times. Recognizing the importance of this wisdom in the pre-sale phase, I created two specialised services: "The Eight-Figure Exit" and "Grow and Scale." These services are my way of passing on the crucial knowledge and strategies needed for business success.

Then there's "The Founders Journey," a program I hold close to my heart. Over a transformative 12-week period, it works in tandem with my Grow, Scale, and Exit Services. This program is more than just business; it's about personal evolution. It guides you through a process of mental, emotional, and skill development, ensuring that as your business grows; you do too, both as a leader and as an individual.

Each service I offer is a chapter in my story, a collection of lessons learned from a journey filled with both triumphs and trials. They represent my commitment to making your path in business a little easier, a bit clearer, and much more successful.

Setbacks are a part of every growing business. Tell us about a few roadblocks and learning lessons that helped The Grafter grow through the years.

The Grafter is only a year old. Navigating the creation of a new business is an uphill task, particularly in a market climate where securing investment has become increasingly challenging. This difficulty is compounded by an economic environment strained by inflation, affecting both the operational costs and the spending power of potential clients. The Grafter's innovative approach sets it apart in the industry, positioning it at the intersection of the venture and consulting sectors yet not fitting squarely into either. This unconventional stance, while distinctive, necessitates a strategy that involves educating the market about its unique value proposition.

In this journey, the team at The Grafter is learning vital lessons about embracing their uniqueness in the business world. Their approach, diverging from traditional methods, calls for patience and resilience. The realisation that it's acceptable, even advantageous, to deviate from the norm is empowering. However, it also brings the challenge of pioneering a path where they must first enlighten potential stakeholders about their disruptive model before they can fully accelerate their growth. This phase of education is crucial for The Grafter, as it builds the foundation for understanding and acceptance in the market, ultimately facilitating a more robust and sustainable expansion.

As a leading business consultancy, what are The Grafter’s key focus areas?

Specialising in services tailored for businesses with annual revenues between £2m and £25m, our expertise lies in guiding companies through critical phases: Growth, Scaling, and Exit strategies. Our approach is highly customised, recognizing that each client has unique needs and challenges. We pride ourselves on delivering tangible results, with a track record of achieving proven Return on Investment within the first 16 weeks of engagement. This swift and effective impact underscores our commitment to not just advise but to actively drive meaningful and measurable progress for our clients in these pivotal stages of their business journey.

What strategies does The Grafter implement to encourage a culture of creativity and forward-thinking?

The team at The Grafter comprises industry veterans, each a standout in their respective fields, embodying the spirit of excellence and expertise. This team of best talents is a strategic choice, reflecting our commitment to high performance over a familial atmosphere that characterised my previous ventures. The Grafter's culture is distinctly performance-driven, emphasising efficiency, expertise, and results.

As we reflect on our first year and look ahead, we adopt an inclusive approach to strategy development. This involves both our interim and permanent staff, ensuring a diverse range of perspectives and insights. However, our focus on evidence-based decision-making is pivotal. We encourage our team to ground their contributions in data and tangible evidence rather than relying solely on intuition. This approach highlights our commitment to a strategic, analytical framework, enhancing the robustness of our plans and decisions. It's this blend of top-tier expertise and a methodical, evidence-led approach that sets The Grafter apart as a leader in our field.

Can you provide us with one or two success stories, detailing specific client challenges and how The Grafter’s solutions contributed to their success?

Over the past year, we have collaborated with a diverse array of clients. Two particularly impactful success stories stand out.

Firstly, we worked with a recruitment business, guiding them in redefining their strategy from a conventional approach to an outcome-based delivery model. This involved reshaping their operating model to align with this new direction. We also developed new services centred around 'Capability as a Service', creating marketing materials and formulating a social media strategy for their 2024 launch. During this six-month project, they successfully introduced these services to the UK and US markets, generating an impressive £750k in new business.

Secondly, we assisted a company specialising in Intelligent Automation for NHS clients. Our role was to help them refine their strategy and service offerings, leading to a repositioning in the market. This strategic pivot resulted in additional revenue of approximately £250k. Furthermore, we explored opportunities for them to collaborate with additional strategic and implementation partners, laying a foundation for continued growth in 2024. These examples highlight The Grafter's ability to deliver tailored, effective solutions that drive significant business growth and transformation.

Tell us, what’s next for The Grafter.

In 2024, our strategy for enhancing the Grafter platform involves a significant expansion by incorporating more Exiteers. These individuals are seasoned entrepreneurs who have first-hand experience in establishing, growing, and successfully selling businesses. Their inclusion is pivotal in reinforcing our 8-Figure Exit Service and Dealmaking service. These Exiteers bring a wealth of practical knowledge and insights, offering our clients unparalleled guidance and mentorship as they navigate the complex journey of scaling and exiting their businesses.

Additionally, we are contemplating a strategic shift towards becoming a more holistic venture builder. This would not only involve providing intellectual capital, which has been our forte, but also stepping into the realm of financial investment. The idea of creating a fund is on the table for 2024. This move would mark a significant evolution for us, allowing us to support our clients' ventures not just with advice and expertise, but also with crucial financial backing. By deploying both intellectual and financial capital, we aim to more effectively fuel the growth and success of the businesses we work with, positioning ourselves as a more integral part of their journey. This dual approach could significantly enhance our impact in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, offering a more comprehensive suite of resources to ambitious business owners aiming for high-value exits.

Rachel Murphy | Founder & CEO

Rachel Murphy is an esteemed serial entrepreneur renowned for her dynamic business acumen and philanthropic efforts. In 2020, she marked a significant milestone in her entrepreneurial journey by selling her business to TPX Impact for an impressive £13.3 million. Post-sale, Rachel pivoted towards humanitarian efforts, dedicating herself to fundraising for families and Special Forces in Ukraine, focusing on aiding displaced families amidst the crisis. Her entrepreneurial spirit remained undimmed, leading her to launch her latest venture, The Grafter, just 12 months ago. Under her visionary leadership, The Grafter has rapidly flourished, extending support to 13 diverse businesses in sectors as varied as healthcare, financial services, data analytics, intelligent automation, consultancy, and recruitment. Rachel's unique blend of business savvy and deep commitment to social causes continues to inspire and impact the global business landscape.

“Our approach is highly customised, recognizing that each client has unique needs and challenges. We pride ourselves on delivering tangible results, with a track record of achieving proven Return on Investment within the first 16 weeks of engagement.”

“Each service I offer is a chapter in my story, a collection of lessons learned from a journey filled with both triumphs and trials. They represent my commitment to making your path in business a little easier, a bit clearer, and much more successful.”