BE READY to fail, but be ready to reinvent your business.

That was the message to county firms at a special export show in Hereford.

Former SAS officer Joff Sharpe, now the Chief Operating Officer at British Land PLC, gave his advice during a speech at the Business Growth and Export Show.

Around 50 delegates attended the free breakfast event at Hereford Racecourse to listen to Mr Sharpe and visit the Department for International Trade’s Export Hub truck.

The aim was to help businesses grow their export markets.

Mr Sharpe talked about the lessons he had learned from his career to date, from a stint as an SAS officer in Hereford to more than 25 years in a variety of senior roles working to improve the performance of blue chip companies.

Those attending heard how fundamental principles underlying the success of the SAS could be applied to Small and medium firms to improve leadership and prosperity.

Mr Sharpe has previously worked for global brands including Mars, PepsiCo, News International and Vodafone but still has links to the city through British Land and its involvement with Hereford Shopping Centre and the Cathedral.

He said: “There are a number of key components to business success starting with a vision of what you want to achieve and the fabric and substance of the organisation that will deliver.

“Assembling diverse and versatile team members, bound by a common value system, is key.

“They then need to be clear on how to execute their plans at speed and be capable of reinventing themselves and adapting to changing circumstances.

“Finally businesses must be resilient, take stock and capitalise on learning.”

Author of ‘Who Dares Wins in Business’ (2014) Mr Sharpe advised businesses to be versatile, employ people with multiple skills and learn to ‘fail fast’ to succeed.

Speaking after his presentation Paul Hinkins, Chair of the Marches Growth Hub, said: ““Learning in business is about continuous improvement. No matter how good we are, we can always do better."

Lyndsay Francis, Economic Development Officer at the growth hub, said they were delighted with the turn out at the export event – a first for Hereford.

“By making the most of potential overseas trade channels, businesses can boost their bottom line and grow significantly.”