Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He founded the Virgin Group, which controls more than 400 companies.
I am constantly pushing myself and my own expectations and have always found that I've always come out better for it. Fear is human nature, but turning fear into opportunity is what will make a difference. I would much rather look back at my life saying "I can't believe I did that," than, "What if I had done that?"
Those who achieve great things are the ones willing to be scared but not scared off. If you dream big and take risks, impossible becomes just a word.
If you get into entrepreneurshi p driven by profit, you are a lot more likely to fail. The entrepreneurs who succeed usually want to make a difference to people’s lives, not just their own bank balances. The desire to change things for the better is the motivation for taking risks and pursuing seemingly impossible business ideas.
For a successful entrepreneur it can mean extreme wealth. But with extreme wealth comes extreme responsibility.
Good people have always been at the heart of the Virgin business, and that's largely because we have tried to keep our business small, and our management teams tight-knit. I feel that small, compact companies, are better run. That is partly because people feel more connected in small companies.
The truth is this: the Earth cannot provide enough food and fresh water for 10 billion people, never mind homes, never mind roads, hospitals and schools.
To succeed in business you need to be original, but you also need to understand what your customers want.
If you get your face and your name out there enough, people will start to recognize you.
When you are ready to make your first hires, look for people who understand your passion, want to add to your ideas and can envision ways to make improvements.
There is so much to be learned from listening to people's hopes, frustrations, and points of view
Our model is to develop each business separately with its own shareholder and management - this way we can concentrate on the job in hand, rather than be part of some enormous and faceless conglomerate.
I like to set myself a new adventure challenge at least once or twice a year because I love that side of my life. I love getting fit and training for it.
I've had to create companies that I believe in 100%. These are companies I feel will make a genuine difference. Then I have to be willing to find the time myself to talk about them, promote them and market them. I don't want to spend my life doing something that I'm not proud of.
To stand still today is to go backwards. . . and quickly. . . !
With all my employees, I listen to them, trust in them, believe in them, respect them and let them have a go! I never believe I know better than they do and have been fortunate over the years to build up a very strong management team whom I can trust and take advice from.
As a leader of people, you have to be a great listener, a great motivator, be very good at praising and bringing out the best in people.
I'd like to see the government back a programme of research into the medical properties of cannabis and I do not object to its responsible use as a recreational relaxant.
Sometimes I do wake up in the mornings and feel like I've just had the most incredible dream. I've just dreamt my life
Screwing business as usual fundamentally recognises that doing good is good for business.
Run lean; avoid unnecessary expenses.