Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Bransonis an English business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is best known as the founder of Virgin Group, which comprises more than 400 companies...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionEntrepreneur
Date of Birth18 July 1950
CityLondon, England
ambition people giving
Give your employees a mission that matches their ambitions. When you challenge people, they surprise you.
running giving advice
One of the best bits of advice I can give is, early on, when you're building a new business, try to find somebody to run it on a day-to-day basis to free yourself up to look at the bigger picture.
inspirational business people
Please be polite. Nothing in life should erode the habit of saying thank you to people or praising them.
team careers people
From the first days of my career as an entrepreneur, I have always used my own and my team's lack of experience to our advantage. In fact, at our first venture, Student magazine, we used our newcomer status to secure great interviews and generate publicity - people were excited about our new project and wanted to get involved. Our inexperience fed our restless enthusiasm for trying new things, which became part of our core mission.
pay bills london
When I started Virgin from a basement flat in West London, I did not set out to build a business empire. I set out to create something I enjoyed that would pay the bills.
business evil necessary-evil
Most "necessary evils" are far more evil than necessary.
leadership dream running
I may be a businessman in that I set up and run companies for profit, but when I try to plan ahead and dream up new products and new companies, I'm an idealist.
fun people leader
Business leaders take things far too seriously, and forget that most of the time people spend in their lives is at work, and it should be fun.
people needs want
A company is people … employees want to know… am I being listened to or am I a cog in the wheel? People really need to feel wanted.
struggle opportunity challenges
When something doesn't go exactly to plan, money is tight or a business is struggling - see it as a challenge rather than a failure. Look outside the box and try and find a solution - you'll be surprised how many great opportunities and possibilities arise when things look bad. You've just got to open your mind and not be afraid of sticking your neck out!
decision analysis sophisticated
When you are making a decision about how best to serve your customers, your own experience is often a better guide than a more sophisticated analysis of the market.
adventure people machines
I have always looked on my businesses not just as money-making machines, but as adventures that can, I hope, make people better off.
inspirational business successful
Happiness is the secret ingredient for successful businesses. If you have a happy company it will be invincible.
commitment people trying
Commitment is not letting people down. That's very important in life. If you say you're going to do something, make sure you do it. Just try never to let people down.