Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (1950) better known as Richard Branson is an English businessman, whose business success lies largely in being the founder of the famous company Virgin, which is currently part of the Virgin Group that currently owns more than 360 companies.
Branson’s lifestyle and business philosophy have always made this tycoon a role model for many entrepreneurs, as Branson’s knowledge of customer service and marketing has proven to bear fruit on many occasions.
10. If we look at the best of our employees, they will flourish. If we criticize or look at the worst, they will wither. We all need plenty of watering.
Encouraging our employees and knowing how to motivate them is something that differentiates the good and bad business owners.
11. A business can be started with very little money.
In many businesses the initial investment can be quite low.
12. Luck favors the prepared mind. The more you practice, the luckier you get.
Obtaining knowledge can help us in many moments of life, because when we need it it will be at our disposal
13. Respect is how you treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.
We must treat everyone we meet with respect.
14. I don’t think of work as work and play as play. Everything is life.
For many people, work is a big part of their life, Richard Branson is one of those people.
15. Throwing yourself into a job you enjoy is one of life’s great pleasures.
When we find a job that we are passionate about, developing in it is exciting.
16. My general attitude towards life is to enjoy every minute of every day.
We must be positive and know how to enjoy the little things that life gives us.
17. Only a fool never changes his mind.
We all evolve over the years, the experiences we live every day make us evolve as people.
18. Life is so much more fun if you say yes instead of no.
We must be braver and more determined, knowing how to take advantage of opportunities is something that we must all do.
19. If the only reason you do business is money, then you might as well not even do it.
When we decide to start a business we must be passionate about that business, otherwise that business will fail.
20. What works once may not work again. What everyone tells you is not going to work can work. No rules.
The business world is very volatile, we must act on our own instincts and sensations, we must not allow ourselves to be influenced by third parties.
21. Just as I get an idea of people within 30 seconds of meeting them, I also get an idea of whether or not a business proposal excites me within 30 seconds.
First impressions are usually the right ones, that happens with people and also with businesses.
22. Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
There is no such thing as luck, as Branson says, we must be prepared to take advantage of that opportunity that may appear to us at any time.
23. There have been times when I could have succumbed to the bribe or when I could have been the person offering it.
We must be honest and not use tricks to achieve our goals, since these practices will later haunt us in our career.
24. I have always believed that the way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers, and that people flourish when they are praised. When we treat other people well, they will tend to treat us in the same way, whether they are clients or employees, an employee can also be a future client.
Treat others how you want to be treated in return.
25. Most necessary evils are more evil than necessary.
We must try to correct any problem we have, necessary evils can cost us a bill that is very difficult to pay.
26. I am aware that the idea that business is a fun and creative affair goes against convention. Certainly, this is what we are taught in business schools.
In order to create a business it is necessary to be inventive and to do so we must know the sector or be passionate about it.
27. No matter what your goal is, you will never succeed unless you leave your fears and start flying.
We should not set limits on ourselves, where we will arrive will only be decided by destiny.
28. If only we had the power to see ourselves the way others see us. Of all the mantras one can adopt in life, this is without a doubt one of the best.
We must be aware of the image we project towards others, in this way we will be much more effective in our performance (be more credible by our interlocutors).
29. There are parameters that, if followed, can ensure business continuity, but you cannot define the cause of the success of a business and bottle it as if it were a perfume.
The business world is very volatile, we must find the exact key at the exact moment to achieve great success.
30. Success cannot be guaranteed by following someone else’s formula.
There is no exact pattern of success, achieving success in our businesses is very difficult and depends on countless factors.
31. Capitalism works. However, those who make money from it should give it back to society, not just sit on it like people hatching eggs.
Giving back to society part of the wealth that it provides us can be very beneficial for us emotionally and bureaucratically.
32. Things that are difficult to gain are more valuable than those that come easily.
When we go through hardships to achieve something we unconsciously give it much more value, the value it has for us.
33. For those who think that businesses exist to make profits, I suggest you think again.
The business world is very complex and it is not governed solely by mere speculation, Richard Branson knows this very well.
34. Screw it, let’s do it.
On many occasions in life we must be brave and take a step forward.
35. Remember, it is not material things that matter in life. Things are not important, people are. What matters is that everyone is safe.
The people around us are the ones who bring us all the happiness we have in life, material goods are just mere objects.
36. Listen more than you talk. No one learns anything by listening to themselves talk.
We must know how to listen, because in this way we can accumulate knowledge from third parties.
37. Great leaders are almost always simplifiers who can end arguments, debates, and doubts by offering a solution that everyone can understand.
Easy solutions are the ones that everyone wants to follow, as they simplify their lives and give them practical meaning.
38. Developing mental strength is not just about being resilient. It’s about going to your reserve tank when you think you can’t keep going.
Being mentally strong is something that not all of us are or can be, our character and personality dictate our mental strength.
39. Evil, evil, do not have the last word. It is kindness, laughter, joy, care and compassion that has the final decision.
Bringing joy and kindness to the world depends on us, we must be bearers of joy wherever we go.
40. It took time and a lot of mistakes for me to achieve achievements.
Great achievements take time to develop, good things always take a while.
41. The way to become a good leader is to look for the best in people. Rarely criticize, always praise.
We must know how to foster and enhance the qualities of our employees, in this way we can take advantage of their maximum human potential.
42. As long as you continue in your career, your efforts may meet with failure. Don’t be discouraged, one of the best ways to learn something is by making mistakes.
Mistakes teach us to never have to make them again, we learn from mistakes, not from victories.
43. Hard work and fun are the two things life revolves around. As soon as things stop being fun, that’s the sign that you should keep moving forward.
We must do what we are most passionate about, this way we will always be successful in what we practice.
44. Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving there with a well-preserved body.
Taking risks is something that we should all do, because in this way we can know what we are really capable of.
45. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong. If you feel like waking up in the morning and working is nothing more than a chore, then it’s time to try something else.
The world is very big and there are many jobs, it can always be a good time to start something new.
46. I was always encouraged to see the good in people instead of assuming the worst in everyone and looking for faults.
The positive aspects of people are those that we should always try to encourage and promote.
47. It is much better, when possible, to try to forgive those who wrong us and give them a second chance, just as my father and mother often did when I was a child.
We must be above the opinions of others, nothing they think can change our path to success.
48. I think listening is one of the most important skills for any teacher, parent, leader, entrepreneur, or, well, anyone with a pulse.
Knowing how to listen to our friends or family can help us learn from their mistakes so that we do not make them.
49. Live for the present (I hear my parents’ maxim in my head) and the future will come by itself.
We must live in the present, enjoy what we have now and fight for a better future.
50. You are guaranteed to miss every opportunity you don’t take.
Those opportunities that we decide not to use, no matter what, will not produce us any type of personal or material wealth.
51. Business is a fluid, a changing substance.
Businesses constantly change, adapt and modify. Nobody knows the key to success.
52. If you have a good team around you and a little more than luck, you can make things happen.
The people around us are those who drive us to achieve our goals.
53. I don’t think it can be learned as if it were a recipe. There are no ingredients or techniques that can guarantee success.
Success depends greatly on the luck and experience we accumulate as entrepreneurs.
54. Listen, it makes you look smarter.
When we listen to others we learn from them and they will also value the attention we give them.
55. The best lesson I have learned is to do it. It doesn’t matter what it is or how difficult it may be to achieve. As the Greek Plato said “the beginning is the most important part of any work.”
To achieve any goal we must always start with a first step, whether to take it or not, depends on us.
56. Fun is at the core of the way I like to do business and has been the key to everything I have done and the results I have obtained.
Knowing how to have fun with work can be very beneficial, since we will transmit our fun to others.
57. As soon as something stops being fun, I consider it time to move on. Life is too short to be unhappy. Waking up feeling stressed and miserable is not a good way to live.
We should not waste valuable time in our lives on things that we are not really passionate about.
58. My parents always reminded me that all you have in this life is reputation: you may be rich but if you have lost your reputation, you will never be happy.
The reputation we have with respect to society can be something very important in our lives, Branson in this quote shows us the importance it has for him.
59. To be successful, you have to go out, you have to hit the ground running.
In order to achieve success we must take risks and be fearless in life.
60. I trust my instincts more than statistics.
We must be faithful to our instincts, they often warn us when something is wrong.
61. It is by falling that you learn not to protect yourself from new falls.
Learning from our mistakes depends on us, man is the only animal that trips over the same stone twice.
62. You get the idea. Each business operates according to its own rules. There are many ways to have a successful company.
How we develop or should develop our business is something we must learn ourselves.
63. I can honestly say that I have never gotten into a business just to make money.
Richard Branson is more inclined to start his businesses due to his affinity for this sector.
64. Good brands reflect the history of the time and the group of people who made them. They cannot be copied. They cannot be recycled.
Brands can represent a before and after in the market, they can never try to clone themselves to repeat their successes.
65. Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can do something complicated. It’s hard to keep things simple.
When a business is simple is when it can provide us with more fruits, but it is also more difficult to find.
66. A business has to involve, it has to be fun and it has to exercise creative instincts.
When our business fulfills us as individuals, we can dedicate ourselves to it body and soul without it weighing us down.
67. Balloons only have one life and the only way to know if they work is to try to fly around the world.
How we make the most of our lives depends on us, we must learn to fly and be brave.
68. Entrepreneurship is about converting what excites you in life into capital.
To be successful in a business we must be able to convert our passions into money, dedicate yourself to what you are most passionate about.
69. How thin the line is between genius and madness, and between determination and stubbornness.
Great geniuses are usually well known for having a large dose of madness.
70. I have always looked at my businesses, not as money-making machines, but as adventures.
A business is always a great adventure that you never know where it will take you.
71. Involve your emotions at work. Your instincts and emotions are there to help you.
Knowing how to take advantage of all our capabilities in our profession is something that we should all be able to do.
72. Having a personality of caring about people is important. You can’t be a good leader unless you like people in general. That’s the way to get the best out of them.
To be able to lead a team you need to have people skills and without a doubt, Richard Branson has great people skills.
73. If someone offers you an amazing opportunity, but you’re not sure you can do it, say yes, then learn how to do it.
We should not reject any opportunity that life presents us, we can always learn what is necessary when the time comes.
74. The best motto to follow: nothing ventured, nothing gained.
To win we must take risks, both on a personal and economic level.
75. One thing is certain in business. You and everyone around you will make mistakes.
In order to develop a successful career in business we must fail in order to learn.
76. The best way to learn something is by doing.
Indeed, as Richard Branson says in this quote, doing any activity is how we learn it best.
77. You don’t learn to follow the rules. You learn by doing and falling.
As we carry out any activity we learn certain guidelines that will help us to be able to carry it out.
78. Business opportunities are like buses, there is always another one coming.
Even if we miss an opportunity, there will always be other opportunities that we can take advantage of.
79. You can only live once. And I don’t want to waste a minute of my life.
We must take advantage of our life until the last minute, it is all we have.
80. A business is simply an idea to improve other people’s lives. For a business to work it must be positive for society and it must be able to use it.
