Richard Branson quotes
Born
18 July 1950, Blackheath, London, England.
Occupation
Business magnate.
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He founded the Virgin Group, which controls more than 400 companies.
My early business ventures included growing Christmas trees and breeding birds.
– Richard Branson
I’ve been very lucky. I come from a very close family.
– Richard Branson
Material things are delightful, but they’re not important.
– Richard Branson
My favorite mode of transport is hot-air ballooning. It’s so graceful to be blown by the wind, to go where the wind takes you.
– Richard Branson
In business, if you realize you’ve made a bad decision, you change it.
– Richard Branson
In this digital age, it doesn’t really matter if you are in Canary Wharf or the Caribbean; there are opportunities waiting to be grasped by entrepreneurs.
– Richard Branson
The balloons only have one life and the only way of finding out whether they work is to attempt to fly around the world.
– Richard Branson
A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.
– Richard Branson
The art of delegation is one of the key skills any entrepreneur must master.
– Richard Branson
My philosophy is that if I have any money I invest it in new ventures and not have it sitting around.
– Richard Branson
People from all over the world come to London wanting to make their own mark on it, and they add to the energy and vitality of the capital. It’s got a bit busier since the ’60s, but the more the merrier!
– Richard Branson
You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.
– Richard Branson
We have teams of people working on electric cars. So you never know – you may find Virgin competing with the Tesla in the car business as we do in the space business.
– Richard Branson
I love to dance, but my children tell me I shouldn’t. Can’t see why.
– Richard Branson
If you want to be a Millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline.
– Richard Branson
If you are a small company taking on a big company, you need to have a sense of humor.
– Richard Branson
A complaint is a chance to turn a customer into a lifelong friend. I say that seriously, not as some press release baloney.
– Richard Branson
It’s rare for a startup to make money immediately, so you need to make sure that you have enough saved or that you have another income stream that can support you.
– Richard Branson
Lightning is something which, again, we would rather avoid.
– Richard Branson
My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them.
– Richard Branson
If you’re embarking around the world in a hot-air balloon, don’t forget the toilet paper.
– Richard Branson
When Brexiters told the public that people were exaggerating, that there would be a financial meltdown, I think it’s been proven that they were not exaggerating.
– Richard Branson
I believe in benevolent dictatorship provided I am the dictator.
– Richard Branson
One thing is certain in business. You and everyone around you will make mistakes.
– Richard Branson
Treat failure as a lesson on how not to approach achieving a goal, and then use that learning to improve your chances of success when you try again. Failure is only the end if you decide to stop.
– Richard Branson
Entrepreneurs are natural problem-solvers, which means that we always have ideas for new businesses popping into our heads. Having a lot of options is great, but sometimes it can be hard to focus on one when you are keen to move onto the next.
– Richard Branson
I love Notting Hill and Westbourne Grove – there is so much life and vitality around Portobello and Ladbroke Grove. It has come up a lot since I started Virgin more than 40 years ago, but there is so much character.
– Richard Branson
You never know with these things when you’re trying something new what can happen. This is all experimental.
– Richard Branson
Right now I’m just delighted to be alive and to have had a nice long bath.
– Richard Branson
Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.
– Richard Branson
An exceptional company is the one that gets all the little details right. And the people out on the front line, they know when things are not going right, and they know when things need to be improved. And if you listen to them, you can soon improve all those niggly things which turns an average company into an exceptional company.
– Richard Branson
We are going to transform Britain’s rail system from the worst in the world to the best. If you can do a few things like that, when the body gives out, you can say you’ve lived a good life.
– Richard Branson
I always find the time to exercise – kitesurfing, tennis or cycling – and to spend time with my loved ones.
– Richard Branson
Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.
– Richard Branson
I’m a lad of the ’60s. I started a magazine to try and end the Vietnam war, but it was a number of years before I had the profile, the financial resources and the time to do more.
– Richard Branson
I love the freedom of movement that my phone gives me. That has definitely transformed my life.
– Richard Branson
A passionate belief in your business and personal objectives can make all the difference between success and failure. If you aren’t proud of what you’re doing, why should anybody else be?
– Richard Branson
And obviously, from our own personal point of view, the principal challenge is a personal challenge.
– Richard Branson
More businesses should be following Apple’s stance in encouraging more investment in sustainability.
– Richard Branson
There’s nothing like the endorphins from being fit, and the incredible endorphin rush that goes with that.
– Richard Branson
All you have in business is your reputation – so it’s very important that you keep your word.
– Richard Branson
When exploring London, you will come across lots of excitement by chance, so try to take everything in rather than just rushing around to all of the major tourist haunts.
– Richard Branson
The funny thing is people won’t let me pay for things. I’ll be in a restaurant and the manager will say, ‘Oh no, it’s on the house.’
– Richard Branson
By putting the employee first, the customer effectively comes first by default, and in the end, the shareholder comes first by default as well.
– Richard Branson
I think it’s quite great to set yourself a big challenge, and then you’ve got another reason for keeping fit.
– Richard Branson
Back when I was in school, few people understood dyslexia and what to do for it. My teachers thought I was lazy and not very clever, and I got bored easily… thinking of all the things I could do once I left school. I couldn’t always follow what was going on.
– Richard Branson
When I was four, my mother insisted I get out of the car and find my own way home. Although I got lost, I did find my way home. It taught me the value of independence at an early age.
– Richard Branson
With the casino and the beds, our passengers will have at least two ways to get lucky on one of our flights.
– Richard Branson
So I’ve seen life as one long learning process. And if I see – you know, if I fly on somebody else’s airline and find the experience is not a pleasant one, which it wasn’t in – 21 years ago, then I’d think, well, you know, maybe I can create the kind of airline that I’d like to fly on.
– Richard Branson
From my very first day as an entrepreneur, I’ve felt the only mission worth pursuing in business is to make people’s lives better.
– Richard Branson
Starting your own business isn’t just a job – it’s a way of life.
– Richard Branson
Overcoming fear is the first step to success for entrepreneurs. The winners all exemplify that, and the hard work and commitment they have shown underlines what is needed to set up a business.
– Richard Branson
A good leader doesn’t get stuck behind a desk.
– Richard Branson
My attitude has always been, if you fall flat on your face, at least you’re moving forward. All you have to do is get back up and try again.
– Richard Branson
Too many people measure how successful they are by how much money they make or the people that they associate with. In my opinion, true success should be measured by how happy you are.
– Richard Branson
Especially when you’re at a high level in an organization, criticism can be devastating to an employee. I prefer to praise employees for what they’re doing right, and it tends to lead to them doing more of the same. Not always, but it’s the way I choose to bet.
– Richard Branson
Fun is one of the most important – and underrated – ingredients in any successful venture. If you’re not having fun, then it’s probably time to call it quits and try something else.
– Richard Branson
Being a good listener is absolutely critical to being a good leader; you have to listen to the people who are on the front line.
– Richard Branson