Richard Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group and Companies such as Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America, Virgin mobile, and Virgin Action. He maintains a blog at www.virgin.com/ Richard – Branson /blog.

Contributed and compiled by Udzungwa Mountains College Students Club of Entrepreneurship (UMCSCE) 30TH, JULY 2022. (club@umcsce.org)

  1. “People in business who succeed have swallowed their fear and have set out to create something special, something to make a difference to people’s lives” – Richard Branson.
  2. “I have been interested in creating things.”- Richard Branson.
  3. “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over, it is because you fall over that you learn to save yourself from falling over.”- Richard Branson.
  4. “In business, as in life, you never step into the same river twice.” Richard Branson.
  5. “Business requires astute decision–making and Leadership. It requires discipline and innovation. It also needs attitude, a good sense of humor.” – Richard Branson.
  6. “If you want to meet entrepreneurs, come to Africa. It is a continent full of opportunities for the creation of wealth, enterprise, and future prosperity.”- Richard Branson
  7. “I am not good at theory. Almost everything I have learned, I have learned by doing” – Richard Branson.
  8. Yes, money is important. It is essential to pay people fairly for the job they do, and to share out the profits of a company’s success. But throwing money at people is not the point” – Richard Branson.
  9. “We run our companies professionally and we make sure that everyone does their job to the highest standards.” – Richard Branson.
  10. “When I (Richard Branson) work with people, I really want to get to know them personally. I want to meet their families, and their children, I want to know their weaknesses and their strengths, and above all I want them to know mine. That way can do more together. Richard Branson
  11. “Employees are number one. The way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers.” Richard Branson.
  12. “Think small to grow big” – Richard Branson.
  13. “We are focused on the customer in a way that most businesses are not.” – Richard Branson.
  14. “In 1970, when we set up Virgin records, no one in the UK used the word “entrepreneur” anymore – Richard Branson.
  15. “Entrepreneurs have taken risks in starting companies, innovating products and offering the services that make people’s lives easier, better and safer.” – Richard Branson.
  16. “Entrepreneurship is not about getting one over on the customer. It is not about working on your own. It is not about looking out for number one. It is not necessarily about making a lot of money. It is absolutely not about letting work take over your life. On the contrary, it is about turning what excites you in life into capital, so that you can do more of it and move forward with it.” – Richard Branson.
  17. “Inspire your people to think like entrepreneurs, and whatever you do, treat them like adults.”- Richard Branson.
  18. “Imagine if we had not diversified and if we had just stuck with the record and music industry, which today faces huge challenges because of the digital download revolution – we might well have disappeared” – Richard Branson.
  19. “A brand should reflect what you can do” – Richard Branson.
  20. “Get the brand right from the start, by being honest with yourself about what it is you are offering. – Richard Branson.
  21. “Remember, a brand always means something, and ultimately, you can control the meaning of your brand only through what you deliver to the customer” – Richard Branson.
  22. “Self–funding your first business is cripplingly difficult”- Richard Branson.
  23. “And here I (Richard Branson) learned another key fact about running a business: try to have a plan B”- Richard Branson.
  24. “The manor taught me (Richard Branson) how to run a business and handle creative people.”- Richard Branson.
  25. “ As I (Richard Branson) get older, the challenge is going to be to ensure that the next generation admire the brand so that we get three generations enjoying what we do,” – Richard Branson.
  26. “Don’t promise what you can’t deliver, and deliver everything you promise” – Richard Branson.
  27. “I (Richard Branson) thought letter writing was an important way of communicating”- Richard Branson.
  28. “Don’t waste your precious time. Phone calls and emails can eat your day.”- Richard Branson.
  29. “I (Richard Branson) would advise every owner of a company to keep a notebook and jot down the things that need doing. If you are listening to staff or customers, then write down the main points. If you are visiting a factory or touring a new site or partying with your staff, use the notebook. When you are busy with a lot going on around you, if you don’t write things down, I (Richard Branson) doubt you will be able to remember one out of twenty items the next” – Richard Branson.
  30. “I (Richard Branson) carry a notebook everywhere I go,” – Richard Branson.
  31. “You will need stamina and patience to deliver well – especially when everybody is out to kill you.” – Richard Branson.
  32. “You need to flesh out your own ideas. You need to do your own research. You need to take responsibility for how you plan to turn an idea into action. That way, when you approach the experts – the accountants, the legal brains – they have something to get their teeth into.” – Richard Branson.
  33. “Starting a soft–drink war with coca – cola was crazy. It was one of our highest profile business mistakes, though it was also one of the things that raised the profile of the Virgin name in America.” – Richard Branson.
  34. “Protect your reputation. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. These are the Rules I (Richard Branson) live by.” – Richard Branson.
  35. “So don’t be afraid to ask the senior figures in your circle for advice and help.” – Richard Branson.
  36. “If you are hurt, lick your wounds and get up again.”- Richard Branson.
  37. “In business, as in life, you can’t afford to be afraid of doing the wrong thing.” – Richard Branson.
  38. “Remember; Success in business never comes from in action. Have I (Richard Branson) been lucky in business? – Richard Branson
  39. “In business, small is beautiful,” Richard Branson.
  40. “True leadership must include the ability to distinguish between real and apparent danger” – Richard Branson.
  41. “You need to understand the challenges to your Enterprise and face up to them,” – Richard Branson.
  42. “Leadership is not about a person sitting at the top of the tree, making all the decisions and expecting everyone to do as they are told. That is hardly Leadership; it is more like a dictatorship,” – Richard Branson.
  43. “Failure is not something to fear” – Richard Branson.
  44. “Entrepreneurs have the dynamism to get something started. They (Entrepreneurs) view the world differently from other people. They (Entrepreneurs) create opportunities that others don’t necessarily see and have the guts to give it a go. Yet an entrepreneur is not necessarily good at the nuts and bolts of running a business.” – Richard Branson.
  45. “Once the entrepreneur has the company up and running, they (entrepreneurs) often need to pass the baton on to the manager. The creator’s job is to find someone with expertise who understands the vision and is prepared to follow the path.” – Richard Branson.
  46. “The entrepreneur’s job is effectively to put themselves out of the job each time the new company is up and running. Then they (entrepreneurs) can step aside and free themselves up to be entrepreneurs to stick around for too long, trying to cover both roles.” – Richard Branson.
  47. “In small business, you can be both the entrepreneur and the manager while you are getting it going. But you need to know and understand everything about that business. And I (Richard Branson) really mean everything. An emerging entrepreneur should sign every cheque.” Richard Branson.
  48. “Examine every invoice, and you will soon appreciate where your money is going. Even in a big business like the Virgin group, I (Richard Branson) sit down now and again and sign every single cheque that goes out, and I ask my managing directors to do the same.” – Richard Branson.
  49. “As a small–business person, you must immerse yourself 100 percent in everything and learn about the ins and outs of every single department. As you get bigger, you will be able to delegate, and when people come to you with their problems, they (People) will be surprised how knowledgeable you are and how much practical advice you can offer.” – Richard Branson.
  50. “The reason you are knowledgeable is that in the early days of the business, you learned all about it. This is how business leadership is achieved. There are no shortcuts” –Richard Branson.
  51. “And as the business gets bigger, you will have to decide if you are a manager or an entrepreneur. If you are a manager you can stay with that business and help it grow. If you are an entrepreneur, you need to find a manager. Then you should move on, enjoy yourself, and then set up your next enterprise.“- Richard Branson.
  52. “You must either stay ahead of other people or stay ahead of yourself, all the time. If you really put your mind to it you are normally going to find a better way. You have to keep on questioning the way people do things.” – Richard Branson
  53. “A plant needs to be watered to flourish and people need encouragement so that they can flourish,” – Richard Branson
  54. “Watch a musician practice sometimes. Watch a baby figure out how to walk. Listen to a toddler speak. Skills like working aid talking and playing music emerge gradually, steadily, from a blizzard of (Often pretty funny) mistakes. I think this is true of everything that learning is about making mistakes and learning from them.” – Richard Branson.
  55. “We all have to put aside our differences and revolutionize the way we work together to ensure that we leave this world in good shape for at least “the next seven generations.”- Richard Branson.
  56. “With or without me (Richard Branson) Virgin will be around for many years to come,” – Richard Branson.
  57. “Success for me (Richard Branson) is whether you have created something that you can be really proud of” – Richard Branson.
  58. “Nobody should be remembered for how much money you have made in life. Whether you die with a billion dollars in your bank account or $ 20 under your pillow is actually not that interesting. What matters is whether you have created something special – and whether you have made a real difference to other people’s lives.” – Richard Branson.
  59. “In business, as in life, all that matters is that you do something positive,” – Richard Branson.
  60. “All my life I (Richard Branson) have thrived on challenges: they (Challenges) are what drive me whether in business or at play.” – Richard Branson.
  61. “I (Richard Branson) am talking about the power of the ordinary, everyday person to become entrepreneurs and change-makers to set up their own businesses, to seek their own fortune and be in control of their own lives.”- Richard Branson.
  62. “I (Richard Branson) spend as much time on using my entrepreneurial skills to help solve issues as on running the business.”-Richard Branson.
  63. “I (Richard Branson) learned that if you see a bright idea go with it. If you see a problem – deal with it”- Richard Branson.
  64. “Good things and worthwhile things are not always quick or easy to achieve”- Richard Branson.
  65. “I (Richard Branson) want all our people to be Entrepreneurial, to work under their own initiative and to realize that if something is not happening, then they have to make it happen.” – Richard Branson.
  66. “The business of doing good for people and the planet is the most challenging frontier for entrepreneurs. – Richard Branson.
  67. “Entrepreneurship is what made Britain great and set up the US. It is not really valued at all in the modern education syllabus. – Richard Branson.
  68. “It was challenging that took us from being Cavemen to reaching for the stars. – Richard Branson.
  69. “Everyone needs something to aim for’ – Richard Branson.
  70. “If you challenge yourself, you will grow, your life will change, your outlook will be positive.”- Richard Branson.
  71. “It is not always easy to reach your goals but that is not the reason to stop. Instead, say to yourself, “I can do it. I will keep on trying until I win.”- Richard Branson.
  72. “I (Richard Branson) am driven and I love the challenge of looking for new things and new ideas.”- Richard Branson.
  73. “I (Richard Branson) try to stretch myself to the limit”- Richard Branson.
  74. “I (Richard Branson) knew I could do it too, and I (Richard Branson) was not going to give up until I had proved it”- Richard Branson.
  75. “Mum is one of those people who never says, “Can’t”- Richard Branson.
  76. “My mother (Richard Branson) believes anything is possible if you try,”- Richard Branson.
  77. “I (Richard Branson) didn’t stop challenging myself,”- Richard Branson.
  78. “As I (Richard Branson) grew older, out in the wide world faced bigger challenges,” – Richard Branson
  79. “I (Richard Branson) totally agree and believe we (people) should all continue to challenge ourselves,” – Richard Branson.
  80. “Rely on yourself” – Richard Branson.
  81. “I (Richard Branson) was trained to think for myself and get things done.” – Richard Branson.
  82. “Hard work and fun were family traits and we all developed entrepreneurial skills, perhaps from having to make money in the teen years after the war” – Richard Branson
  83. “Although I (Richard Branson) listen carefully to everyone, I (Richard Branson) make up my own mind and just do it,”- Richard Branson.
  84. “I (Richard Branson) believe in myself and in my goals and have always tried to expand my horizons without losing my ideas, or the lessons of integrity, honesty, and respect for other people that I (Richard Branson) was taught at home as a child” – Richard Branson.
  85. “I (Richard Branson) personally raised £ 182 million needed, but it was worth it to keep my freedom, reputation, and character,”- Richard Branson.
  86. “I (Richard Branson) believe in myself. I (Richard Branson) believe in the hands that work, in the brains that think, and in the hearts that love”- Richard Branson.
  87. “Whatever we want to be, whatever we want to do, we can do it, because we can”- Richard Branson.
  88. “You have got to invest money to make money.”- Richard Branson.
  89. “Long–term success, happiness, and satisfaction will never come if profit is the only reason for your enterprise”- Richard Branson.
  90. “People say I (Richard Branson) should relax. I could retire, but I ask, ”what would I do? “- Richard Branson.
  91. “Believe in yourself”- Richard Branson.
  92. “I (Richard Branson) firmly believe that anything is possible. I (Richard Branson) tell them, “Belief in yourself. You can do it”- Richard Branson.
  93. “Some people fly, others crash in almost exactly the same situations, but that should not stop us trying”- Richard Branson.
  94. “It is easy to give up when things are hard but we have to keep chasing dreams and our goals, as these exciting people did, and once we decide to do something, we should never look back, never regret it”- Richard Branson.
  95. “I (Richard Branson) have always said that you don’t need to do a lot of expensive research or produce vast files and reports to know if something is a good idea that will work. Mostly, you need common sense and vision,”- Richard Branson.
  96. “I (Richard Branson) used the lessons I had learned from students and worked hard to promote the opening of that very first Virgin Records shop in Oxfords street. The lesson I learned from that, and which I live by, is to keep trying and never give up,”-
  97. “I (Richard Branson) always tell people that if they (people) want to do anything well, they (people) must plan and prepare,”- Richard Branson.
  98. “I (Richard Branson) learned many lessons: not only that if you want to do something you should just do it, but also to prepare well, have faith in yourself, help each other and most of all, never, give up,”- Richard Branson.
  99. “You don’t have to run a big business, fly in a balloon, or break records in a boat to learn from and use the lessons I (Richard Branson) learned’, Richard Branson.
  100. “Your goal can be small. Student magazine was very small at first. If something is what you really want to do, just do it,”- Richard Branson.
  101. “Have fun, work hard and money will come” – Richard Branson.
  102. “There are no rules to follow in business. I (Richard Branson) just work hard and, as I always have done, believe I (Richard Branson) can do it,”- Richard Branson.
  103. “Fun refreshes us; it is stimulating and vital on physical and spiritual levels. Knowing how to laugh and love and appreciate each other is what life is about.” – Richard Branson
  104. “I (Richard Branson) didn’t set out to be rich. The fun and the challenge in life were what I wanted – and still do”-Richard Branson
  105. “I (Richard Branson) don’t deny that money is important,”- Richard Branson
  106. “I (Richard Branson) never went into business just to make money – but I have found that if I have fun, the money will come,”- Richard Branson
  107. “I (Richard Branson) am still learning and hope I (Richard Branson) never stop,”- Richard Branson
  108. “It is never a bad thing to have a dream, but always I (Richard Branson) am practical about it,”- Richard Branson
  109. “I (Richard Branson) set goals and then work out how to achieve them,” Richard Branson
  110. “Anything I (Richard Branson) want to do in life I want to do well and not half-heartedly. So I (Richard Branson) taught myself to learn things by heart. It has become one of my best tools in business,”- Richard Branson
  111. “We started small and grow big”- Richard Branson
  112. “People have to decide on priorities if they (people) want to get anywhere,”- Richard Branson
  113. “The best lesson I (Richard Branson) learned was to just do it,” Richard Branson
  114. “Whatever it is, however hard and daunting it might seem, as that ancient Greek, Plato, said “The beginning is the most important part of any work, while to Chinese say,” A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – Richard Branson
  115. “Whatever it is you want to achieve in life if you don’t make the effort, you won’t reach your goal. Take that first step. There will be many challenges,” Richard Branson
  116. “My motto (Richard Branson) really is: “screw it just does it!”- Richard Branson
  117. “Try and try again”- Richard Branson
  118. “Have faith in yourself,”- Richard Branson
  119. “Prepare well,”-Richard Branson
  120. “Never give up” – Richard Branson
  121. “Believe it can be done”- Richard Branson
  122. “Have goals,” Richard Branson
  123. “Live life to the full” – Richard Branson
  124. “If you recognize something is a good idea, or if there is something in your personal life that you want to do, but are not immediately sure how to achieve your goal, I (Richard Branson) don’t believe that that little word “Can’t’ should stop you,” Richard Branson.
  125. “If you don’t have the right experience to reach your goal, go in another direction, look for a different way in. There is always a solution to the most complex problem,”- Richard Branson
  126. “Like many other fledgling entrepreneurs, I (Richard Branson) didn’t see my idea as “business” but as a politically motivated, though fun, creative enterprise”- Richard Branson
  127. “An unprofitable business is a headache, a source of stress, and fiscal madness,”- Richard Branson
  128. “They treated my project (Richard Branson) like just another schoolboy enthusiasm. One or two shrugged and said I (Richard Branson) was too young and had no experience. But I (Richard Branson) was serious – I (Richard Branson) really believed in myself, believed it could be done and wanted to prove them wrong,”- Richard Branson.
  129. “I (Richard Branson) have always been stubborn and, if anything, their negativity strengthened my resolve and made me (Richard Branson) all the more determined,”- Richard Branson
  130. “Calculate the risks and take them,” – Richard Branson
  131. “Chase your dreams and goals,”- Richard Branson
  132. “Aim high,” Richard Branson
  133. “It would be good if strategic thinking – entrepreneurial thinking were to be taught in schools. Not every child is an academic; not every child is destined to work for someone. Entrepreneurship could open many doors to a different kind of workforce,”- Richard Branson
  134. “I (Richard Branson) thrive on challenges,”- Richard Branson
  135. “I (Richard Branson) have spent over thirty – five years building the virgin brand,”- Richard Branson
  137. Richard Branson had left school at fifteen years to set up a student magazine. He (Richard Branson) has been interested in creating things, and this was the main reason why he involved in the business. Richard Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group and Companies such as Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America, Virgin Mobile, and Virgin Active. He (Richard Branson) maintains a blog at www.virgin.com/richard-branson/blog.