If you love what you do and if you believe in what you do, others will share your enthusiasm. Passionate people find their way to the Virgin Group, and when they do, we snap them up and try to keep them within the family.
My philosophy in life is that you only live once. Live life to its fullest.
A setback is never a bad experience, just another one of life’s lessons.
We’ll not be sending anyone into space before it is safe and the vehicle is well and truly tested.
Virgin could never have grown into the group of more than 200 companies it is now, were it not for a steady stream of intrapreneurs who looked for and developed opportunities, often leading efforts that went against the grain.
Don’t just play the game – change it for good.
To be successful, you have to be out there, you have to hit the ground running.
I have always been a huge believer in the inestimable value good mentoring can contribute to any nascent business.
Ever since I saw the moon landing as a young teenager, I was determined I would go into space one day.
Because I don’t see Virgin as a company but as a way of life and I fully enjoy it, I don’t think I’ll ever retire.
Learn to raise capital by any means necessary. That’s your primary job as an entrepreneur. You must continually raise capital from family and friends, banks, suppliers, customers and investors.
Don’t think about making money, think about making a difference, spot where others are doing it badly and do it better.
Focus on your business strengths and keep its weaknesses away from the competition or public.
It’s clear that it is in the best interest of business to be part of the conservation, along with governments and civil society.
Free publicity and word of mouth is probably the best and cheapest form of advertising. Learn to use it to your advantage.
Be swift to take advantage of business opportunities. Bigger companies are too cumbersome to move quickly; this can be a competitive advantage for you.
Avoid litigations. They are expensive and consume loads of time but if you have got a good case and a better chance of winning; then fight it out.
I believe that today’s businesses – regardless of their size – must be prepared to do good in societies around the globe. I am cautiously optimistic that we can make the world a far better, safer and more equitable place – but business and enterprise must sit at the heart of this process.
One day offices will be a thing of the past.
Learn to use your brain power. Critical thinking is the key to creative problem solving in business.