Quotes by Richard Branson

Steve did not have a death wish. He had the exact opposite. His appetite for life was so strong, it outweighed all fear. So what if his choices shortened his life? His choices filled his life, and enriched the lives of those around him.

Screw it. Lets do it.

It is only by being bold that you get anywhere. If you are a risk-taker, then the art is to protect the downside.

What we are trying to do at Virgin is not to have one enormous company in one sector under one banner, but to have two hundred or even three hundred separate companies. Each company can stand on its own feet and, in that way, although weve got a brand that links them, if we were to have another tragedy such as that of 11 September - which hurt the airline industry - it would not bring the whole group crashing down.

A passionate belief in your business and personal objectives can make all the difference between success and failure. If you arent proud of what youre doing, why should anybody else be?

Business opportunities are like buses, theres always another one coming.

From my very first day as an entrepreneur, Ive felt the only mission worth pursuing in business is to make peoples lives better.

All you have in business is your reputation - so its very important that you keep your word.

Starting your own business isnt just a job - its a way of life.

To me, business isnt about wearing suits or pleasing stockholders. Its about being true to yourself, your ideas and focusing on the essentials.

When I started Virgin from a basement in west London, there was no great plan or strategy. I didnt set out to build a business empire... For me, building a business is all about doing something to be proud of, bringing talented people together and creating something thats going to make a real difference to other peoples lives.

If you want to be more productive, then start at the start: get there on time. Whether it is a meeting, a flight, an appointment or a date, its important to ensure you are there when you say you will be there. This may feel like an old-fashioned tip to give, but it has served me well for five decades in business.

One thing is certain in business. You and everyone around you will make mistakes.

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.

Ive never gone into business to make money. Every Virgin product and service has been made into a reality to make a positive difference in peoples lives. And by focusing on the happiness of our customers, we have been able to build a successful group of companies.

Well, I think that theres a very thin dividing line between success and failure. And I think if you start a business without financial backing, youre likely to go the wrong side of that dividing line.

My attitude has always been, if you fall flat on your face, at least youre moving forward. All you have to do is get back up and try again.

My general attitude to life is to enjoy every minute of every day. I never do anything with a feeling of, Oh God, Ive got to do this today.

Were one of the only animals in the world that dont really think of ourselves as animals, but we are animals, and we must respect our fellow animals.

If you are a small company taking on a big company, you need to have a sense of humor.