I never really felt secure until I was well into my 30s, because anytime I had success, I would invest in new projects.

Good people have always been at the heart of the Virgin business, and that's largely because we have tried to keep our business small, and our management teams tight-knit. I feel that small, compact companies, are better run. That is partly because people feel more connected in small companies.

Over the years I have found one of my best strengths is my ability to recognise talent and trust them.

Breaking the rules and challenging convention is in the DNA of every successful entrepreneur. Doing things differently and solving problems with new, innovative and fresh approaches are the very reason many start-ups are able to compete and sometimes outpace the established market leaders.

One key to entrepreneurial success is to get a great group of people around you who believe in your idea.

I believe that drudgery and clock-watching are a terrible betrayal of that universal, inborn entrepreneurial spirit.

Learn to live on the edge.