Richard Branson Quotes

If you find yourself stuck in the middle there is only one way to go, forward.

Don't be afraid to take that leap into the unknown.

We should all seek to innovate, or be curious about innovation. Innovation truly is one of our greatest gifts.

There are quite a few things I've done that even I thought might have been one step too far. But if you are willing to make a fool of yourself and make people smile, as long as you do it with a sense of fun, you can get away with it.

We've all got to do everything we can to avoid conflicts.

If you offer people a decent service, if you give them you know Internet access, if their phones are not cut off on the trains, you know if you have plugs where they can plug in their computers, and if you have a smiling, cheerful staff; and if you can travel really quickly, then you can make a success out of the rail business.

I also know, as an entrepreneur myself, you face new obstacles every day and you need to have the perseverance to see them through.

I decided there must be room for another airline when I spent two days trying to get through to People Express.

Don’t just play the game – change it for good.

Confidence breeds confidence and negativity breeds negativity. Treat those around you with respect and dignity and they will thrive.

You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.

I personally don't believe anything is impossible. With enough determination and effort, almost everything is possible.

Ideally, since 80 percent of your life is spent working, you should start your business around something that is a passion of yours

So unlike having to convert, you know, all the cars' or all the lorries' petrol stations, once you've actually got the clean fuels, it's relatively easy to, you know, get it to the airplanes.

I will work day and night to avoid failure, but if I can't, I'll pick myself up the next day. The most important thing for entrepreneurs is not to be put off by failure.

I read a fair amount [of science fiction], and you know it was certainly inspirational. I have to pinch myself to think that we might be able to make some of [what I've read in science fiction books] come true.

If you're hurt, lick your wounds and get up again. If you've given it your absolute best, it's time to move forward.

And you know, I've had great fun turning quite a lot of different industries on their head and making sure those industries will never be the same again, because Virgin went in and took them on.

Enjoy life - you only get one.

Allowing my people to have a good work-life balance by working flexibly is very important to me.

If you follow your dreams and spend your life doing what brings you joy, you are more likely to find success

One thing is certain in business: you will make mistakes. When you are pushing the boundaries, mistakes are inevitable-how you react is important.

I have always been a huge believer in the inestimable value good mentoring can contribute to any nascent business

Give your employees a mission that matches their ambitions. When you challenge people, they surprise you.

Life can seem rather unreal at times. Alive and well and loving one day. No longer there the next.

Your brand name is only as good as your reputation

Remain focused on fulfilling your business mission. Never allow adversity divert your attention and efforts.

Two heads are definitely better than one and by sourcing ideas from each other, you have a better chance of coming up with a strategy that will allow your business to overcome a setback or challenge.

Kite surfing is a great way of keeping fit. Kiting is great because you're bouncing over the waves and you're surfing the waves. I do quite long kite surfs-50 miles in a day.

We, we - as I say, we go in and shake up other industries and I think, you know, we do it differently and I think that industries are not quite the same as a result of Virgin attacking the market.

Clearly in the eyes of the consumer; the brand has not been diluted, but we must guard against that happening at all costs.

I was fortunate enough, after many visits to many wonderful, weird people to come across Burt Rutan, who is a genius in the Mojave Desert. And SpaceShipOne was born and had three flights into space that won something called the X Prize. And from there, we're building SpaceShipTwo, which is ... a beautiful spaceship that is very, very, very nearly completed and will be ready from about next Christmas onwards to start taking people into space.

Having a good network can be invaluable. It opens doors for you and allows you to enter into opportunities that are beneficial to your business.

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.

If people aren't calling you crazy, you aren't thinking big enough.

Entrepreneursh ip is a great leveller, since having the benefit of a wealthy background or a generous investor isn't always an advantage. The wonderful thing is that money is not the sole currency when it comes to starting a business; drive, determination, passion and hard work are all free and more valuable than a pot of cash.

Well, we know that people in Australia love the idea of both Impulse and Virgin Blue getting up and adding a bit of competition, and it's fun to be able to deliver it.

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

Money gives you the freedom to do with your time what you want to do with it

I do believe the harder you work, the luckier you get.

To have created one of the most respected companies in the world. Not necessarily the biggest.

If you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it. You must love what you do.

Virgin, is how good you are with people. If you're - if you're good with people and you've got - you know, and you really care, genuinely care about people then I'm sure we could find a job for you at Virgin. I think, you know, that, you know, that the companies that look after their people are the companies that do really well. I'm sure we'd like a few other attributes, but that would be the most important one.

A good idea for a new business tends not to occur in isolation, and often the window of opportunity is very small. So speed is of the essence.

If you aim higher than you expect, you could reach higher than you dreamed.

There is no such thing as a boring person: everyone has stories and insights worth sharing. While on the road, we let our phones or laptops take up our attention. By doing that, we might miss out on the chance to learn and absorb ideas and inspiration from an unexpected source: our fellow travelers.

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

Travel the world and meet people. I've been fortunate enough to see so much of the world, and being able to do so has brought me so many wonderful friends and experiences. There is no better way to learn than exploring new places.