Richard Branson: biography and best quotes of a businessman

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Richard Branson, whose quotes you can read below, was born in 1950 in south London, in a family of aristocrats. The boy's mother, Yvette Flint, was a bright and strong woman who, even before marriage, managed to become a flight attendant without any education. For a while, she even pretended to be a pilot, wearing a male uniform. Her career ended immediately after her marriage.

Husband Edward Branson had the opposite character and led a calm and measured life. By this he set an example for his son. In addition, Edward had a rare disease - dyslexia, which prevented him from working, which led to financial difficulties.

Childhood

Richard Branson inherited this disease. The boy's coordination of movements was disturbed, there were constant difficulties with writing and reading. The strong-willed character of Yvette played a very important role in raising her son. She constantly gave him tests so that Richard would learn to adapt to difficulties. If not for his mother, he would have remained an underdeveloped boy without a bright future. But Yvette taught her son never to give up, and soon hethe ailment receded.

First business

Richard Branson set up his first business at the age of 15. It was the Student magazine, where young people could openly express their opinions against the Vietnam War. But, despite the help of the mother and advertising contracts, after a couple of years this publication was closed. Richard was not too upset, as he already had another business - a youth assistance center. Its visitors were people with various problems: accidentally pregnant women, drug addicts, alcoholics, people with non-traditional orientation. This center has been successfully operating to this day.

Virgin

Richard Branson's next business is selling records. At first he sent them by mail, but then he opened a store on Oxford Street, giving it a shocking name: "Virgin" (English "virgin"). Such a name was chosen for a reason. It symbolized the inexperience and ignorance of the entrepreneur in show business. However, the lack of experience did not prevent Virgin from reaching unprecedented heights and financial success.

The next step for a businessman is to conquer the world with a network of "virgin companies". Cinemas came first. Then Richard became interested in cinema and sponsored the film adaptation of Orwell's book "1984", playing the main role there. Then virgin hotels, toy companies, a radio station, and an airline began to spring up.

Today, Virgin is a corporation with four hundred subsidiaries. In addition to the airline, these are also fitness centers, medical services,rail transportation, beverage production, cable TV, Internet service providers and much more. But that's not all. Soon the first space tour operator on the planet will be added to the honorary list. Richard dreams of launching space excursions so that ordinary people can see the Earth from space with their own eyes.

Hobbies and books

Richard Branson, whose biography was described in this article, is fond of extreme sports. In this field, he achieved serious victories. In 1986, a businessman flew over the Atlantic Ocean in a hot air balloon. It was a world record. And in 1991 he crossed the Pacific Ocean. Even now, many people consider the entrepreneur to be the best balloonist.

The businessman also writes. Branson Richard, whose books are instantly sold out from the shelves, shares in them the secrets of success, adventures, victories, difficulties and ways to overcome them. His stories are not only a subject for admiration, but also good "motivational kicks" for all lovers of easy money.

Best Quotes

1. “It takes very little capital to set up a business.”

We have already talked about Branson's first business. So, he had no money at all to issue a magazine. One day his mother found the necklace and, like any decent person, took it to the police. Only no one filed a statement about the loss. Yvette sold the necklace and gave Richard several hundred bills. Thanks to this, young Branson attracted advertisers and organized the publicationmagazine.

2. “Business is an idea to improve the lives of others.”

Branson says that as an entrepreneur, this motivates him a lot. “If you improve people's lives, then you are doing something worthwhile.”

3. “To grow, get smaller.”

Richard Branson did not grow his record business. Instead, he opened 30 record labels. The entrepreneur did not appoint top managers to control a huge number of subordinates, but came up with small organizational structures, headed by middle managers. The competitive spirit within the team was cordial and friendly.

According to the businessman, the success of his strategy lies in the fact that each company at any time knows exactly where it can succeed and where it risks failing. Today, Virgin's revenues topped the $20 billion mark. However, Richard's unique strategy reminds everyone that this is also a group of small firms.