Quotes by Richard Branson

Tough times are inevitable in life and in business. But how you compose yourself during those times defines your spirit and will define your future.

If you get your face and your name out there enough, people will start to recognize you.

There is no planet B. We have to take care of the one we have.

Exploration is a wonderful way to open our eyes to the world, and to truly see that impossible is just a word.

Business opportunities are like buses: there's always another one coming.

A setback is never a bad experience, just another one of life's lessons.

It's only by being bold that you get anywhere.

Whenever I see people getting a bad deal I want to step in and do something about it. Of course, this is not pure altruism -- there's a profit to be made too.

So I've seen life as one long learning process.

Every single astronaut who has come back from space comes back determined to do more to protect it.

Dreaming is one of humanity's greatest gifts; it champions aspiration, spurs innovation, leads to change, and propels the world forward.

Don't bother doing something unless you're radically different from the competition.

However tight things are, you still need to have the big picture at the forefront of your mind.

Don't wait till you are big before you begin building your brand. Build a brand from scratch alongside your business.

The true cost to the world of a burger is far greater than the money you hand over to buy it.

I never wanted to be a businessman, I just wanted to change the world.

Life is a series of ups and clowns. Make it worth your wild!

We must rapidly wean ourselves off our dependence on coal and fossil fuels.

If you look after your staff, they'll look after your customers. It's that simple.

Doing good is good for business.

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.

The first thing that has to be recognized is that one cannot train someone to be passionate -- it's either in their DNA or it's not.

I just like to enjoy life and push myself. Of course, there is method to my madness. When you are entering into a new industry, for example, it helps to do something to get your name on the front pages.

We Virgin Group have been successful not by wasting time scrutinising our competitors but by looking at ourselves from the point of view of our customers do and seeking feedback through listening.

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.

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

At Virgin, we have always backed the power of the entrepreneur and inventor to find solutions to tricky problems. Why should climate change and the battle against carbon be any different?

To be a great leader, you must be a great listener.

I make up my mind about whether I can trust someone within 60 seconds of meeting them.

Wine, like life, is meant to be enjoyed.

If someone offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes -- then learn how to do it later!

Most necessary evils are far more evil than necessary.

There are no quick wins in business -- it takes years to become an overnight success.

If you do something for fun and create the best possible product, then the profit will come.

Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page ad.

The amount of time people waste dwelling on failures rather than putting that energy into another project, always amazes me.

Just watching Israel bombarding Palestine and Palestine sending one or two little rockets over to Israel -- it's just too sad for words.

Our first priority should be the people who work for the companies, then the customers, then the shareholders. Because if the staff are motivated then the customers will be happy, and the shareholders will then benefit through the company's success.

I'm not superstitious. I don't really believe in star signs, sorry, or superstitions.

Learn to look after your staff first and the rest will follow.

Build your own business team. Survival in business requires a synergy of skills.

Take a chance -- it's the best way to test yourself, have fund and push boundaries.

You can't run a business without taking risks. The brave may not live forever -- but the cautious do not live at all!

Screwing business as usual fundamentally recognises that doing good is good for business.

I just love every minute of my life. I love the variety. Every minute of every day I'm meeting fascinating new people, learning and working with wonderful teams of people creating wonderful things.

We'll not be sending anyone into space before it is safe and the vehicle is well and truly tested.

It isn't effective or productive to force your employees to do anything. Choice empowers people and makes for a more content workforce.

As an entrepreneur, you've got to protect against the company going bust. And as an adventurer, you've got to protect against losing your life. It's even more important as an adventurer to get it right.

It always pays off to focus on things that will make you feel proud. Remember this during every difficult decision you face.

Half the art of ballooning is to make your crashes so gentle that you can fool yourself into calling them landings.

Making money never was my incentive. I just want to fight big companies.

Be creative. Innovate consistently on the little things that the big companies ignore. Little things often make big differences in business.

Business leaders take things far too seriously, and forget that most of the time people spend in their lives is at work, and it should be fun.

Grow internally first. Strengthen your bottom line first before considering external growth.

As an adventurer...I try to protect against the downside. I make sure I have covered as many eventualities as I can. In the end, you have to take calculated risks; otherwise you're going to sit in mothballs all day and do nothing.

What matters is working with a few close friends, people you respect, knowing that if times did turn bad these people would hold together.

It's clear that it is in the best interest of business to be part of the conservation, along with governments and civil society.

I am a believer in trying to treat people properly and trying to respond and making sure that I find the time to be courteous.

We've definitely cracked the technology. Now we're just trying to be able to produce the amount of fuels that we need to satisfy our own needs and then other people's needs.

Any idea can be a great idea if you think differently, dream big and commit to seeing it realized.

I have always believed that business should be a force for good.

Having no regrets makes way for the best piece of advice I can give -- don't be afraid of failure.

Seek out strategic alliances; they are essential to growth and provide resistance to bigger competition.

You've got to take risks if you're going to succeed. I would much rather ask forgiveness than permission.

Every aspect of life is magnificent and wonderful. It's so important to keep fit and healthy.

Actually, we did a fun April Fools' thing with Google a couple of years ago, which we called Virgle. And we looked for volunteers to go on a one-way trip to Mars.

It's so graceful to be blown by the wind, to go where the wind takes you. Just drifting over beautiful rivers in a balloon is perfect.

The best advice I could give anyone is to spend your time working on whatever you are passionate about in life.

If you don't make bold moves, the world doesn't move forward.

You see, it's essential that one of us stays awake during the flight ballon. So, rather than using the comfortable Virgin seats which we used to cross the Atlantic, we've asked British Airways for two of theirs.

Branding is everything. A young girl once came up to me and told me I could be famous because I looked just like Richard Branson!

Play fair, be prepared for others to play dirty, and don't let them drag you into the mud.

Be swift to take advantage of business opportunities. Bigger companies are too cumbersome to move quickly; this can be a competitive advantage for you.

Meet regularly with your business team and brainstorm. Intricate business problems are mostly resolved at brainstorming sessions.

If you create something that makes a difference in people's lives, you are likely to become a business success as well.

I want Virgin to be as well-known around the world as Coca-Cola.

Taking bold climate action now has the potential to unleash the full power of business and at the same time lift millions of people out of poverty. We're the first generation to recognize this and the last generation that will have this opportunity.

The best advice I got from my dad? Wear a condom.

Most skills can be learned, but it is difficult to train people on their personality.

My definition of success? The more you are actively and practically engaged, the more successful you will feel.

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

Unless you dream, nothing will happen. If you dream, you might be able to make your dreams come true.

Please be polite. Nothing in life should erode the habit of saying thank you to people or praising them.

Making the extra effort to say thanks in a genuine, personal manner goes a long way. It is pleasurable to do, and it encourages more of the same good behavior.

Happiness doesn't come from making a fortune and owning lots of possessions. 'Stuff' doesn't bring happiness. Family, friends, good health and the satisfaction that comes from making a positive difference are what really matter.

Smiling can be a competitive advantage. It makes everyone feel better and every situation brighter.

If you have conflicts, everything breaks down in society. Kids can't go to school. Basic health can't be looked after. Every aspect of society falls apart.

All of us have just got to find that time to look after our bodies. That helps us make sure that our mind is sharp. I know that when I'm feeling great and really fit, I can get in three or four hours more of really productive work.

One of the best bits of advice I can give is, early on, when you're building a new business, try to find somebody to run it on a day-to-day basis to free yourself up to look at the bigger picture.

It is important to remember that life is not a dress rehearsal and that none of us should waste our time on doing things that don't spark fires within us. My golden rule for business and life is: We should all enjoy what we do and do what we enjoy.

If you can make peoples lives a lot better, you've got a really good business.

A generation ago, the image was that you had to trample everyone else down to succeed; but I don't believe that makes good business sense.