10 THINGS YOU CAN LEARN FROM RICHARD BRANSON

Sir Richard Branson, more popular as the Virgin Group founder, today, owns 400-plus companies, including a mobile phone and an airline! He is one of the persons who believes that “successful people do things differently” and his success is the proof of his principles that he follows ardently, till date. One of the most respected icon of entrepreneurship, he is an example of how to live the life of your dreams. And, he has so many things to teach each one of us, on a personal as well as professional level.

Here are 10 things every person should learn from Branson!

1. Follow your dreams

Your dreams are facsimiles of your passions. So, follow them. According to Branson, your business should be built on your passion. It is not just the money that matters; if you really enjoy what you do, success is all yours.

2. Make other people’s life better

If your desires to be an entrepreneur ensure that you are going to change the lives of people in a better way. Anything your business gives should do well for the mankind. A slight change in your thinking process can bring in this difference. And, this happens if and only if you are building a business that is your dream.

3. Trust your ideas

Believing in oneself and his ideas lays the foundation for a successful business. According to Branson, if you do not feel good about what you are doing, if you do not believe in your views and yourself, there is no point in doing that. When you have the passion that burns deep within you, you will be powerful enough to bring in the change, inspire the people, and kindle their passions.

4. Do not ever do anything if you are not interested whole heartedly

Business is not a child’s play. It takes loads and loads of stress, sweat, pains, and of course, the countless cups of coffee, and patience to build it up. It is like your baby. You ought to give it your complete attention, which in turn means, you should be passionate. According to Richard, “When I started Virgin from a basement in west London, there was no great plan or strategy. I didn’t 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 that’s going to make a real difference to other people’s lives.” It says it all… isn’t it?

5. Try, try, and try, but never give up

Building up a business and guiding it through success comes with countless hurdles and adventures. There will be a time when you will really feel exhausted and lost. There may be days where you just sit in the office, day and night, but without any results. You will feel defeated; you will feel like a loser. But, never lose your mind and give up! Just dust off the previous day and come up the next day with 100% hope and belief. You will definitely be able to garner and witness results.

6. No business is risk free!

Business and risks share a closer relationship. “The brave may not live forever—but the cautious do not live at all!” says Branson. You will never be able to succeed by playing a safe game. There may be failures that would look as if you are knocked out completely, but if you look at this master entrepreneur, he would say, “there’s no such thing as a total failure.” It is absolutely true!

7. Every impression you make matters; so stay committed

We all have heard “first impression is the best impression”, but when it comes to business, every impression you make matters. The first one because you have to acquire the customer and the subsequent ones because you have to retain the current customers and attract more prospects. The image you create for yourself and your brand, at every step, will define you success level.

8. There is always scope for improvement

If you feel you have perfected everything, then you got it wrong. There is always scope for improvement. However brilliant you conceive a project, there will be some subtle thing that quite often goes unnoticed. According to Richard, “When they believe they’ve ‘nailed it’, most people tend to sit back and rests on their laurels while countless others will be laboring furiously to better their work”! And this attitude is dangerous!

9. Prove the “leech” people are wrong

People might misuse your success. There will be people who hang on to you like a leech, sucking in your benefits. But they are in fact waiting for a miniature chance such as you making a fuss of the whole incident to gain popularity. Ignore them and prove that they got it wrong!

10. Explore the unexplored

There are countless things in this planet waiting to be uncovered, discovered, and invented. Try travelling into those virgin zones that will give you a novel opportunity to discover, but… Yes it comes with a but! Just ensure your passion rests on those unfathomed waters that are waiting to be unraveled…

Richard Branson executed his ideas; at the same time he inspires others, allowing them to connect with their passion. Incorporate these tips and lessons from this master entrepreneur for better success!