Business Lessons From Mega-Entrepreneur Richard Branson (part 1).

By : Zach Bulygo.

Like many entrepreneurs, Richard Branson loves creating things. He sees problems in the world and provides solutions. But unlike others, he has established many different businesses. In fact, in his 40+ years as an entrepreneur, he has developed over 100 brands.

Branson has given a lot of advice along the way. He has spoken on topics of starting a business, running a business, managing people, and hiring people. Let’s get into what he advises entrepreneurs.

On Starting a Business, Challenge The Status Quo.
Challenge the accepted wisdom and encourage your staff to do the same. Look at things from the point of view of the customer. Here are two examples where Virgin took a totally unique perspective on things:

Virgin Money is a bank in Britain where the branches look more like living rooms than banks. There are tables for Wi-Fi, newspapers, and comfortable seating. This eliminates lines and teller windows.

Virgin America Terminal 2 was a terminal with a yoga room, a wide variety of food choices, etc.

It’s important to create something different, something that will stand out.

Create Value In The World.

Branson says that he starts a business only if it will improve people’s lives. He was unhappy with the customer service he was getting from British Airways, so he started a new airline, Virgin Atlantic, which is focused around the customer.

Building something you’re passionate about is important as well. If Branson hadn’t been passionate about building an airline, he wouldn’t have put so much time into getting the staff, buying the aircraft, and working hard to turn it into a viable business.

When Pitching, Keep Things Simple
Keep your pitches simple, clear, and memorable. Avoid wishy-washy language like “we hope that…” or “with some luck, we’ll…” Be concrete and confident.

“It is vitally important to present a clear, concise plan that investors can easily understand and repeat to their own people. In the first meeting, avoid overly complicated, numbers-laden presentations.”

Branson also advises entrepreneurs to give a clear explanation of why their business will be sustainable and pull through technological changes and shifts.

“Nothing stays the same for long, so explain how you plan to tackle the inevitable technological changes and market shifts that are heading your way.”

Be A Self-Motivator.
According to Branson, entrepreneurs need to be good self-motivators. Branson advises that entrepreneurs use it to their advantage:

“It’s important to understand what your main motivation is so that you can focus your efforts on reaching those goals. Then structure your job – perhaps by delegating some work – so that you can spend as much time as possible turning this energy to your company’s advantage.”

He says that making money shouldn’t be a main motivator.

“Above all, you should work on building a business you’re proud of. This has always been a motivator for me, from my Student magazine days, through to our latest startups today. I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If money is your only motive, then I believe you shouldn’t launch the business at all.

“Once you know what your own motivations and aspirations are, talk to your employees and colleagues about theirs, if you haven’t already. Then structure their jobs in a way that allows them to tap into this energy, too. With you and your employees approaching your work with renewed energy and commitment, you’ll find that there’s little that you can’t accomplish together.”

Dream Big.

Branson’s first book, Losing my Virginity, was almost titled Talking Ahead of Yourself. Branson goes on to say:

“Because I sometimes think in life you’ve got to dream big by setting yourself seemingly impossible challenges. You then have to catch up with them. You can make what people believe is impossible possible if you set big enough targets. Flying from New York to Australia in, say, two hours. Can we do it in our lifetimes? I’m determined to try. If you don’t dream, nothing happens. And we like to dream big.”

Your First Year Is All About Surviving.
In your first year of running a business, your only goal should be surviving.

“In a company’s first year, your goal should be simply to survive, and this will likely take everything you’ve got. No matter how tired or afraid you are, you have to figure out how to keep going.”

Investors Bring More Than Just Money.
When examining investors, Branson suggests that you ask yourself, “Will this person or group give us the space and time we need to build a great business?” A “dictatorial financial partner” can ruin the spirit and enthusiasm of entrepreneurs, so ensure that your investor is someone who will let you run your company without getting in the way or questioning every decision you make. Remember that it’s not all about the money and that the person you are bringing on is also important. They carry more than just a checkbook.

The most important partnership you have is the one with your staff. Branson says that if you get that right, your chances of success are much higher.

Five Tips For Success.
In a LinkedIn post, Branson gives entrepreneurs five tips for starting a successful business:

Listen more than you talk.
Keep it simple.
Take pride in your work.
Have fun, success will follow.
Rip it up and start again (don’t let failure be the end all, be all).

Five Guidelines Branson Follows When Launching Businesses.
Branson and his friends in business followed these five guidelines when they launched their first magazine, Student, and, later, Virgin Music.

If you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it. You must love what you do.
Be innovative: Create something different that will stand out.
Your employees are your best asset. Happy employees make for happy customers.
Lead by listening: Get feedback from your staff and customers on a regular basis.
Be visible: Market the company and its offers by putting yourself or a senior person in front of the cameras.

Four Tips for Avoiding Startup Mistakes.

When speaking on avoiding common startup mistakes, Branson gives these tips.

Stay on target – You need to be clear and concise in explaining your idea. Branson says that the shorter the pitch is, the clearer it will be. Don’t plan too many years in advance, and stay on target.
Be realistic about costs – Don’t underestimate the cost that it will take to launch your company. Branson says that JetBlue needed $160 million to launch. Conventional wisdom said that cost was too high and they wouldn’t be able to raise that much capital. But they did and had one of the most successful launches in airline history and turned a profit after only six months.
Hire people you need, not people you like – It’s been said that people would rather work with people they like than people who are competent. Branson says entrepreneurs may want to stay away from working with friends because, if they don’t work out, it will be difficult letting them go.
Know when to say goodbye – Entrepreneurs need to know when to step away from the CEO role. This doesn’t mean turning your back on the business, but realizing you’ll have a new role in the company which will allow you to focus more. It also doesn’t mean that you cannot return to running the company, as Larry Page did at Google.

On Running a Business.
It’s All About The Details.
“I often compare creating a business to creating a painting. You’ve got a blank canvas, you’re filling in that canvas and you’re trying to get every single little detail right.”

Branson says entrepreneurs should have a notebook with them at all times and write down what they notice about their business. When Branson flies on Virgin, he takes notes on everything from the food to the carpets. He advises others to do the same, and focus on getting everything right, all the time.

Skip The PowerPoint And Have A Conversation.
Branson doesn’t care for PowerPoint. He said, “I believe in conversation and eye contact.” This isn’t surprising considering how well Branson connects with people. Avoiding PowerPoint is similar to the practice at Amazon, where, in place of PowerPoint, they write six page reports.

Ultimately, PowerPoint presentations are aimed to provoke conversation and only touch on the highlights, not to be a crutch for the speaker who only reads the slides.

Get Away From The Job.
It’s important to spend time away from work to be with family and friends. Branson says, “Spending time away from work is important to helping you maintain perspective on the challenges you face, and thus to the future of your company.”

Not only that, but time off can also improve performance. So take some time off, you’ll be better because of it.

Keep A Notepad With You.

“Anyone who aspires to lead a company must develop a habit of taking notes. I carry a notebook everywhere I go.”

As mentioned, Branson is an avid note taker and list maker. He recommends doing this to keep you focused and productive. It can be done for day-to-day or monthly goals. Making these lists can keep you productive and focused on what you need to get done.

Once you write in your notepad, then you need to act. Simply writing in a notepad doesn’t create change.

Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously.
“Humor, I think is a very important part of building a business, not taking yourself too seriously and being willing to have a sense of humor.”

Along with not taking yourself too seriously, Branson says you should smile and not take failure too seriously, either.

Promote From Within.
Whenever possible, promote from within. This doesn’t mean just bumping people to higher positions, but also letting people have more freedom in their current job.

A Question Entrepreneurs Should Ask Themselves
Continually ask yourself,

“Is this how I would want to be treated if I were the customer?”

Don’t Forget What A Company Is.
Branson says that the most important thing to remember when running a company is remembering what a company is.

“A company is simply a group of people. And as a leader of people, you have to be a great listener, you have to be a great motivator, you have to be very good at praising and looking for the best in people. People are no different from flowers. If you water flowers, they flourish. If you praise people, they flourish. That’s a critical attribute of a leader.”

to be continued.