I found this article online, written by my favorite business
mentor – Sir. Richard Branson. As is always the case whenever I am opportuned to
read his thoughts on business, I was indeed inspired and encouraged by the
article. I thought you would too, so here’s to sharing & hoping you’ll love
this as much as I did.
Enjoy!
As LinkedIn is a business that started in a living room, much
like Virgin began in a basement, I thought my first blog on the site should be
about how to simply start a successful business. Here are five top tips I’ve
picked up over the years.
1. Listen more than you talk
We have two ears and one mouth, using them in proportion is not
a bad idea! To be a good leader you have to be a great listener. Brilliant
ideas can spring from the most unlikely places, so you should always keep your
ears open for some shrewd advice. This can mean following online comments as
closely as board meeting notes, or asking the frontline staff for their
opinions as often as the CEOs. Get out there, listen to people, draw people out
and learn from them.
2. Keep it simple
You have to do something radically different to stand out in
business. But nobody ever said different has to be complex. There are thousands
of simple business solutions to problems out there, just waiting to be solved
by the next big thing in business. Maintain a focus upon innovation, but don’t
try to reinvent the wheel. A simple change for the better is far more effective
than five complicated changes for the worse.
3. Take pride in your work
Last week I enjoyed my favourite night of the year, the Virgin
Stars of the Year Awards, where we celebrated some of those people who have
gone the extra mile for us around the Virgin world. With so many different
companies, nationalities and personalities represented under one roof, it was
interesting to see what qualities they all have in common. One was pride in
their work, and in the company they represent. Remember your staffs are your
biggest brand advocates, and focusing on helping them take pride will shine
through in how they treat your customers.
4. Have fun, success will
follow
If you aren’t having fun, you
are doing it wrong. If you feel like getting up in the morning to work on your
business is a chore, then it's time to try something else. If you are having a
good time, there is a far greater chance a positive, innovative atmosphere will
be nurtured and your business will fluorish. A smile and a joke can go a long
way, so be quick to see the lighter side of life.
5. Rip it up and start again
If you are an entrepreneur and your first venture isn’t a
success, welcome to the club! Every successful businessperson has experienced a
few failures along the way – the important thing is how you learn from them.
Don’t allow yourself to get disheartened by a setback or two, instead dust
yourself off and work out what went wrong. Then you can find the positives,
analyse where you can improve, rip it up and start again.
Culled from: http://t.co/1K8AKVj by Richard Branson for Linkedin.com October 02, 2012.
To start a new business, one should have proper business plans and strategies because without having these two important factors no business can survive in this competitive world. Thank you so much for providing such great tips.
ReplyDelete@business for sale in Ontario - Thank you for taking the time to read that article and leaving your comment. We're glad you liked it and here's to hoping we all implement the tips in our respective businesses. Hope to see more of you here
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