29 Quotes on What it Takes to Grow a Successful Business
“Nothing is really work, unless you would rather be doing something else.”
– James Barrie
Have you ever had one of those moments when a light goes off in your head and you say to yourself, “I don’t want to work for anyone anymore. I can do this better myself’? Or, maybe you have a wonderful idea for a product, but you’re not sure you have the wherewithal to put it together?
For some people, the entrepreneurial life comes easy. They seem to be ‘naturals.’ Maybe it’s just part of their DNA. Maybe they were raised in the business world. Maybe selling is simply second nature. Wherever they go they seem to have an affinity for people, exude confidence and are so focused and self-assured that the idea of not being able to succeed never enters their minds. It’s rare, but it does happen.
What’s more likely, is that most people about to take the leap into the business world are more like us; and we have questions. Can I pull this off? Do I know enough? Do I have what it takes to run my own business? What does it take anyway?
Starting a business can be the most exhilarating thing in the world, or it can be the most terrifying. Here are 29 thoughts from some of the best and brightest leaders in their field – about what they consider to be the attitude and mindset that leads to entrepreneurial success.
Is there anything you would add?
- “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” Richard Branson
- “One must understand what people are thinking, feeling and believing in order to enchant them. “- Guy Kawasaki
- “The goal of business then should not be to simply sell to anyone who wants what you have, but rather to find people who believe what you believe.” – Simon Sinek
- “The greatest competitor you’ll ever come up against is self doubt.” -John McGrath
- “Business is not about money. It’s about making dreams come true for others and for yourself. “- Derek Sivers
- “It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” —Scott Belsky,
- “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” —Steve Jobs
- “The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” —Thomas Edison
- “Don’t worry about failure; you only have to be right once.” —Drew Houston
- “The only thing worse than starting something and failing… is not starting something.” —Seth Godin
- “I try not to make any decisions that I’m not excited about.” —Jake Nickell
- “See things in the present, even if they are in the future.” —Larry Ellison
- “I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” —Jeff Bezos
- “You don’t need to have a 100-person company to develop that idea.” —Larry Page
- “The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.” —Reid Hoffman
- “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.” —Sara Blakely
- “What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone. Know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.” —Dave Thomas
- “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t – you’re right.” —Henry Ford
- “Behold the turtle, he makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.” —Bruce Levin
- “Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical.” —Howard Schultz
- “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” —Walt Disney
- “Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” —Mary Kay Ash
- “Every time you state what you want or believe, you’re the first to hear it. It’s a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don’t put a ceiling on yourself” – Oprah Winfrey
- “I made a resolve then that I was going to amount to something if I could. And no hours, nor amount of labor, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me. And I have done that ever since, and I win by it. I know.” —Harland Sanders
- “Trust your instincts.” —Estee Lauder
- “There’s lots of bad reasons to start a company. But there’s only one good, legitimate reason, and I think you know what it is: it’s to change the world.” —Phil Libin
- “If you’re not a risk taker, you should get the hell out of business.” —Ray Kroc
- “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” —Bill Gates
- “Enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.” –Dale Carnegie