Richard Branson

“Overcoming fear is the first step to success for entrepreneurs. The winners all exemplify that, and the hard work and commitment they have shown underlines what is needed to set up a business.”

“Can you imagine what a different world we will live in when businesses do what's right for the communities and the environment in everything they do?”

“Well, we know that people in Australia love the idea of both Impulse and Virgin Blue getting up and adding a bit of competition, and it's fun to be able to deliver it.”

“My attitude has always been, if you fall flat on your face, at least you're moving forward. All you have to do is get back up and try again.”

“As a teenager, I went to Bali a lot, but it's a long, long way from England. Which is why, when we bought Necker Island, we made it like a mini Bali.”

“I suppose Virgin is an unusual brand in that I suspect we're the only 'way of life' brand in the world. We're one of maybe the top 30 best known brands in the world, yet if you look at the other 29, they all specialize in one area. Whether it's Google, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, etc., they all generally specialize in one area.”

“Being a good listener is absolutely critical to being a good leader; you have to listen to the people who are on the front line.”

“The funny thing is people won't let me pay for things. I'll be in a restaurant and the manager will say, 'Oh no, it's on the house.'”

“My early business ventures included growing Christmas trees and breeding birds.”

“Like getting into a bleeding competition with a blood bank.”

“There's nothing like the endorphins from being fit, and the incredible endorphin rush that goes with that.”

“With the casino and the beds, our passengers will have at least two ways to get lucky on one of our flights.”

“I think it's good for a woman to put on a bit of weight when she gets older - it looks better. But a man has to stay balanced.”

“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.”

“You never know with these things when you're trying something new what can happen. This is all experimental.”

“With Virgin, I've just loved creating things. And as a private company, I can get away with moving Virgin from records to airlines to train companies to space companies to whatever, without ever having to worry about analysts knocking the value of my stock.”

“You should not build your customer service system on the premise that your organisation will never question the whims of your clients.”

“We have one planet in our solar system that's habitable, and that's the Earth, and space travel can transform things back here for the better. First of all, by just having people go to space and look back on this fragile planet we live on. People have come back transformed and have done fantastic things.”

“I always find the time to exercise - kitesurfing, tennis or cycling - and to spend time with my loved ones.”

“My mother was determined to make us independent. When I was four years old, she stopped the car a few miles from our house and made me find my own way home across the fields. I got hopelessly lost.”