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Wednesday 10 June 2015 11:30 am

How to be successful in business: Richard Branson offers two big tips

By: Sarah Spickernell

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Entrepreneur Richard Branson has shared two of his biggest tips for business success. 
 
In an interview with the leaders of the Renaissance Foundation, which aims to help young people reach their full potential, he said what he believes to be the most important qualities. 
 
Here's his view on what it takes to make it:

1. Be positive about other people

“I generally try to avoid negative energy,” he said. “I try to be positive about everything and everybody around me.”
 
As a child, if I ever said anything negative about anybody my parents would send me to the mirror and make me look in it for five minutes. They just said it reflects badly on yourself. So I think if people can just be positive about each other they'll bring out the best in other people.

2. Try to find people who are better than you

The secret to managing multiple businesses is, according to Branson, is “getting great people around you”.
 
If you can get great people around you I think you can achieve anything. Try to find people who are better than you.
 
To get the best people on board, he says it's important to “inspire people with what you're trying to do”, and get people who are “willing to work for almost nothing, just for the fun of it” at the start.
 
My normal words are screw it just do it – put it on the map and try and get on and just do it.

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