What Would Richard Branson Do as an Entrepreneur?

“What are you here for?” someone asked.
“To get new knowledge and ideas”, I answered.
“For Richard Branson?” the person smilingly added.
“Yah, also to see him”, I cheerfully replied.

Richard Branson at the Global Disruptors Conference 2017

I attended the Global Disruptors Conference organised by WealthMastery.sg on 23 March 2017 at Suntec City. Yes, the main pull was to see Richard Branson as I don’t think there would be much chance meeting him in Singapore again. Although I had wanted to gain new knowledge and ideas as well, to see Richard Branson was one of the highlights. It seemed that having a chance to see him was the reason for many, as I overheard people talking about it. He was the most famous speaker on that day anyway.

“I got free ticket to come and I’m free, so why not?” I overheard someone commenting. That was also how I felt when I signed up for a free ticket.

Q & A with Richard Branson

There was a Questions & Answers (Q & A) session with Richard Branson and here are the some of the sharing (in brief):

Richard Branson Global Disruptors Conference 2017 Photo 1

Richard Branson Global Disruptors Conference 2017 Photo 2

Question (Q): As an entrepreneur, how do you overcome setbacks?
Answer (A) by Richard Branson: People behind him, for example staff supporting him.

Q: As an entrepreneur, how do you promote your products?
A: Create a product that is different and better than your competitors. Then marketing, for example, getting the press to take an interest in it, should be relatively easy.

Q: Do you have a specific process to achieve your goals?
A: A lot of things happened out of frustration. For entrepreneurs who are not sure what business to go into, keep your eyes open all the time. You will see things not done properly by others.

Look for gaps in the market, and give it a try. Everyone will try to knock you back, for example, said it has been done before.

In business, you need to surround yourself with people. Also treat your people well. Good leaders need to praise their people. He allowed his staff flexibility in their work, for example, he don’t check how long the holiday his staff take and if they need to take time off for personal matters or work from home, they can.

Q: What do you say about entrepreneurs connecting charity to their business?
A: Previously, he thought that business people just have to make money for their shareholders. But business people are also part of society, so they need to speak out on issues.

If your business is small, you can adopt a small problem to address. If your business is bigger, you can adopt a bigger problem to address.

In conclusion, although I have heard most of the speakers before, it was a worthwhile experience coming to the event and hearing from Richard Branson, a famous and flamboyant businessman in person.