Business the Richard Branson Way: 10 Secrets of the World's Greatest Brand Builder (Big Shots Series)

Like him or loathe him, there's no denying Richard Branson knows how to make a statement. I only bought this book as some light reading for a long flight. But I was surprisingly impressed with it. It certainly isn't the first book about - or by - Branson, and it perhaps doesn't provide as much depth as some of the others. But it does enough to live up to its sub-title "10 Secrets of the World's Greatest Brand Builder". The principles Dearloves shares - including "Make work fun", "Do right by your brand" and "Faster than a speeding bullet" - are good advice for most business owners. I particularly liked the section "Don't Lead Sheep, Herd Cats", which is about hiring people with initiative and ambition and then getting out of their way. In many ways, Richard Branson and his company the Virgin Group are unique. In an era dominated by strategists, Branson is an opportunist with an uncanny knack of sniffing out great deals where others hesitate or fear to tread. Never before has a single brand been so successfully deployed across such a diverse range of goods and services. Branson is the ultimate brand builder.

So how does he do it? Now bought completely up to date for this new edition, Business the Richard Branson Way, not only reveals the secrets of Branson's remarkable success but also draws out the universal lessons and identifies strategies that can be applied to any business or career. From picking on someone bigger than you to moving faster than a speeding bullet, and from making work fun to keeping the common touch, you have in your hands the secrets of phenomenal success.

Contents

• Richard Branson Revisited
• The Life and Times of Richard Branson
• One Pick on Someone Bigger Than You
• Two Do the Hippy, Hippy Shake
• Three Haggle - Everything's Negotiable
• Four Make Work Fun
• Five Do Right By Your Brand
• Six Smile for the Cameras
• Seven Don't Lead Sheep, Herd Cats
• Eight Faster than a Speeding Bullet
• Nine Size Does Matter
• Ten Never Lose the Common Touch
• How to Build a Brand the Branson Way
• Last Word

Business the Richard Branson Way......Page 2 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Richard Branson Revisited .........Page 12 The Life and Times of Richard Branson......Page 20 One: Pick on Someone Bigger Than You......Page 40 Two: Do the Hippy, Hippy Shake......Page 54 Three: Haggle: Everything’s Negotiable......Page 72 Four: Make Work Fun......Page 84 Five: Do Right by Your Brand......Page 98 Six: Smile for the Cameras......Page 110 Seven: Don’t Lead Sheep, Herd Cats......Page 128 Eight: Move Faster Than a Speeding Bullet......Page 142 Nine: Size Does Matter......Page 154 Ten: Never Lose the Common Touch......Page 166 How to Build a Brand the Branson Way......Page 178 Last Word......Page 186 Index......Page 188