Richard Branson: Support founders to buold the next Virgin in Britain
We must give every founder the best chance to flourish, so the future Virgins, Microsofts and Googles of the world are also built by British entrepreneurs, says Sir Richard Branson I was very flattered by Philip Salter’s suggestion that Britain needs another Richard Branson. But beyond the headline, we need to do more to champion [...]
Sir Richard Branson has called for increased support for entrepreneurs in Britain to ensure the emergence of future successful businesses like Virgin, Microsoft, and Google. It's been more than half a century since Branson began his entrepreneurial journey, but he recalls that there were only two other entrepreneurs in Britain at the time. Today, while the number of entrepreneurs has significantly increased, many still misunderstand the term.
Branson defines entrepreneurs as creative individuals who devise ideas to improve people's lives. He believes that when entrepreneurs succeed, it benefits society, while failure is also part of the process. However, building a business from scratch is challenging, and many entrepreneurs face numerous obstacles along the way. To foster a conducive environment for innovators, Branson emphasizes the importance of providing them with necessary support.
His philanthropic organization, Virgin StartUp, which assists thousands of UK founders, recently conducted research revealing that a majority of entrepreneurs are concerned about their projects' survival within the next year. Furthermore, they feel that the government doesn't pay attention to their concerns. Branson stresses the need to bridge the gap between failing and successful entrepreneurs, so the majority of would-be business owners experience success.
Encouragingly, when Virgin StartUp surveyed 1,000 British parents regarding their hopes for their children's future, 85% expressed their willingness to support their offspring's entrepreneurial pursuits. Many of these parents are already instilling an entrepreneurial spirit in their children at home. Branson himself credits his parents for nurturing his entrepreneurial mindset from a young age, whether it was selling Christmas trees, breeding budgies, or launching a national student magazine.
Written by urgent.news from City AM's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
