The place - the UK. The period - the late sixties. This is the story of a 17-year-old boy who was a rebel at school. The school's rules were rigid and it made the boy claustrophobic. The boy wanted to break free his mind. This boy soon started an amateur students' paper which circulated not just in his own school, but also among students of other nearby schools. His mother gave him four dollars to start with. The paper quickly became popular among students of other schools too. The boy sold advertising space to major corporations. His paper carried articles on rock stars, movie actors, politicians and intellectuals. Though it was not of any literary value, it reflected the young boy's enthusiasm and entrepreneurship.
The boy was very eager to make this paper a growing business. His only companion in this venture was his dear buddy Johnny James. Seeing his burning enthusiasm to do something, the Headmaster of Stowe congratulated him and said, "I can predict that one day you will either go to prison or become a millionaire."
In 1970 the boy set up a mail-order business, and started selling records by mail. The boy was successful and quickly turned his record-mailing business into a record shop. A couple of years later, in 1972, the young enthusiast boy started manufacturing records. But what would be the name of the company? His partner in his record manufacturing business Nick happened to say "We are all virgins in this business." They christened the company ‘Virgin Records'. I am talking about Sir Richard Branson , better known as the Virgin Boss. Richard Branson is perhaps the most charismatic individual when it comes to the top corporate heads of international fame. Known for his maverick business strategies and untraditional ways, Sir Richard Branson, who appeared in several TV shows including Baywatch, was born in the UK on July 18, 1950.
Richard Branson believes in some simple strategies, like:
• Size does matter; you need to challenge and compete with big brands to become big yourself.
• Take it easy, mix fun with work.
• Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
• Haggling is possible in every business - it brings down prices.
• Be camera / media- friendly.
• Mingle like a common man, go ahead like a bullet.
The £ 3 billion Empire of Richard Branson, the Virgin boss, is a result of numerous success stories. Virgin Records saw their first success with Mike Oldfield's ‘Tubular Bells' that became a best-selling record. After this, the company moved ahead swiftly, sometimes being drawn into controversies. It had to be sold to EMI in 1992 to generate money in order to keep the airline business running. It is said that Richard Branson cried after the company was sold, but he soon started V2 Records, another music brand. In 1984 Sir Richard Branson started his flagship brand Virgin Atlantic Airways to compete with British Airways. Sir Richard Branson then went on to start more airline brands such as Virgin Express, Virgin Nigeria and Virgin America (2006). Sir Richard Branson launched Virgin Mobile in 1999 and Virgin Blue (in Australia) in 2000. Other brands from him were Virgin Trains, Virgin Cola, Virgin Vodka, and Virgin Lottery.
In 1993 Sir Richard Branson, the millionaire Virgin boss, won a double lawsuit against British Airways and won a huge money of £ 610,000 which he divided among his employees. In 1993, Sir Richard Branson received an honorary Doctorate degree from Loughborough University, although Sir Richard Branson had quit conventional studies at the age of 17. In 1999, the Queen awarded him knighthood. In 2004, Sir Richard Branson announced the launch of Virgin Galactic, a company that will take travelers to outer space, as part of space tourism, beginning late 2007. Sir Richard Branson continues to enjoy every piece of his success, living life king-size, and adding new feathers to his crown every day.
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