The book – Business the Richard Branson Way (by Des Dearlove – ISBN: 978-1-841-12764-4) is a short, but never the less a great read. Its tag line is “10 secrets of the world’s greatest brand builder”.

Richard Branson is supposedly Britain’s best known entrepreneur, what is his secret? “In the modern world of business, Richard Branson stands alone. In a era dominated by strategists, he is a opportunist” Branson who is now in his fifty’s has been in many issues of the Forbes magazine which is the list of the worlds richest men. His personal wealth has been said to be estimated at over $3 billion.

Richard Branso at one stage floated his company on the stock market decided that he did not like this, so he went to a massive effort to re-privatise his company, which was a great cost to him, but it gave him back the control that he desired over his company.

His company has been called the worlds first universal brand and Branson has been tagged – The Corporate Rock star.

Branson has put much emphasis on the following four competencies;

1. The ability to identify appropriate growth opportunities
2. The ability to move quickly
3. The Willingness to give daily management control to relatively small teams
4. The ability to manage and create effective joint ventures

So here we go, Im going to give the points (very briefly though) that the book highlights as his 10 secrets to great brand building;

1. Pick on someone bigger than you: “At Virgin, we have a strategy of using the credibility of our brand to challenge the dominant players in a range of industries where we believe that consumers are not getting value for money” – Richard Branson

   - “Picking on the big guys is almost an article of faith for Virgin”
   - The big guys are in the high profit zones, so if you pick on them, and pick at their market, there is usually big money to be made
   - Virgin very often will play the under dog as it gets Virgin the positive media and the competition the big bad guys image
   - Although they “fight”, Virgin does say that it is important to choose your battles
   - Hit them where it hurts (use guerrilla tactics against the bigger players in the market)
   
   

2. Do the hippy, hippy shake:
   
   “Staff should come first; if it means making” 5 million euros “less, then its the right decision to make” – Richard Branson

   - There is more to business than just money
   - Don’t dress up, rather dress down – Branson very seldom will be seen in a suit and tie, he prefers to be dressed informally
   - Put the people first
   - Rather than imitating, innovate
   - Shake up markets that you enter

3. Everything is negotiable:“Anyone who thinks Virgin is a charity should think again. Branson may not be an accountant, but he has always surrounded himself with people who can do sums”

   - Nice guys finish first – Bransons negotiating skills are backed by his “charm” which has been known to put the most hardend negotiators of guard
   - Never take no for an answer – words such as no, never and impossible are not words that Branson will be heard saying all that often
   - Talk softly, but carry a big stick – He may look nice on the outside, but apparently when you come down to doing business with him, it is not all that pleasant

4. Make work fun:“He captivates the pubic and employees by the unexpected prospect of making the grey world of work sparkle with fun and excitement” – Alan Mitchell

   - It pays to play
   - Let the employees loose – Branson has always surrounded himself with clever people (which some claim makes up for his lack of it). Branson also gives people freedom, and this has paid back well in the past
   - Encourage informality
   - Enthusiasm is contagious
   - Make business and adventure

5. Do right by your brand:“I believe there is almost no limit to what a brand can do, but only if used properly” – Richard Branson

   - A good brand travels
   - Brand elasticity is infinite
   - Love, honour and cherish your brand

6. Smile for the cameras:“There are some people who believe in his own charmingly haphazard way, Branson runs the slickest public relations operation in Britain” – Andrew Davidson

   - Understand what the media is wanting, then give it to them
   - Think in pictures
   - Pop up at un-expected moments of public drama
   - Be involved in public enhancement projects / philanthropy
   - Know when to duck under the radar

7. Don’t lead sheep, herd cats:“Virgin staff are not mere hired hands. They are not managerial pawns in some gigantic chess game. They are entrepeneurs in their own right” – Richard Branson

   - Be a back seat leader
   - Act as a catalyst
   - Surround yourself with talented people
   - Encourage Chaos
   - Constantly keep an eye open for new opportunities

8. Move faster than a speeding bullet:
   
   “He just says Yes or No. He doesn’t spend valuable time farting about trying to convince a bunch of middle managers it’s a good idea. “ – Rowan Gormley

   - Avoid paralysis by analysis
   - Leap before you look
   - Streamline decision making
   - Get plenty of help
   - Don’t be afraid of making mistakes

9. Size does matter:“Every time a business gets too big, we start a new one. Keeping things small means keeping things personal” – Richard Branson

   - Grow your own business. Branson is a builder not a buyer
   - Keep it simple
   - Keep HQ’s to a minimum (HQ = Headquaters)
   - Ensure that the sum of the parts makes a greater whole
   - Run each business as a seperate entity

10. Never loose the common touch:“There’s this approachability about him, not like a pop star or other business men” - Mick Brown

    - Listen to people
    - Don’t let sucsess go to your head
    - Use your customers as consultants
    - Treat everyone as a equal
    - Be what people want you to be

So thats my brief summary of the book. I would reccommend that you go and buy the book, it is not expensive and is a great read for just about anyone, hopefully I did not give to much of the book away for you.

Noel Harrison