People will buy anything that is ‘one to a customer.’
—Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951) American Novelist, Short-Story Writer
Not because of any extraordinary talents did he succeed, but because he had a capacity on a level for business and not above it.
—Tacitus (56–117) Roman Orator, Historian
Get the best people and train them well.
—Charles E. Merrill (1885–1956) American Investment Banker
Blessed is he who talks in circles, for he shall become a big wheel.
—Frank Lane (1896–1981) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
The American businessmen, as a class, have demonstrated the greatest productive genius and the most spectacular achievements ever recorded in the economic history of mankind. What reward did they receive from our culture and its intellectuals? The position of a hated, persecuted minority. The position of a scapegoat for the evils of the bureaucrats.
—Ayn Rand (1905–82) Russian-born American Novelist, Philosopher
Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Not only is there little stigma attributed to going bankrupt among cutting-edge entrepreneurs, it’s even seen as a good source of business experience.
—Unknown
If you don’t do it with excellence, don’t do it at all! Because if it’s not excellent, it won’t be profitable or fun, and if you’re not in business for fun or profit, what the hell are you doing there?
—Robert C. Townsend (1920–98) American Businessman
Nobody ever lost money taking a profit.
—Bernard M. Baruch (1870–1965) American Financier, Economic Consultant
The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife. Try not to insult her intelligence.
—David Ogilvy (1911–99) British-American Advertising Executive
A business like an automobile, has to be driven, in order to get results.
—B. C. Forbes (1880–1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
All business proceeds on beliefs, or judgments of probabilities, and not on certainties.
—Charles William Eliot (1834–1926) American Educationalist
This is a fantastic time to be entering the business world, because business is going to change more in the next 10 years than it has in the last 50.
—Bill Gates (b.1955) American Businessperson, Entrepreneur, Author, Philanthropist
The selfish spirit of commerce, which knows no country, and feels no passion or principle but that of gain.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
Today’s environment is beginning to threaten today’s organizations, finding them seriously deficient in their nervous system design…. The degree of coordination, perception, rational adaptation, etc., which will appear in the next generation of human organizations will drive our present organizational forms, with their clumsy nervous systems, into extinction.
—Douglas Engelbart (1925–2013) American Inventor, Computer Scientist
It is not the employer who pays the wages. He only handles the money. It is the product that pays the wages.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
It is very vulgar to talk about one’s business. Only people like stockbrokers do that, and then merely at dinner parties.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
You can make more friends in two months by becoming genuinely interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.
—Dale Carnegie (1888–1955) American Self-Help Author
The happiest time in a man’s life is when he is in the red hot pursuit of a dollar with a reasonable prospect of overtaking it.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
We do not say that a man who takes no interest in public affairs is a man who minds his own business. We say he has no business being here at all.
—Pericles (c.490–429 BCE) Athenian Statesman, General
A friendship founded on business is a good deal better than a business founded on friendship.
—John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) American Oil Magnate, Philanthropist
The trade-unionist has the same limitation imposed upon him as the capitalist. He cannot advance his interests at the expense of society.
—Ramsay MacDonald (1866–1937) British Head of State, Journalist
Every business and every product has risks. You can’t get around it.
—Lee Iacocca (1924–2019) American Businessperson
Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.
—W. Clement Stone (1902–2002) American Self-help Guru, Entrepreneur
Perhaps the most distinguishing trait of visionary leaders is that they believe in a goal that benefits not only themselves, but others as well. It is such vision that attracts the psychic energy of other people, and makes them willing to work beyond the call of duty for the organization.
—Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934–2021) Hungarian-American Psychologist
Corporation. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
In this business, by the time you realize you’re in trouble, it’s too late to save yourself. Unless you’re running scared all the time, you’re gone.
—Bill Gates (b.1955) American Businessperson, Entrepreneur, Author, Philanthropist
Business is not just doing deals; business is having great products, doing great engineering, and providing tremendous service to customers. Finally, business is a cobweb of human relationships.
—Ross Perot (1930–2019) American Businessman
War is the business of barbarians.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
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