Starting a business can be likened to planting a tree, where the anticipated results may not be immediate. At the beginning, you need to invest your time and money, and then you must nurture it for a period of time before you can see tangible results. But once you achieve your goals, the sense of satisfaction you gain makes all your hard work and patience worthwhile.
However, there will be obstacles and challenges on the path to success. This is where the words of successful entrepreneurs can provide powerful encouragement by offering perspective on our journey. These words remind us that all successful entrepreneurs face difficulties, and their ability to overcome those obstacles is what sets them apart.
Inspiration is essential for aspiring entrepreneurs, whether they seek insights, advice, guidance, or a better understanding of how successful business owners overcome challenges. To assist you, we have compiled one hundred of our favourite quotes from the world’s most accomplished entrepreneurs to keep you inspired.
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100 Quotes from Entrepreneurs
- “Only the paranoid survive.” – Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel
- “The thing that motivates me is a very common form of motivation. And that is, with other folks counting on me, it’s so easy to be motivated.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon
- “Whatever you do, be different—that was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you’re different, you will stand out.” – Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop
- “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company
- “You have to see failure as the beginning and the middle, but never entertain it as an end.” – Jessica Herrin, founder and CEO of Stella & Dot
- “It starts with not having a hangover with the way things used to be.” – Kevin Plank, founder and CEO of Under Armour
- “If something is important enough, or you believe something is important enough, even if you are scared, you will keep going.” – Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX
- “Success depends on employees. For me knowing and connecting with my employees is very important.” – Divine Ndhlukula, founder and managing director of DDNS Security Operations Ltd
- “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney, founder of Walt Disney Company
- “It doesn’t matter how many times you have failed. You only have to be right once.” – Mark Cuban, owner of NBA Dallas Mavericks
- “Too many people measure how successful they are by how much money they make or the people that they associate with. In my opinion, true success should be measured by how happy you are.” – Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group
- “If you can offer a free tier that provides a lot of value, it will naturally help your product to spread much more rapidly.” – Melanie Perkins, Co-founder of Canva
- “Selling is not a pushy, winner-takes-all, macho act. It is an empathy-led, process-driven, and knowledge-intensive discipline. Because, in the end, people buy from people.” – Subroto Bagchi, Co-founder of Mindtree
- “Remain self-funded as long as possible.” – Garrett Camp, Co-founder of Uber, StumbleUpon, and Expa
- “Don’t let others convince you that the idea is good when your gut tells you it’s bad.” – Kevin Rose, co-founded Digg
- “There is something artificial when everyone is agreeing with each other. It’s useful to indulge people who don’t agree, and see their viewpoint or force yourself to explain things better.” – David Sack, founder of Yammer
- “Five days a week, I read my goals before I go to sleep and when I wake up. There are 10 goals around health, family and business with expiration dates, and I update them every six months.” – Daymond John, founder, president, and CEO of FUBU
- “If you are not getting traction on your idea, you try few things. You try pushing harder, cleaning up something, building up to something aggressively — but if it doesn’t get traction, then don’t bother.” – Vijay Sharma, founder of Paytm
- “When you build technology it’s not just a matter of “what.” In most cases the success ends up determined by “how” you build it—which foundations you used, how simple and scalable it is.” – Tobi Lütke, founder and CEO of Shopify
- “I learned to always take on things I’d never done before. Growth and comfort do not coexist.” – Virginia Rometty, former chairman, president and CEO of IBM
- “Failures are life’s way of nudging you and letting you know you are off course. Trying new things and not being afraid to fail along the way are more important than what you learn in school.” – Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx
- “Success is empty if you arrive at the finish line alone. The best reward is to get there surrounded by winners.” – Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks
- “I’m always tweaking, always trying to make it better, constantly moving the levers and dials.” – Steve Ells, founder and co-CEO of Chipotle
- “I think it is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. Since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition.” – Larry Page, co-founder of Google
- “If you’ve got an idea, start today. There’s no better time than now to get going. That doesn’t mean quit your job and jump into your idea 100% from day one, but there’s always small progress that can be made to start the movement.” – Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram
- “Find your passion… then it is no longer work!” – L.A. Reid, co-founder of LaFace Records
- “The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.” – Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari & Chuck E. Cheese’s
- “The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try.” – Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies
- “Genius is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration.” – Thomas Edison, founder of General Electric (GE)
- “Life is really simple as far as I’m concerned. There is no luck, you work hard and study things intently. If you do that for long and hard enough you’re successful.” – Jason Calacanis, founder of Weblogs, Inc.
- “When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.” – Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics
- “I’ve been blessed to find people who are smarter than I am, and they help me to execute the vision I have.” – Russell Simmons, founder of Def Jam
- “Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you’re generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make.” – Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart
- “One of the unique things we small companies have over the big guys is the ability to establish personal relationships. Big companies really can’t do that. You read about effective organisations, learning organisations, lean and mean organisations, but small companies can be virtuous. We as small companies can have virtue because we as small companies are basically the embodiment of one or two people, and people can have virtue, while organisations really can’t.” – Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Company
- “It’s very important for entrepreneurs to look for people in the company who are not afraid of failures, for example, intrapreneurs. They make a business more successful by thinking like an entrepreneur — but within a company.” – Chirag Kulkarni, Founder of Taco
- “Most of us want to tell our coworkers or friends, or husbands or wives, our ideas. For what reason? We want validation. But I feel ideas are most vulnerable in their infancy. Out of love and concern, friends and family give all the reasons or objections on why [you] shouldn’t do it. I didn’t want to risk that.” – Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx
- “One of the things I tend to do is open myself up to a variety of voices. I try to expose myself to the kind of culture shock that occurs when you talk to people who speak a different language.” – Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay
- “If you tune it so that you have zero chance of failure, you usually also have zero chance of success. The key is to look at ways for when you get to your failure checkpoint, you know to stop.” – Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn
- “Start as small as you can. When I started SkinnyMe Tea, I had $24 in the bank, and I was entirely self-funded. If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product; you’ve launched too late.” – Gretta Rose van Riel, founder of Hey Influencers
- “Sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to ask. I have been in the news many times just by calling on the news channel and asking them about featuring my business.” – Lori Cheek, founder of Cheekd
- “In the age of transparency, honesty, and generosity, even in the form of an apology, generate goodwill.” – Alexander Asseily, founder of Jawbone
- “If you are working on a product that’s going to be consumer-facing, then feedback is invaluable. You should be out there being brave and talking to people and asking for feedback as much as possible.” – Emily Brooke, Co-founder of Blaze
- “Being a woman in business doesn’t come without challenges. My advice? Surround yourself with other supportive women that encourage you, share ideas, and get you motivated.” – Jessica Alba, Founder of The Honest Company
- “It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” – Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft
- “We led with our conviction rather than rational, because rational said it was impossible.” – Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify
- “Micromanage the process, not the people.” – Joe Apfelbaum, CEO and founder of Ajax Union
- “If you don’t define yourself and proactively maintain your identity, someone else will do it for you. The idea that you can be invisible is a myth.” – Patrick Ambron, CEO and co-founder of BrandYourself.com
- “Avoid openly trying to reform people. Every man knows he is imperfect, but he doesn’t want someone else trying to correct his faults. If you want to improve a person, help him embrace a higher working goal–a standard, an ideal–and he will do his own ‘making over’ far more effectively than you can do it for him.” – Dave Packard, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard
- “The job of a manager is to support his or her staff, not vice versa, and that begins by being among them.” – Bill Hewlett, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard
- “Never give up, because you never know if the next try is going to be the one that works.” – Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics
- “The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” – Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook
- “Everyone has ideas. They may be too busy or lack the confidence or technical ability to carry them out. But I want to carry them out. It is a matter of getting up and doing it.” – James Dyson, founder of Dyson Ltd.
- “If you don’t give up, you still have a chance. Giving up is the greatest failure.” – Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba Group
- “The most important investment you can make is in yourself.” – Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
- “Ups and downs in life are very important to keep us going, because a straight line even in an ECG means we are not alive.” – Ratan Tata, Former Chairman of Tata Group
- “I’ve only had two rules. Do all you can and do it the best you can. It’s the only way you ever get that feeling of accomplishing something.” – Harland David Sanders, founder of KFC
- “If you’re not a risk taker, you should get the hell out of business.” – Ray Kroc, former CEO of McDonald’s
- “We only get to play this game one time. We have one life.” – Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of Vayner Media
- “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” – Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple
- “F-E-A-R has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise.’ The choice is yours.” – Zig Ziglar, author
- “If you can push through that feeling of being scared, that feeling of taking a risk, really amazing things can happen.” – Marissa Mayer, president & CEO of Yahoo!
- “As a founder, lay all the possible scenarios — from best to worst — in front of you, so you don’t get surprised when something happens.” – Brian Wong, co-founder of Kiip
- “Don’t get distracted. Never tell yourself that you need to be the biggest brand in the whole world. Start by working on what you need at the present moment and then what you need to do tomorrow. So, set yourself manageable targets.” – Jas Bagniewski, co-Founder of Eve Sleep
- “People are the most important thing. Business model and product will follow if you have the right people.” – Adam Neumann – co-founder of WeWork
- “Starting a company extracts so much energy and conviction that not having a clear-cut goal and meaningful mission can hamper your success. This is why, at Virta, our mission was clearly defined: reverse early type-2 diabetes in 100 million people by 2025.” – Sami Inkinen, co-founder of Virta Health
- “I can name dozens of failures that we had over the years. Yet, with all these failures, we still managed to build Appster into one of the largest, and best companies in our industry. So, remember every time you fail, remind yourself these words: ‘Life won’t always go my way, but I will always find a way’.” – Josiah Humphrey, co-founder of Appster
- “Be nicer to your customers than your competitors.” – Richard Reed, co-Founder of Innocent Drinks
- “There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.” – Ray Goforth, director of strategy and partnerships at Spredfast
- “While I am not big with words, I am big and bold in my dreams and visions” – Henry Sy, Sr., former chairman of SM Investment Corporation
- “To remain relevant, learn from the past, live in the present with an eye for the future” – Aftab Ahmed, CEO of Citibank Philippines
- “In whatever you choose to do, pursue it with intense passion, and make sure it is able to uplift the lives of others” – Edgar Injap Sia II, chairman of DoubleDragon Properties Corporation
- All problems are man-made problems. All man-made problems have man-made solutions” – Necisto U. Sytengco, chairman of SBS Philippines Corporation
- I think you’ve got to have something you believe in. There has to be a goal, and that goal can’t always be just about the resort of yourself. You have to look outside as well as in. What is our purpose and how do we achieve that?” – Stephen James Reilly, COO of Resorts World Manila
- Entrepreneurship in the ability to spot opportunities in the challenges that life throw at us” – Alberto Emilio V. Ramos, director and president of China Bank Savings
- Through the years, as my companies expanded, I stuck to my success formula of hard work and luck to stay ahead of the pack. That basically, is the story of my life’s journey. It has been a constant process of moving forward no matter what” – Dr. Andrew L. Tan, chairman of Megaworld Corporation
- “Your reputation is more important than your paycheck, and your integrity is worth more than your career.” – Ryan Freitas, About.me co-founder
- “The most dangerous poison is the feeling of achievement. The antidote is to every evening think what can be done better tomorrow.” – Ingvar Kamprad, founder of IKEA
- “There’s nothing wrong with staying small. You can do big things with a small team.” – Jason Fried, founder of 37signals
- “Don’t worry about failure; you only have to be right once.” – Drew Houston, founder and CEO of Dropbox
- “Fail often so you can succeed sooner.” – Tom Kelley, partner, Ideo
- “What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone, know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.” – Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy
- “Entrepreneurs change the world—and at this moment in time in particular, we need them more than ever. Supporting their creativity and ingenuity in solving today’s challenges through their innovative ideas and companies is pivotal to a better future.” – Maëlle Gavet, CEO of Techstars
- “Small businesses are the lifeblood of our neighbourhoods and communities. It’s important to support and nurture their success. And you never know—any one of these small businesses on the list could end up being traded on the stock market some day.” – Tom Colicchio, founder of Crafted Hospitality
- “Too often entrepreneurs are portrayed as academic pedigreed, white men with access to capital. And while this may be true, more and more entrepreneurs are breaking outside of this stereotype. They are women. They are members of the LGBT+ community. They are Black and Brown. They are indigenous leaders. They have stories of resilience, and not just privilege.” – Melissa Bradley, co-founder of Ureeka
- “Do not focus on numbers. Focus on doing what you do best. It’s about building a community who wants to visit your site every day because you create value and offer expertise.” – Cassey Ho, founder of Blogilates
- “If you are offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on. – Sheryl Sandberg” – COO of Facebook
- “Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.” – Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post
- “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that hurt people hurt people, and kindness is just as contagious. So if you can focus your efforts on engineering kindness, it will prevail.” – Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder of Bumble
- “You don’t need to be a genius or a visionary, or even a college graduate for that matter, to be successful. You just need framework and a dream.” – Michael Dell founder and CEO of DELL
- “Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical.” – Howard Schultz Founder and CEO of Starbucks
- “I don’t want to leave my kids an inheritance, I want to leave them a legacy.” – Daymond John, Entrepreneur, Investor and Author
- “I’ve gotten my personal life all the way intact and made sure that it’s straight. Without that, you have no foundation. Your building is going to crumble.” – Dr. Dre, Rapper and founder of Beats by Dr. Dre
- “Stay hungry. And bootstrap.” – Rob Kalin, co-founder of Etsy
- “Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” – Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter
- “Companies rarely die from moving too fast, and they frequently die from moving too slowly.” – Reed Hastings, co-founder and co-CEO of Netflix
- “You can learn practically anything you want in the world online.” – Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress
- “You are alive today, and no matter what your condition, make a mark here and now. Opportunity is at every moment, seizing it is pleasure.” – Angelo Sotira, co-founder of Deviantart
- “The idea that you could change the world from your bedroom was pretty compelling to me.” – Pete Cashmore, founder of Mashable
- “I remember knowing, for a while, for a long time, that I was kind of abnormal in some sense.” – Vitalik Buterin, creator of Ethereum
- “If you breathe it and sleep it and every single minute is your business, you will succeed. You will learn from any mistakes that you make and you will grow from those mistakes.” – Nik Mirkovic, co-founder of HiSmile
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted, as it presents a myriad of obstacles on the path to building a thriving business. However, it is worth remembering that encountering difficulties is not a measure of success or failure. Even the most successful business owners have encountered struggles; it is how they handle them that defines their success.
In times of difficulty, self-sabotage is often the greatest obstacle. This is where motivational quotes can prove beneficial. While they are simply words, they have the power to counteract self-doubt, which frequently arises when faced with challenges.
If you require more motivational quotes, be sure to peruse this article for 100 motivational quotes to fuel your success!
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