You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

Richard Branson Says If You Do This 1 Thing When Starting a Business, You Don't Need to Worry About Financials: 'The Figures Should Stack Up' The entrepreneur spoke in Dallas, Texas, at the relaunch of his entrepreneurial-focused series called RM72.

By Emily Rella

entrepreneur daily
John Lamparski/Getty Images

For Richard Branson, being an entrepreneur has a lot less to do with the hard-wired business side of things and everything to do with the uniqueness of the idea at hand.

Entrepreneur recently attended a talk the billionaire gave at Virgin Hotels Dallas amid the relaunch of the company's entrepreneur-focused program, RM72. The event brought together entrepreneurs, mentors, and mentees to help foster business connections and listen to Branson dole out his ever-coveted advice.

During the gathering, Branson said that when he embarks on a new endeavor or business with Virgin, he thinks less about how much it will cost the company and more about whether or not the idea is strong enough to separate itself from competitors.

Richard Branson speaks at the re-launch of RM72 at Virgin Hotels Dallas (Entrepreneur)

"My attitude is 'Screw it, let's do it'. Let's see if we can create something better than anybody else has done it and the figures should stack up at the end of the year — that's been my approach," he said at the event. "And sometimes we've fallen flat on our face, but we've always, I think, created something special. So even where things haven't worked out, we have left our hopefully happy memories and what our team tried. And fortunately, more worked out than not."

Branson, who founded Virgin Records in 1972, has since gone on to pursue multiple other endeavors under the Virgin Umbrella, including Virgin Hotels, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Voyages, and more.

Related: Richard Branson: Elon Musk Surprised Me Barefoot In My Home

Branson said that the importance of branding and wanting to use that branding to be the best in any given space or industry has been one of what he believes is any entrepreneur's key to success — regardless of budget and regardless of industry.

"What matters is can you create the best? The best hotel? Can you create the best cruise line? Can you create the best airline? Can you create the best train company? Can you create the sexiest space company, and so on," he said. "If you can, if you create something really, really special, generally speaking, as long as you haven't completely f****d up, the figures will add up in the end. And so, at Virgin, I think our teams have created the best in every field."

Branson's net worth as of Wednesday afternoon was an estimated $2.9 billion.

Related: Warren Buffett, Richard Branson and Others Explain What It Takes to Find Big Success

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Marketing

Save Big and Get This Pro Collage App for $39.99

Edit, adjust, and create collages in seconds.

Making a Change

Learn to Play Guitar Even if You Have No Previous Training for Just $20

Start with the beginner's crash course and learn how to play guitar in no time.

Business News

I Designed My Dream Home For Free With an AI Architect — Here's How It Works

The AI architect, Vitruvius, created three designs in minutes, complete with floor plans and pictures of the inside and outside of the house.

Side Hustle

This Dad Started a Side Hustle to Save for His Daughter's College Fund — Then It Earned $1 Million and Caught Apple's Attention

In 2015, Greg Kerr, now owner of Alchemy Merch, was working as musician when he noticed a lucrative opportunity.

Business News

This Fan-Favorite Masters 2024 Item Is Still $1.50 as Tournament Menu Appears Unscathed by Inflation

The pimento cheese sandwich is a tradition almost as big as the tournament itself.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.