25 Quotes Every Entrepreneur Should Know and Live By

Quotes are important because we learn from them. Sometimes a little piece of advice or wisdom from a brilliant mind can help you forge ahead. The right quote can help you make decisions in difficult situations, encourage you to persevere, or remind you of valuable facts you would otherwise overlook.

Here are some quotes from various reputable individuals to help you be a better entrepreneur.

“It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently”. – Warren Buffett

“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure” – Bill Gates

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way” – John C. Maxwell

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve” – Napoleon Hill

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great” – Mark Twain

“Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune”- Jim Rohn

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then craw, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“You can say anything to anyone, but how you say it will determine how they will react” – John Rampton

“There are some people out there who will tell you that you can’t. What you’ve got to do is turn around and say “watch me”. – Unknown

“It’s not about Ideas, it’s about making ideas.” – Scott Belsky (Co-founder of Behance)

“The secret to successful hiring is this: look for the people who want to change the world” – Marc Benioff

“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)

“Watch, listen, and learn. You can’t know it all yourself. Anyone who thinks he does is destined for mediocrity” – Donald Trump

“I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance” – Steve Jobs

“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again”. – Richard Branson (Founder of the Virgin Group)

“It’s almost always harder to raise capital than you thought it would be, and it always takes longer. So, plan for that” – Richard Harroch

“If you don’t know what to do with your life, do something that saves lives. The world is full of people in need, be the part of their life that fills that need”. – Sanjeev Saxena

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius

“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender, it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment”. – Stephen Covey

“All the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.” – John Kenneth Calbraith

“Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes but they don’t quit.” – Conrad Hilton

“If you hear a voice within you saying ‘you are not a painter’ then by all means, paint. And that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh

“You are to set your own value, communicate that value to the world, and then not settle for less.” – Suze Orman

“Don’t build links, build relationships” – Rand Fishkin, Moz

“Dream big. Start small. But most of all, start.” – Simon Sinek

Bonus Quote – Written by Roy T. Bennett, Author of ‘The Light in the Heart’, this is a quote that should be adopted, not only by entrepreneurs or aspiring entrepreneurs, but every individual, irrespective of career:

“Do not let the expectations and opinions of other people affect your decisions. It’s your life, not theirs. Do what matters most to you; do what makes you feel alive and happy. Don’t let the expectations and ideas of others limit who you are. If you let others tell you who you are, you are living their reality – not yours. There is more to life than pleasing people. There is much more to life than following others’ prescribed path. There is so much more to life than what you experience right now. You need to decide who you are for yourself. Become a whole being.”

Compiled by: Akaomachi B