The First Story

The place - the UK. The period - the late sixties. This is the story of a 17-year-old who was a rebel at school. The school’s rules were rigid and it made him claustrophobic. He wanted to break free. This boy soon started an amateur students’ paper which circulated not just in his own school, but also among students of other nearby schools. His mother gave him four dollars to start with. The paper quickly became popular among students of other schools too. The boy sold advertising space to major corporations. His paper carried articles on rock stars, movie actors, politicians and intellectuals. Though it was not of any literary value, it reflected the young boy’s enthusiasm and entrepreneurship. He was very eager to make this paper a growing business. His only companion in this venture was his dear buddy Johnny James. Seeing his burning enthusiasm to do something, the Headmaster of Stowe congratulated him and said, “I can predict that one day you will either go to prison or become a millionaire."

In 1970 the boy set up a mail-order business, and started selling records by mail. He was successful and quickly turned his record-mailing business into a record shop. A couple of years later, in 1972, the young enthusiast started manufacturing records. But what would be the name of the company? His partner in his record manufacturing business Nick happened to say “We are all virgins in this business.” They christened the company ‘Virgin Records’. I am talking about Richard Branson, better known as the Virgin Boss. He is perhaps the most charismatic individual when it comes to the top corporate heads of international fame. Known for his maverick business strategies and untraditional ways, Sir Richard Branson, who appeared in several TV shows including Baywatch, was born in the UK on July 18, 1950.

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Branson believes in some simple strategies, like:

• Size does matter, you need to challenge and compete with big brands to become big yourself.
• Take it easy, mix fun with work. Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
• Haggling is possible in every business - it brings down prices.
• Be camera / media- friendly.
• Mingle like a common man, go ahead like a bullet.

The £ 3 billion empire of the Virgin boss is a result of numerous success stories. Virgin Records saw their first success with Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ that became a best-selling record. After this, the company moved ahead swiftly, sometimes being drawn into controversies. It had to be sold to EMI in 1992 to generate money in order to keep the airline business running. It is said that Branson cried after the company was sold, but he soon started V2 Records, another music brand. In 1984 Branson started his flagship brand Virgin Atlantic Airways to compete with British Airways. He then went on to start more airline brands such as Virgin Express, Virgin Nigeria and Virgin America (2006). He launched Virgin Mobile in 1999 and Virgin Blue (in Australia) in 2000. Other brands from him were Virgin Trains, Virgin Cola, Virgin Vodka, and Virgin Lottery.

In 1993 he won a double lawsuit against British Airways and won £ 610,000 which he divided among his employees. In 1993, he received an honorary Doctorate degree from Loughborough University, although he had quit conventional studies at the age of 17. In 1999, the Queen awarded him knighthood. In 2004, Sir Branson announced the launch of Virgin Galactic, a company that will take travelers to outer space, as part of space tourism, beginning late 2007. Branson continues to enjoy every piece of his success, living life king-size, and adding new feathers to his crown every day.

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