Academic 4 Hw
Two entrepreneurs
Why these entrepreneurs?
Richard Branson and Anita Roddick are two of the most famous entrepreneurial English figures. Sir Richard Branson was born on 18 July 1950 and is an English business man and investor. Anita Roddick was a British-born international woman, human right activist and environmental campaigner. In 2005, a Shell live WIRE survey classified Richard Branson as the most inspirational role model. Anita Roddick was classified the third in the same survey. It is an excellent idea to compere a male and a female figure and look for what made them succeed in their industry. Analysing two of the most inspirational English figures will help me find out the English entrepreneurial culture.
Background
Richard Branson grew up in an English family that supported and gave him a lot of independence. His mother helped him lunch his first business “Student” Magazine. Richard and his friends published the first number of the magazine on January 26th 1968. The Virgin story started with “Student”. (Branson, 2014)
The first time “Virgin” name came into spot light was in 1972 when, Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell and Tom Newman lunched Virgin Records. (Southern & Richardson, 1996) The name originated from a colleagues remark that everyone involved was a novice: “We’re complete virgins at business”. (Branson, 2007) Virgin Records lunched by selling records by post undercutting high-street retailers. (Milmo, 2012)
Anita Roddick was born on 23 October 1942 in an Italian family in Littlehampton, England. Her family owned a café and she was raised in an entrepreneurial environment. She started her first business with her husband. They looked for a business in earnest, something they could run together and still have some free time to spend with their two daughters. They found a Victorian house for sale where they started a bed-and breakfast. (Roddick, 2005, p.35)
After successfully transforming the place into a hotel she opened a restaurant. The restaurant
Why these entrepreneurs?
Richard Branson and Anita Roddick are two of the most famous entrepreneurial English figures. Sir Richard Branson was born on 18 July 1950 and is an English business man and investor. Anita Roddick was a British-born international woman, human right activist and environmental campaigner. In 2005, a Shell live WIRE survey classified Richard Branson as the most inspirational role model. Anita Roddick was classified the third in the same survey. It is an excellent idea to compere a male and a female figure and look for what made them succeed in their industry. Analysing two of the most inspirational English figures will help me find out the English entrepreneurial culture.
Background
Richard Branson grew up in an English family that supported and gave him a lot of independence. His mother helped him lunch his first business “Student” Magazine. Richard and his friends published the first number of the magazine on January 26th 1968. The Virgin story started with “Student”. (Branson, 2014)
The first time “Virgin” name came into spot light was in 1972 when, Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell and Tom Newman lunched Virgin Records. (Southern & Richardson, 1996) The name originated from a colleagues remark that everyone involved was a novice: “We’re complete virgins at business”. (Branson, 2007) Virgin Records lunched by selling records by post undercutting high-street retailers. (Milmo, 2012)
Anita Roddick was born on 23 October 1942 in an Italian family in Littlehampton, England. Her family owned a café and she was raised in an entrepreneurial environment. She started her first business with her husband. They looked for a business in earnest, something they could run together and still have some free time to spend with their two daughters. They found a Victorian house for sale where they started a bed-and breakfast. (Roddick, 2005, p.35)
After successfully transforming the place into a hotel she opened a restaurant. The restaurant
References: 1. Richard Branson (2014). From Student to Change. Retrieved 31.12.2014, from http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/from-student-to-change 2. Southern, T. & Richardson, P. (1996). Virgin: a history of Virgin Records. Axminster, Devon: A Pub. Co. 3. Milmo, D. (2012). Virgin empire: from selling records to running trains and airline. Retrieved 31.12.2014 from http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/aug/15/virgin-train-richard-branson 4. Branson, R. (2007). Losing my virginity: the autobiography. London: Virgin Books. 5. Roddick, A. (2005). Business as unusual. Chichester: Anita Roddick Books. 6. Russell, M. (2012). Richard Branson’s fails: 14 Virgin Companies That Went Burst. Retrieved 29.12.2014 from http://www.businessinsider.com/richard-branson-fails-virgin-companies-that-went-bust-2012-4?op=1 7. Perrone, P. (2013). Forty years of Virgin: How Richard Branson’s eccentric record label changed the charts. Retrieved 31.12.2014 from http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/forty-years-of-virgin-how-richard-bransons-eccentric-record-label-changed-the-charts-8629363.html 8. Allan, I. Aircraft Illustrated – Virgin birth, 48-51 Retrieved from Aircraft Illustrated http://www.worldcat.org/title/aircraft-illustrated/oclc/402770971 9. Bloomberg, (2014). Company overview of Virgin Group Ltd. Retrieved 30.12.2014 from http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapid=36312 10. Virgin website