Careers with Hayley Taylor 2011 - (Page 40)
w
From business virgin to Virgin boss
We focus on Richard Branson’s megabrand Virgin that continues to expand globally and how he began his career whilst still at school.
R
ichard Branson – who became Sir Richard in 1999, when he was knighted for services to entrepreneurship – has made his mark in the world through
the all-encompassing global brand Virgin. The construction of such a prestigious business demanded commitment, attention to detail, and most importantly a willingness to succeed, and as a result of these attributes he has lucratively expanded the brand from its modest commencement. Born in 1950 Branson went on to attend Stowe School, where the education system became the drive behind his ambition not in terms of the strive for qualifications, but rather his interest in the environment of Stowe School itself. Aged 16, he created a magazine Student – which sought to target students rather than schools, as he was interested in connecting individuals. Although for many, the learning disability dyslexia can prove inhibiting, Branson used it to his advantage, as a catalyst for success: it caused him to develop aptitudes that relied on business acumen, rather than the skills needed to pass memory and IQ tests, and shaped him into the international entrepreneur he is today. Running the magazine from his basement and with a small financial injection of four pounds from his mother, Branson - with the help of friend Jonny Gems – began business. He managed to arrange a cover picture of a student drawn by Peter Blake, designer of the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper album cover, who also agreed to give an interview for the publication. The headmaster of Stowe said of Sir Richard at the time: “I predict that you will either go to prison or become a millionaire.” Such a forecast was a fitting surmise of Branson’s blossoming entrepreneurial skill and risk-taking nature. In 1970, Virgin was established in similarly humble beginnings as a mail order record retailer with his associate Nik Powell. Building on the success of his start-up venture, Branson opened a record shop in Oxford Street, London. Two years later, furthering his interest and investment in the music business, Branson built a recording studio in Oxfordshire where the first Virgin artist, Mike Oldfield, recorded his debut album Tubular Bells, an early marker of the company’s development. From this initial recording, the record company continued
words: Jessie bland | photographs: pa photos
40 careers september 2011
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Careers with Hayley Taylor 2011
Editor’s letter
Hayley's foreword
News
Home work
Meet The Fairy Jobmother
I need an agent
How to write the perfect CV
Be the best
From business virgin to Virgin boss
Staying positive during your job search
Kick start your career
The benefits of business education
How to make work work for you
Legal rights
Balancing benefits and businesses for working mums
Earn more work less
Shades of Green
Getting into retail without selling yourself short
What to wear
Work on a plate
Franchises: it’s all in the name
The Ultimo success
Working that net
Building a career in property
Donate your career to charity
Supporting the support
Cross purposes
Tender, loving social care
10 social care facts
Foster care: a blossoming profession
Best of British
Jobs of the future
10 Top Tips to get that dream job
Your questions answered
Careers with Hayley Taylor 2011
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/jcspring2018
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/JobsandCareersAutumn2017
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/YourBusinessWithJamesCaan2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/Careers/Careers_with_Hayley_Taylor_2011
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com