It takes a great man to give sound advice tactfully,
but a greater to accept it graciously.
Logan P. Smith
BY RICHARD BRANSON | February 25, 2013
Editor’s Note: Entrepreneur Richard Branson regularly shares his business experience and advice with readers. Ask him a question and your query might be the inspiration for a future column.
Q: Do you feel that your personal traits and behaviors play a key part in your continuing success as an entrepreneur?
— Clare, Entrepreneur reader
Every successful entrepreneur’s story is different, because when you build a company from the ground up, its culture and purpose usually reflects your personality and principles. That may be why the Virgin Group is so diverse, with so many businesses in so many different industries: I’ve always been a lifelong learner, interested in discovering how things work, and the people I work with tend to be similar.
I’m extremely fortunate in that I am able to occasionally host gatherings on Necker Island, bringing in innovative thinkers to help us expand our horizons. The discussions are wide-ranging, covering a variety of topics — most people would be surprised at just how broad the parameters are. Just recently, with our not-for-profit foundation, Virgin Unite, we hosted a group of scientists from the University of Oxford. Led by Ian Goldin, who heads the Oxford Martin School, the researchers shared their thoughts on ways to manage the increasing human population and the resulting impact on the planet’s resources, despite the current lack of political leadership on both issues.
Related: Richard Branson on Entrepreneurial Determination
The importance of biodiversity isn’t a topic that would appear to have immediate applicability in the business world, but we were all fascinated. The researchers’ work focuses on mapping biodiversity and ecosystem services, from entire landscapes down to individual species. Their goal is to create effective technological tools to identify species and evaluate conservation locations. Kathy Willis, who is director of the Biodiversity Institute at Oxford, told us about their remarkable land mapping project, which will help businesses and other organizations to make more informed decisions about land use.
These may seem like lofty concepts, but this discussion got us thinking about how companies will need to adopt practices like land mapping if they are going to thrive in the coming years. Consumers are becoming increasingly frustrated with corporations that are only out for themselves, rather than helping their communities and the planet. Our group and other companies are going to need to know the answers to such questions as: Where is the most suitable and sustainable location to position our new factory? What impact will our new offices have on the surrounding ecosystem?
Everyone was energized by this challenge of envisioning and creating a sustainable future — after all, who doesn’t have a vested interest in finding a solution? This is an area we are going to continue to explore, tackling the problems together. And as I was listening to the researchers and my team, I was reminded that learning is not just a luxury, but integral to the growth of our group and the health of our company.
Related: Richard Branson on Being Richard Branson
If you are trying to grow a diverse, creative team, you don’t need to bring your employees to the Caribbean to keep them learning. Invite guest speakers to your office. Go to events focusing on topics that are not strictly related to your industry and bring some of your employees along. Watch a few of the many incredible TED talks online. Remember, one of the best ways to learn is by taking your team members out of their comfort zone and embracing new ideas — and you’ll see results. Focusing on a topic out of the norm can bring renewed vigor to everyday activities.
One of the results of this and other discussions on the topic of sustainability is that we are looking at ways to better account for the impacts our activities are having on the natural resources on which we rely. We’ve decided that we want our company to be around for a long time — 100, 200, 500 years or more. That will only be possible if we build on the insight that doing good for our environment is good for business.
Our approach to growth won’t work for everyone. As I’ve written before, if you want to be an entrepreneur, you should always build on your strengths and pursue ideas that interest you. While my talents and traits are certainly helping me with my work at Virgin, your own talents, goals and aspirations are likely quite different — and will play a key part in your success too.
Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225866#ixzz2P7HVFh1O
a little about me and my expertise – video
land specialist- land expert-investment broker-Arizona
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPs3kpKR4nY
Feel free to contact Walter regarding any of these stories, the current market, distressed commercial real estate opportunities and needs, your property or your Investment Needs for Comercial Investment Properties in Phoenix.
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Walter Unger CCIM, CCSS, CCLS
I am a successful Commercial Investment Real Estate Broker in Arizona now for 15 years and I worked with banks and their commercial REO properties for 3 years. I am also a commercial and Landspecialist in Phoenix and a Landspecialist in Arizona.
1.
WHETHER YOU LEASE OR OWN
NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOU TO EXPAND, UPGRADE OR INVEST.
In my opinion we are at bottom of the cycle in Commercial Real Estate in Phoenix, so there is only one way and it’s called we are going up again and now is the time for you to expand, upgrade or invest in Commercial Properties in Phoenix. The prices on deals I may get you will not be around forever.
2.
IF YOU OR ANYBODY YOU KNOW IS IN TROUBLE WITH YOUR BUSINESS, AS MANY AMERICANS ARE IN THE MOMENT, AND ARE ABOUT TO LOSE YOUR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, PLEASE CONTACT ME. IF YOUR BANK IS BEHAVING BADLY I MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU GET OUT OF SOME OR MAYBE A LOT OF FUTURE HEADACHES.
3.
WAITING TO SELL YOUR LAND ? TIMES CHANGE / IT’S TIME
We barely could give land away the last few years, but times are changing. Even in those meager years, I sold more land across the state than most other brokers. Before the real estate crash I was a land specialist in Arizona with millions of dollars of transactions, but then I had to change and also sell other commercial investment properties, which was fun, but I am a Commercial Landspecialist in Arizonal, a Commercial Land Specialist in Phoenix and love to sell land, one acre to thousands of acres.
Since I was a Land Specialist in Arizona and a Land Speciaost in Phoenix many of my clients, Sellers and Buyers remember me and now they are calling me again, so this is the time to get back into land and none of my clients, including future clients, will miss out on getting their best deal.
Also, if you are up-side down on your land, like many Americans, and the lender is giving you a hard time, now is the time to put your land on the market. Lenders are making deals now with short sales. I have been working with banks for many years – I learned how to work with them.
If you have any questions about the 1 to 3 above, about Commercial Investment Properties in Phoenix or Commercial Investment Properties in Arizona, I will gladly sit down with you and share my expertise and my professional opinion in Commercial Properties in Phoenix or Commercial Properties in Arizona with you.Obviously I am also in this to make money, but it could be a win-win situation for all of us.
Please reply by e-mail walterunger@ccim.net or call me 520-975-5207 (cell) 602-778-5110 (office direct).
Thank You
Walter
Walter Unger CCIM
Associate Broker
Kasten Long Commercial
2821 E. Camelback Road, Suite 600
Phoenix,AZ85016
Cell: 520-975-5207
Direct: 602-759-1202
Office : 602-445-4141
Fax: 602-445-4188
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