25 Best Business Quotes to Motivate and Inspire Entrepreneurs

Posted: June 1, 2021 | Last updated: April 4, 2024

Starting a business is tough, and it’s even more challenging to keep your business in the mainstream. To keep growing, we need inspiration. Either it’s advice from our closest friends or powerful business quotes from influential people. 

Any small or big business owner knows that entrepreneurship comes with successes and failures. One may succeed in just a few years of venturing while some keep on failing even after multiple trial-and-errors. When your business is constantly on the low point, it helps to read some motivational quotes from influential business owners. Like you, they’ve also started from zero and had their fair share of highs and lows.

You may be wondering, “what are the best business quotes for startups and big brands?” To all entrepreneurs out there, here are 25 business quotes in 2021 that are worth reading, reflecting on, and applying to your venture. 

Determination and Hardwork

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

We must always be humbled by our success, and never give up whenever we fail. Running a business is like taking a never-ending challenge. But if we have the courage to go on and do better, we’ll always achieve our goals and objectives. 

“Every problem is a gift—without problems, we would not grow.” – Anthony Robbins, Author of Awaken the Giant Within

Problems are inevitable, but we can always get out of them if we know how to face them. For example, if you’re hesitant to start a business because of financial matters, you may ask support from venture capitalists or get a loan. Just keep in mind that every problem has a solution. They help us grow and become the best business owners in our industry.   

“There’s no shortage of remarkable ideas, what’s missing is the will to execute them.” – Seth Godin, Author of Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

We all have ideas, but not everyone has the guts to execute them. Ideas aren’t meant to be kept in the mind. You’ll never know when you can make a huge difference just because you’ve followed your guts and brought your ideas to life. If you’re hesitant that your concept might bring damage to your business, just know that your business will never grow if you’re always afraid to try. 

“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” – Theodore Roosevelt, 26th U.S. President

Just like studying late at night for your exams, you work hard on your business because you know it’s worth it in the end. When you love what you’re doing, it seems like you’re not working at all. Not everyone gets the chance to work hard at something worth doing, so if you do, don’t waste it and soar higher. 

Do you want to grow your business? Read this Pukket review. 

“The real test is not whether you avoid this failure because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.” – Barack Obama, 44th U.S. President

As mentioned earlier, problems are inescapable. They’re always on the other side of the road. When you face failures, it all boils down to your mindset and attitude—how you handle the situation and find solutions. The best thing about problems is that they give you the greatest life lessons, so you should never escape them and come back stronger instead. 

Customer Service

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft

It’s challenging to make your customers happy and satisfied. However, you should never get discouraged by unhappy customers. Whenever you receive bad feedback, accept them and reflect on them. List down all the negative reviews you’ve received, address the necessary ones, and figure out how to serve your customers better. 

“Wonder what your customer really wants? Ask. Don’t tell.” – Lisa Stone, CEO and Co-founder of BlogHer

The best judge of your business is your customers. They know what’s hot and what’s not. They know exactly what they need. To better serve your customers, you should always engage with them. You may create a community on Facebook or send them a newsletter asking for their feedback. It’s never a bad thing to ask—it’s the best way to learn and connect deeply with your customers. 

“There is only one boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company, from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” – Sam Walton, Founder of Walmart

Seeing your customer shift to your competitors is one of the darkest moments in an entrepreneur’s life. Your customer is one of the backbones of your business, and you must serve them efficiently. If you want to establish brand loyalty, you should make your customers feel valued and appreciated. 

“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO and Founder of Amazon

Surely, Bezos is talking about brand image. Word-of-mouth is still the strongest form of marketing, and every business should strive to have a good reputation in their respective industries. 

Motivation

“Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” Golda Meir, Former Prime Minister of Israel

Again, this is all about guts and your flaming desire to succeed. If you feel like doing something, do it. If you have ideas running around in your head, execute them. Even the tiniest hope can turn into a huge success if you believe in yourself and your business. 

“Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you.” – Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos

We may become blinded by money when our brand starts to grow. However, this isn’t a healthy business practice. Money can make you greedy and desperate for sales. Always stick to your vision. After all, a vision is what makes a business—it’s your business image and reputation. When you’re honest with your vision, money will come to you effortlessly. 

“Get five or six of your smartest friends in a room and ask them to rate your idea.” – Mark Pincus, CEO of Zynga

You may like to think that you’re the best business-minded person on Earth. However, brilliant ideas come from multiple people. Before you start your venture, get advice from your smartest friends. It would be beneficial if you have friends who are already running their own businesses. Just spill out all your ideas and accept constructive criticisms from knowledgeable people. 

You may also collaborate with agencies to help you sort out the best business ideas. Read the “20 Best Digital Marketing Agencies and Firms in 2021” to get started. 

Success

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” – Conrad Hilton, Founder of Hilton Hotels Chain

Just as words are better proven with actions, success comes when you keep on moving. You might have listed down all your goals but they mean nothing when you don’t do them. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, be afraid to quit. Winners didn’t take an easy path while growing their business—they faced their mistakes, learned from them, and worked hard to correct them. 

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer, Religious Philosopher and Founder of Schweitzer Hospital

As mentioned above, doing what you love is the best prize anyone can have in a venture. If you’re happy with your business, it will succeed no matter the circumstances and downfalls.

“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him.” – David Brinkley, Former Newscaster for NBC and ABC

This line from Brinkley is one of our favorite successful business quotes. It’s not only applicable to business but also to our everyday life. Did you ever receive feedback about how your business can never succeed because it lacks the “it” factor? Find your strength, trust your ideas, and get ahead of your competitors.

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison, Inventor of the Phonograph and Motion Picture Camera

Did you ever regret something because you didn’t fight for it and easily gave up? As mentioned above, running a business isn’t easy. We face highs and lows, we make bad decisions. The greatest failure one can ever make is not believing in their dreams. If you don’t succeed at first, try again. Keep on trying as long as it’s worth it. 

“The secret to success is to know something nobody else knows.” – Aristotle Onassis, Founder of Olympic Airways

You don’t always have to stick with the norm. You can be unique and still succeed. Sometimes, the most remarkable business owners are the ones who are different in their own rights. They keep up with the trend, but they do it in a more creative, unique way. 

Teamwork and Willingness to Learn

“If you are willing to work hard and ask lots of questions, you can learn business pretty fast.” – Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple

Running a business is like studying—you constantly need to ask questions. Learning doesn’t come from personal experience alone, you also need to know other people’s experiences. Even the business expert Steve Jobs kept on asking questions and working hard to grow his business. 

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan, Former Professional Basketball Player

Speaking about learning and asking questions, cooperation from your team can leverage your business. When it comes to brainstorming, launching a new product, or coming up with a new strategy, you should always include your team in the discussion. It’s a surefire way to win success and get the best possible results. 

If your team needs an analytics tool to track your campaigns and measure success, read this RedLotus Influencer Marketing review.

“Serve, don’t lead.” – Kobe Bryant, Former Professional Basketball Player

As a good business owner, you must learn how to serve—not just your customers but even your employees. Eventually, a good leader knows how to follow and listen to other people’s opinions. 

Marketing and Innovation

“Business has only two functions—marketing and innovation.” – Peter Drucker, Author of Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices

Business isn’t business if you’re not capitalizing on marketing and innovation. Your team should come up with good marketing strategies and constantly find ways to make your products more appealing. If you’re afraid that you’ll lose customers when you innovate, try to make a market study and see if it’s the right time to launch new concepts. 

“Paying attention to simple little things that most men neglect makes a few men rich.” – Henry Ford, Founder of Ford Motor Company

Ford is known to have the best car models in the industry. They’re pioneers of new technology and have always been at the forefront of innovation. Now, you know their secret—they pay attention to simple little things and turn them into sophisticated ideas that most businessmen would neglect in their venture. 

“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” – John Wayne, Famous American Actor

Always do what you’re afraid to do. We all face failures, setbacks, and disappointments. However, life goes on. As long as your business has a few loyal customers, you still have reasons to try and give your best services. 

“Advertising is only evil when it advertises evil things.” – David Ogilvy, Founder of Ogilvy & Mather

Advertising isn’t evil, but it’s sometimes out of control. As an entrepreneur, you must evaluate your motives before releasing an advertisement. Always validate your customer’s emotions as they’re the ones who will buy your products. On the other hand, customers must also respect a brand and avoid spreading false accusations against them.   

“Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.” – Zig Ziglar, Author of See You at the Top

This is ultimately the best mindset an entrepreneur should have. When starting a venture, it’s good to expect the best. However, we mustn’t forget about the bad things that can happen. What’s important is we’re prepared for everything and work on the present situation rather than complaining because our goals didn’t work as planned.

Key Takeaways

 

Business quotes are essential to opening an entrepreneur’s mind and eyes. They help us understand truths and accept reality. If you’re feeling down, you can read the best business quotes 2021 above to improve your mood. You may ask, “what is the most powerful quote?” It depends on your perspective and business status. 

Now, if you took inspiration from our business quotes, it’s probably time to start applying them in a time of crisis. To learn more, check out our article “COVID-19 Age: How Influencer Marketing Changed During The Pandemic.”