Q: How do you let go? I truly believe in empowering the right people, listening to them, and stepping aside to allow them to succeed. At what point in your amazing journey did you learn that you had to let go?

Jeff Hensley, United States

Q: We’ve been trying to find a way to improve communication with our customers, but neither our website nor our Facebook page is producing results. What would you suggest? – Billy Loaiza Rivera, Medellin, Colombia

I am incredibly lucky to be able to live in the British Virgin Islands, one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. My family’s home is on Necker Island, which is both our home and a luxury resort. Here, I’m much more likely to do my thinking in an office hammock rather than an office chair. This often sets my mind wandering as I contemplate the business of entrepreneurship.

For a long time, the terrible Space Shuttle Challenger disaster of 1986 appeared to have ended our dream of space flight’s ever expanding beyond the preserve of government-funded missions and a few highly trained explorers. 

I visit Africa often, and it is apparent that a “yes, we can” attitude is spreading across the continent, as awareness of its business and investment opportunities reaches around the globe.

Restructuring is a difficult process, right? It can be. Even if you’ve done everything right, sometimes you have to take your company in a new direction because circumstances and opportunities have changed. Companies aren’t future-proof – no company lasts forever.

De putin timp am devenit propriul meu sef, intrand in afacerea fratelui meu. Imi place aceasta experienta, dar nu stiu prin ce modalitate sa atrag atentia asupra businessului si sa castig increderea clientilor. Eu fac distinctie intre un om de afaceri (al carui unic scop sunt banii) si un antreprenor (al carui scop este acela de a crea ceva durabil) si de aceea as vrea sa aflu ce element sau ce de strategie credeti ca a contribuit la succesul de care va bucurati astazi. 

Calatoresc des in Africa si imi este din ce in ce mai evident ca o atitudine de genul “da, putem” se raspandeste pe intregul continent, in timp ce gradul de constientizare a oportunitatilor de investitii si de business existente acolo, face inconjurul lumii. Africanii au cu ce se mandri, inclusiv cu unele succese economice recente.

Pentru o lunga perioada, teribilul dezastru al navetei spatiale Challenger din 1986 parea sa fi pus capat pentru totdeauna visului nostru de a zbura in spatiu fara a depinde de misiunile finantate de guvern si de putinii astronauti profesionisti. 

„In fiecare companie in care am lucrat, mai devreme sau mai tarziu, se punea in discutie valoarea client service-ului: Care este randamentul investitiei? Nu cumva cheltuim prea mult cu rezolvarea reclamatiilor? Cum putem masura ca investitiile facute in serviciile pentru clienti nu sunt bani aruncati? In timp ce toata lumea este de parere ca departamentul serviciilor cu clientii este esential, nimeni nu vrea sa lucreze acolo. In aceste conditii, cum poate compania sa isi pastreze personalul motivat in a oferi un client service de calitate?”

Q: At every company where I have worked, sooner or later there are always discussions about the value of customer service: What is the return on investment? Do we spend too much money responding to complaints? How do we measure whether our investments in service affect our business?

Sa recunosti esecul si sa te repliezi imediat dupa ce ai comis greseli – acestea sunt abilitati esentiale oricarui antreprenor. Recent am primit mai multe intrebari de la cititorii revistei Entrepreneur si de pe forumul portalului American Express, care m-au determinat sa reflectez asupra felului in care am indreptat eu pasii gresiti facuti in cariera.

Recognizing failure and recovering from mistakes are essential skills for any entrepreneur. When I recently received several excellent questions from readers of Entrepreneur magazine and American Express Open Forum, it prompted me to reflect on how I’ve dealt with missteps in my own career.

In Australia, exista o prejudecata fatisa privind angajarea unor persoane in varsta. Intr-un articol de business, un consultant de recrutare declara recent ca el nici macar nu ia in considerare pentru angajare pe cineva trecut de 35 de ani. 

Q: In Australia there is often an overt bias against employing older workers. In a recent business magazine article, a recruitment consultant stated he doesn’t look at anybody over 35.

Fiecare lider de afaceri si antreprenor cu care ma intalnesc incearca sa descopere acelasi secret: “Cum isi poate creste baza de clienti si cum sa-i fidelizeze?” La Virgin, am avut parte de cateva povesti de succes de-a lungul anilor, dar si de cateva esecuri. Am cautat sa discern stereotipurile care au dus la realizari si din pasii gresiti pe care i-am facut, ca sa pot sa invat din ele.

Every entrepreneur and business leader I meet is trying to uncover the same secret: What will help them grow their customer base and keep those clients loyal? At Virgin, we have had our fair share of success stories over the years, but also a few failures. I always look for patterns in both our achievements and our missteps, and try to learn from them.

Q: What do you do if you have a 50-50 business partnership with a friend, but after 10 years, it no longer works?

Cineva din Australia mi-a ridicat urmatoarea problema: “Ce-ati face daca ati avea o participatie de 50% intr-un business impreuna cu un prieten si dupa zece ani ati constata ca afacerea nu merge? Eu unul nu vreau sa stric aceasta relatie de prietenie, dar afacerea e pe duca. Prietenul meu inca se asteapta sa particip cu cei 50% iar mie experienta imi spune ca situatia nu se va imbunatati. Care este punctul dv. de vedere si care ar putea fi solutia?”

Mesajul pe care l-am primit la un moment dat de la Marco, din Africa de Sud, pentru care ii si multumesc, suna cam asa: „In incercarea mea de a-mi mentine businessul pe picioare, am constatat ca e nevoie sa fiu foarte agresiv cu furnizorii si prestatorii de servicii”.