Screw Business As Usual review 2
- By Dinah Liversidge -
- Nov 17, 2011
From the moment I read the summary on the back cover I was excited about Screw Business as Usual, Richard Branson’s latest book. I was asked to review the book as a regular Virgin guest blogger and was thrilled at the prospect. Richard Branson has been an inspiration to me in life and in business and his ethical authentic approach has inspired the way I do business. So it was no surprise that, the moment the book arrived I settled down to read it and did so for four hours.
As the owner of two small businesses and a non-executive director in two others, I often hear the frustrations of entrepreneurs. They talk about the current climate, the financial crisis and the challenges of running their businesses. They talk about how frustrated they are by the banks and the rising costs of maintaining a credible, ethical business. The one thing they have in common is that they are not prepared to compromise on their values; they have built reputations within their communities, based on their commitment to excellence and integrity.
Screw Business as Usual is packed with real examples of ethical business in practice; from the smallest to the largest – across all the sectors, there are successful, profitable businesses who are adopting a new type of capitalism Richard Branson calls it ‘Capitalism 24902’ (you’ll have to read the book to find out why!) a brilliant concept that turns the idea of evil-capitalism on its head and gives successful entrepreneurs a mission for their millions.
The passion Branson has for philanthropy has always been apparent, and when he recounts a story about himself as a young man, giving the clothes off his back to a homeless man in the street, I started to see the real drive behind it for the first time. Here is a man who really believes he can change the world. More than that, he believes the world is ready to embrace that change. He believes each of us can play an integral – and profitable – part in that change. His passion, expressed eloquently in the telling of so many success stories in Screw Business as Usual, is infectious and reassuring.
If this hugely successful man can see the possibilities of a true shift in our approach to each other, in true realisation of a global community, doing business that benefits all and ensures the resources are used responsibly for future generations, then there is a startling possibility. Those aspirations so many business owners have, those ideals and values they work so hard to include in the way they deliver and surpass expectations – they are not so crazy after all.
I am inspired and motivated after reading Screw Business as Usual; I am ready to take action, and take it now.
Read another Screw Business As Usual review
By Dinah Liversidge. Blogs at dinahliversidge.com and tweets at @DinahLiversidge
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