18 Entrepreneurs Share Their Best Business Quote

André Gide wrote that,”Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.” Quotes are an important part of motivation, though many of them are repeats of another turn of phrase. Business owners are particularly partial to famous quotations. Reading a motivational speech from a business legend or famous creative mind can give you a spark. It doesn’t matter if it has been said before and repeated numerous times, quotes can give you the fire you need to be a better entrepreneur or learn how to handle a difficult situation. Below are some of those quotes sent in by entrepreneurs throughout the country.

#1- Success is the child of drudgery and perseverance. It cannot be coaxed or bribed; pay the price and it is yours

I like Success is the child of drudgery and perseverance. It cannot be coaxed or bribed; pay the price and it is yours. from Orison Swett Marden. I have met too many people who expect near instant success in business just because they're starting it online. They see the hype and believe it. Reality hits most people quickly. If you go into business expecting that you will have to work hard, that success is not guaranteed, you're more likely to work hard enough to make things happen

Thanks toStephanie Foster, Home With The Kids 

#2 – Defiance is the Key

Don't tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon. – Unknown. I love this quote because it reminds me that everyone has an opinion and believes that they know what's best. This isn't always the case. It's a reminder that sometimes it's those people that have a strong desire that is rooted in a strong mission that show the naysayers that they are wrong. I've come across it a lot in my life, and it is fuel.

Thanks to Gresham Harkless, Blue 16 Media

#3- Two of the Best Quotes

Here are the absolute two best business quotes: (1) You can't kiss their ass over a computer. – Robert Barrows. For an explanation…See your clients in person. Call them, don't just email them. If you don't see them in person and talk to them in person, someone else will and you may lose that account because You can't kiss their ass over a computer. (2) If you don't schmooze, you lose. -Robert Barrows

Thanks to Robert Barrows,  R.M. Barrows Advertising & Public Relations 

#4- Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right

Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right – Henry Ford .This is one of my favorite go to quotes when I'm fearful or anxious about a challenge in my business. It's a testament to how a little confidence can go a long way. Often times, overcoming hardship is a matter of the mind. If you approach an obstacle feeling defeated, full of negativity, then you may be met with defeat. But with a mountain of hard work, a load of confidence, and a little positivity, success may not be far off.

Thanks to Valerie Mayen, Yellowcakeshop

#5- Being different is more important than being better

My best business quote is *Being different is more important than being better*. I first heard this quote from Jennifer Kem and I instantly fell in love. Too often we compare ourselves to others instead of focusing on what makes us unique, but it's that uniqueness that will help us stand out. So instead of trying to outdo our competition, we should look at them, study them and see how we can provide something that they cannot and truly wow our target audience.

Thanks to Carla Williams Johnson, Carli Communications

6- Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity (anonymous)

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity (anonymous). Why: I love this quote because it is all about being ready to anticipate future needs so when opportunity shows up you won't need to rely on something as volatile as luck. In fact, everyone is responsible to generate his/her own luck by getting ready and being the best version of person & professional they can be. In my experience, to be an entrepreneur is basically to look after opportunities all the time and not waiting for them to come knock on the door.

Thanks to Marcelo Lopez, UruIT 

#7- Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world

My favorite business quote is “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” by Archimedes. As an entrepreneur, I’m wired to think I can do anything if I try hard enough, and this quote reminds me that given the right tools anything is possible.

Thanks to Arram Sabeti, ZeroCater 

#8-  An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail

An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail. —Edwin Land. I love this quote because in business, as in product and service design, we need to accept that failure is always an option. The only real failures are to not learn from our failures or never to fail at all. If we never fail, we are not trying hard enough and pushing the envelope far enough to create new opportunities.

Thanks to Michael Calleia, Humanist

#9- I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it

I often find people have unrealistic ideas of what entrepreneurship is or what is should be. In reality, entrepreneurship is more than working remotely from the beach and watching your bottom line increase. Yes, a successful entrepreneur has the freedom to choose what they want to do, and when, but they only achieve this by putting in hard work. Nothing great happens by chance, which is why one of my favorite quotes is “I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” It has been variously attributed to Thomas Jefferson, Coleman Cox, Henry Ford and Samuel Goldwyn. This quote sums up my experience of entrepreneurship. If I keep working at it, good things always happen whether I find a four-leaf clover or not.

Thanks to Sarah Tourville, Media Frenzy Global

#10- Change before you have to

Change before you have to- Jack Welch. This quote has been a guiding principal for our content marketing agency since the early days. It doesn't mean you should constantly be looking for things to change. Rather, you should listen closely to your target market to better understand their challenges–and look for ways to evolve in order to better meet those needs. For example, we started out as a content production shop, but soon realized that our clients struggled to prove the ROI of their content marketing–so it was vital for us to develop a core competency in analytics. Today, the fact that we focus on metrics is one of our key selling points.

Thanks to Anna Wolf, SuperScript Marketing

#11- Anything that is measured and watched, improves

‘Anything that is measured and watched, improves.' – GoDaddy's Bob Parsons*  Metrics are key to our success – we don't make any changes without A/B testing them thoroughly first. It's one thing to have a sense that something is a good idea – whether it's a new site design, a CTA button or a piece of copy. You won't really know for sure until you test it. Plus it's much easier to sell other stakeholders on a new idea when you've got the numbers to back it up. And if the idea falls flat? That's important information to know too.

Thanks to MarcJohnston-Roche Annuities HQ

#12- Money is like your shadow; if you run after it, it runs away from you. But if you start running, it will run with you

This is a great quote about how money and business relate to one another. Money is like your shadow; if you run after it, it runs away from you. But if you start running, it will run with you.

Thanks to Kyle Mani, OWDT

#13- Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts

As the founder of a startup, entrepreneurship has taught me more than I could have ever imagined. Entrepreneurship has been the biggest push to stop making excuses and see what I'm made of; a journey of innovation and self-awareness. Like in daily life, I could have easily used a laundry list of excuses to hide behind fear and failure. But as Winston Churchill said, *Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts. *That feeling of knowing that you can make a difference in the lives of others or created something truly innovative should be the driver of pushing your fear aside and pursuing your dream. Entrepreneurship is my personal Everest; you're never fully prepared, but how fulfilling as you eventually make your way up in elevation.

Thanks to Oli Russell-Cowan, Rad Season

#14- Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning

My favorite business quote is by Bill Gates – “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning”. I personally read every bit of feedback left by our clients. At Taxes For Expats, we pride ourselves on never settling and continually improving our service. Many of our enhancements over the past decade, especially from the user experience and customer interface standpoint, have come from client feedback. In such a consumer driven business, our relationships are the most important facet of our business. We garner feedback from internal teams, our customers and staff. It is the lifeline for improvement and progress. Without feedback we wouldn't be the market leader and continuing to innovate and provide a trusted solution for our customers around the globe.

Thanks to Ines Zemelman, Taxes For Expats

#15- Effort is grossly underrated

Effort is grossly underrated – Gary Vaynerchuk. In today's entrepreneurial environment, people are always looking for the easy way to do things. How to scale email marketing with bulk pushes, what software to use to replace a human or reduce time, etc. Unfortunately, many times you just can't scale the important things in business. Most don't want to put in the effort and want success and results immediately.

Thanks to Gabe Lumby, Cash Cow Couple

#16-  Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful

My favorite business quote right now is by Warren Buffett. Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful. This is particularly relevant right now with the housing market overheating and as Warren would instruct us now is the time to be fearful. Same could be said for many technology stocks and other investments that I've enjoyed an eight year bull run.

Thanks to Bryan Clayton, GreenPal 

#17- If you don't see yourself as a winner you can't perform as a winner

I have been very blessed in life to have had a successful career with a huge corporation, then winning $50 million dollars in the Florida Lottery and now in this phase of my life I am working harder than ever to build a solid brand, leave a legacy and give back to my community and my family. The quote that continues to push me to the next level is: If you don't see yourself as a winner you can't perform as a winner. – Zig Ziglar

Thanks to Miguel Pilgram, CEO, Pilgram Group

#18-  Passion will get you moving. Strategy will get you there

Passion will get you moving. Strategy will get you there- (Unknown). I believe passion and strategy are both crucial. Passion helps you to keep going and to get other people to believe in you at any time. When I started, I was really passionate, but because I had no strategy I was all over the place. On the other hand, strategy is crucial because it channels the passion and energy into achievable and tangible results. However, strategy without passion is like having a map towards a destination you hate. This is why I believe that combining passion and strategy is the key for a successful and sustainable business.

Thanks to Simone Vincenzi, GTeX

What is your best business quote? Tell us in the comments below