10 Beautiful Business Inspirational Quotes for a startup

Business Inspirational Quotes: This post is a consolidation of 10 beautiful business inspirational quotes for a startup. Each of these quotes touches upon a fragment of personality required to make a startup succeed.

Naturally no list is comprehensive when it comes to business inspirational quotes. It is further distributed into different segments as below. We will also go into the meaning of some of these quotes in the later stages of this article.

Business motivational quotes

  1. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
  2. The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
  3. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
  4. “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
  5. “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” – John D. Rockefeller
  6. “Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
  7. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney
  8. “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” – Chris Grosser
  9. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
  10. “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” – Vidal Sassoon

Success quotes for entrepreneurs

  1. “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” – Vidal Sassoon
  2. “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
  3. Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
  4. “Success is not in what you have, but who you are.” – Bo Bennett
  5. “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” – Colin R. Davis
  6. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
  7. “Success is not about how fast you can make it, but how long you can keep it.” – Ray Kroc
  8. “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
  9. “Success is not just about making money, it’s about making a difference.” – Unknown
  10. “Success is not measured by the position you reach in life, but by the obstacles you overcome.” – Booker T. Washington

Motivational quotes for startups

  1. “The best time to start was yesterday. The next best time is now.” – Unknown
  2. “Don’t worry about failure; you only have to be right once.” – Drew Houston, Dropbox Co-founder
  3. “Success is not about having the best idea; it’s about making the best idea happen.” – Unknown
  4. “Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
  5. “The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.” – Tony Robbins
  6. “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
  7. “Don’t be afraid to take a big step. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.” – David Lloyd George
  8. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney
  9. “Success is not for the faint of heart; it’s for those who dare to dream big and work tirelessly to achieve it.” – Unknown
  10. “Believe in your vision, even if you are the only one who can see it.” – Unknown

Quotes about perseverance and determination

  1. “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” – Newt Gingrich
  2. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pele
  3. “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot
  4. “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” – Albert Einstein
  5. “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” – Vince Lombardi
  6. “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier
  7. “Perseverance, secret of all triumphs.” – Victor Hugo
  8. “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe
  9. “Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.” – Julie Andrews
  10. “With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.” – Thomas Fowell Buxton

Business Inspirational Quotes for a startup

Business inspirational quotes can be powerful tools for startups, providing much-needed motivation and guidance on the entrepreneurial journey. These quotes from successful entrepreneurs and business leaders serve as reminders that challenges are opportunities, failures are stepping stones, and perseverance is key.

Quotes like “The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment” by Tony Robbins and “Don’t worry about failure; you only have to be right once” by Drew Houston instill the belief that success is attainable with dedication and a forward mindset. These quotes can inspire entrepreneurs to embrace innovation, take risks, and stay resilient in the face of adversity. With the right dose of inspiration, a startup can find the strength to overcome obstacles, nurture creativity, and pave the way to success.

Inspirational Quote: The importance of an idea

We often talk about the birth of a business through an inspirational idea. Sometimes, ideas are as simple as solving a problem. Sometimes, they take a lot of effort and complexity.

The quote immediately points towards the commitment towards an idea and seriousness towards it. I am sure most entrepreneurs have read about the startup success and the multitude of businesses Elon Musk has ventured into. If you are a young startup looking at some inspiration, here is a lovely quote from Elon Musk:

If something is important enough, even if the odds are stacked against you, you should still do it

Elon Musk

If something is important enough even if the odds are stacked against you you should still do it. – Elon Musk e1602070493975

Naturally as a startup – not everything works in your favour. It takes effort, time and commitment to get things moving. If you have an idea, sure you can keep thinking about why it cannot work.

But, great businesses and ideas need inspiration to perspire and make magic happen.


Business Quote: You have to work like crazy!

The business inspirational quotes are incomplete without something which kicks you in the back. Ideas rule the world – surely. But ideas alone cannot get you too far.

The idea needs to be converted into a tangible action and plan. Without that a business fails right at the start.

Everything takes effort. Particularly in a startup, the process seems never-ending. You will have to work through a lot of discouragement and doubters.

However:

You must be very patient, persistent. The world isn’t going to shower gold coins on you just because you have a good idea

good idea, good idea in a startup, phases of good idea into a startup, startup quotes, startup quotes good idea, good idea quotes, startup 101, startup lessons, startup advice
You must be very patient, very persistent. The world isnt going to shower gold coins on you just because you have a good idea. You’re going to have to work like crazy to bring that idea to the attention of people. They’re not going to buy it unless they know about it. Herb Kelleher, Founder of SouthWest Airlines

The key inspirational aspects of this quote are around hard work and perseverance. In addition, you’ve got to believe in your idea amidst the many others who don’t. Idea alone doesn’t get you far, but it sure can make things happen.


Business Inspirational Quotes: Chances of Failure and Success

Everyone loves success. Naturally, failure sucks and it is hard to not see light at the end of a horizon. But you can’t really own a startup or a business without risks.

If you are circumspect and don’t want to fail at all, you are setting yourselves for a failure. You have to strive to make things happen.

If you look at all the beautiful business successes around you – they have gone through hell to make magic.

I suppose great success doesn’t really come without a chance of failure. So what do you do to double your chance of success?

Zero chance of failure quote, zero chance of success quote, failure quotes, success quotes, fear quotes, perseverance quotes, startup quotes, inspirational quotes, motivational quotes, quote of the day, quote analysis, risk reward ratio, business risks, risk and reward potential, deciding to give up, zero chance of success, zero chance of failure, motivational quotes, inspirational quotes
If you have zero chance of failure, you usually also have zero chance of success – Startup Quotes

Inspirational Quote: Vision vs Money

What is your most important driver? You don’t need to start a business to make money. Of course, money is a great component of business.

But a business, is much more than profits. It is about giving birth to an idea and taking it beyond limitations of your mind.

If you are deeply concerned about the money, business certainly is a great place, but not as a founder. A founder needs something more sustainable and empowering than money.

If you are looking for more inspiration, do look at this lovely quote:

chase the vision, startup 101, startup advice, entrepreneurship advice, business, chase the money in a startup, passion in startup, startup quotes, startup inspiration, inspiration, motivation startup, balance startup, focus in startup, chase the vision not the money quote, chase the vision quote, startup vision quote
Chase the vision, not the money; the money will end up following you- Startup quotes

Business Inspirational Quotes: Focus on what you can do

Normally when we do a risk analysis, the focus on what’s not possible is high. If you are in the startup world, this list is normally huge.

If you are worried about this list, it only keeps getting bigger. But, the beauty in the business world is that this list also changes. Sometimes many items vanish because you found a different way to solve a problem.

Sure, you can lament and worry about why things will not work for you. But if you decide to focus on things that demotivate you, there is very little distance you can cover.

If you want to make things happen, you will need to push your motivation to focus on why you can do something.

focus on not doing something, startup focus, focus in startup, where to focus as startup, startup niche market focus, startup advice, horizontal market, vertical market, horizontal vs vertical market, horizontal market vs vertical market, startup quotes, startup lessons, inspirational quotes startup, motivational quotes startup, startup inspiration, entrepreneurship inspiration, quote of the day, inspirational quotes, motivational quotes, startup questions, trying to do everything
You shouldn’t focus on why you can’t do something, which is what most people do – Steve Case, Startup Quotes

Startup Perseverance: You’ve got to keep going

What;s the most important thing in a business? People often say – reserves, cash, inspirational leaders and so on.

One of my favorites is about perseverance. Most people talk about this in a light note, and sometimes a cliche too. But nothing ever gets complete without that.

There will always be things that bring us down. But we got to keep our heads down and keep going.

overnight success, timing perseverance and hard work quote, overnight success quote, startup lessons, startup advice
How to achieve overnight success in a startup

Business Motivation: Getting something Done

Business inspirational quotes are all about getting things done. No one cares about an idea or how bad your day is going.

This is a business world. People will only look at you and ask for the results. If you are unable to deliver, you are immediately out of business.

I know this sounds harsh. But such is business isn’t it? We cannot really afford to hide behind reasons. The WHY is always available and easy. But it is not complete. Not with the different goals you want to achieve and create a magnificent success.

startup quotes, startup inspiration, startup motivation, getting off your butt and doing something, inspirational quotes, motivational quotes
The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something!

Business Quote: Near Term Vs Long Term

This is a constant bone of contention for a startup in particular. Do you focus on immediate growth or a long term strategic move?

The correct answer is unfortunately both most times. A startup needs to survive and near term growth is crucial for that. In fact, the very same is true for any small business in general.

However, you cannot lose sight of the overarching goal. What is the business supposed to be doing?

You cannot win both the games at the same time. As a small reminder, here is a lovely quote on near term growth vs longevity of a business.

focus on near term growth, covid crisis, business uncertainty strategy, business strategy cost cutting, reducing costs in business, long term vision, short term decisions
If you focus on near term growth, you miss the most important question – Will this business still be around a decade from now? – Peter Thiel

Paying Good Salary

Naturally a constant difficulty. If you want the best talent, it is not cheap. People need to be motivated. Some are motivated by a vision and some by money. Majority of the time, these two act together as a combination.

However, you cannot afford to be penny pinching. If you are unwilling to reward good employees, they will find a way to leave. And if they are really good, they are not short of options.

For a startup, it is doubly difficult because you are looking at funds which don’t exist.

But you can always focus on using your shares creatively and creating a dedicated share pot for key employees.

good wages, robert bosch wages quote, startup quotes, short term vs long term, pay hikes, increased pay, collaboration in companies, price of trust, cost of trust, trust in team building, ceding control in management, taking advantage of a situation, long term view, not just about the money, trust in organisations
I don’t pay good wages because I have a lot of money, I have a lot of money because I pay good wages – Robert Bosch

Business Inspirational Quotes: Small Goals

This is perhaps the best one to sum it all. Businesses are about aspirations, goals and strategies.

You can create small, easy goals and achieve success almost every time. The question is – are you going far enough. The beauty of a business is in surprising everyone including its founders. It can create an extraordinary and resounding success.

You cannot be looking at small goals of survival, the vision is beyond that. These business inspirational quotes are not just about doing just enough. They are about taking it a notch beyond, to see what you are really capable of.

greater danger for most of us michelangelo, michelangelo quote, startup quotes, danger in not setting the goal too high, setting goal too high quote, inspirational quotes startup, motivational quotes startup, startup inspiration, entrepreneurship inspiration, quote of the day, inspirational quotes, motivational quotes
The greater danger for most of us lies in not setting our aim too high and falling short , but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark – Michelangelo

With this I leave you with the top 10 business inspirational quotes. I am sure to have missed some of your favorites, please let me know yours below. It will be a delight to add more into this list.


Discover more from Inspire99

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Vinay Nagaraju

Product Director with 10+ years in leadership roles - team building, product strategy, coaching and mentoring are a part of my everyday responsibilities. I write about motivational words that inspire us and shape our thinking and help us go beyond these thoughts to find what our minds are telling us and evolve.

This Post Has One Comment

All we need is a spark to engage a fantastic conversation, please leave your thoughts to inspire our readers

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.