20 Will Rogers Quotes That Apply to Business
Will Rogers was a stage and film actor. He was also a cowboy, a newspaper columnist, a social commentator, and a vaudeville performer. Rogers was born on November 4, 1879, in Oologah, Oklahoma. As this was a Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory, he was a Cherokee citizen. During his lifetime, he made many quotable statements, and these quotes are still used in a variety of situations. Here are 20 Will Rogers quotes that apply to business.
20. On Taking Care of Your Finances
“The time to save is now. When a dog gets a bone, he doesn’t go out and make a down payment on a bigger bone. He buries the one he has got.”
This Will Rogers quote listed by Brainy Quote is all about the importance of taking care of the finances. Don’t get yourself into any more debt than necessary when starting out, or you will only have more to pay back. This means that it will take longer to get your business into profit.
19. On Working Your Way Through the Hard Times
“The best way out of a difficulty is through it.”
Almost everyone in a business will experience highs and lows rather than continuing at a steady pace. When you hit the difficult times, it may feel hard to carry on as you lose motivation and fear failure. At these times, you will need to keep going no matter what happens. It is only by continuing to move forward that you will get through the hard times and come out on the other side. It is possible that there are good things waiting ahead.
18. On Always Doing Your Best
“I am always going to do my best, no matter where I am.”
Listed by A to Z Quotes, this Will Rogers quote is about trying your best at all times. It takes a lot of effort to launch a business, so you will need to try your hardest from the start. Once the business is up and running, you must continue to put in your best effort to keep the business going and to take it to the next level. Even when you reach the height of success, you must continue to try your best at all times to make sure your business does not deteriorate.
17. On Taking Control of Your Own Destiny
“If you want to be successful, it’s just this simple. Know what you are doing, love what you are doing, and believe in what you are doing.”
There is only one person who is responsible for whether you become a success or not, and that person is you. It is up to you to decide what you want from life and to take steps to make sure you achieve your dreams. The first step is to know what you want in life and how you are going to get there. The second step is to take a route about which you feel passionate so that you remain motivated. Finally, you need to have some self-belief that you can do it, and this will have the knock-on effect of making other people believe that you are capable of becoming successful.
16. On Having Passion for Your Work
“If you find the right job, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
In this Will Rogers quote, he is not suggesting that you will not need to work. He is suggesting that you will not feel like you are working if you enjoy your job. Having a passion for the things you do will keep you motivated. It also means that you are more likely to complete each task to the best of your ability, which increases your chances of success.
15. On Learning from Other People
“A man only learns by two things; one is reading and the other is association with smarter people.”
Continuing to learn is vital, and it is your responsibility to give yourself opportunities to learn. There are many ways you can do this, including reading, attending courses, or learning from your own experience. Another way that you can learn is from the experiences of other people. You should not dismiss the potential benefits of other people’s skills, knowledge, and experience. Even those who work below you may have skills and knowledge you do not possess, and this is something that you can use to your advantage.
14. On Taking Risks
“Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is.”
In many situations, you should avoid risk as this could potentially harm your business. On the other hand, sometimes it is worth taking a calculated risk to achieve greatness. Those who are unwilling to take risks will not stand out from the competition and achieve great things. It is those who are courageous enough to weigh up the risks and benefits and then take the risk that will achieve greater things than the average person.
13. On Not Trying to Please Everyone
“There is one guaranteed formula for failure, and that is to try and please everyone.”
Everyone has different opinions, and many are not afraid to share their thoughts with others. While someone else’s opinions are beneficial occasionally, it is more likely that listening to the opinions of others will do more harm than good. Stick to your beliefs and stand by your decisions. Other people giving unwanted opinions can delay your progress, make you doubt your own decisions, and prevent you from becoming successful.
12. On Not Wasting Time on the Past
“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.”
Sometimes, your past can play an important role in shaping your future. You can use your past experiences and mistakes to make sure you make the right decisions. However, the past is only useful if you are using it to your advantage to improve your future. If you are simply dwelling on past events and worrying about poor decisions you have made previously, then you are wasting time that you could use to find ways to make improvements to your business in the future.
11. On Drawing Positives from Negatives
“The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you if you don’t let it get the best of you.”
Even the most successful businesspeople make bad decisions or mistakes. It is not the mistakes you make that matter, but what you do following making the mistake. If you let your mistakes hold you back and prevent you from becoming successful, then you have allowed a simple mistake to destroy your future and to prevent you from reaching your full potential. Instead, you need to turn things around so that the negative becomes a positive. Use your mistakes as a learning experience so that you will do things differently in the future.
10. On Continuing to Move Forward
“Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.”
Even when things are going well in your business, you should not become too complacent as this can all change at the drop of a hat. Make sure you stay on the ball and prepare for every eventuality. This will reduce the likelihood of you being caught unawares. Similarly, sitting back and relaxing will give your competition to overtake you.
9. On Getting Yourself Out of Bad Situations
“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing is to stop digging.”
Sometimes, you may hit a low point or face a challenge in your business. Instead of continuing to behave in the same way and make matters worse, it is vital that you stop what you are doing, assess the situation, and work out why things have gone wrong. By identifying the cause of the issue, you can then work towards finding the solutions.
8. On Making Plans
“A vision without a plan is just a hallucination.”
Having a vision is what will inspire you to start a business but thinking of ideas alone is not enough. You need to take action, and to put a plan in place. Otherwise, you are simply sitting on your dreams and you will not make any progress to achieving your dreams. Set yourself a combination of both short-term and long-term goals to help you progress.
7. On Letting the Quality of Products or Services Speak for Themselves
“If advertisers spent the same amount of money on improving their products as they do on advertising, then they wouldn’t need to advertise them.”
This Will Rogers quote is listed by Successories. Although it is important to advertise your products and services, you will need less money to do so if you are offering a quality product or service. If this is the case, your products and services will speak for themselves. This will save you time and reduce your marketing budget.
6. On Using Your Time Well
“The greatest loss of time is delay and expectation.”
One of the most important resources of any business is time, but it is essential that your time is used well as it is a precious commodity. Any wasted time is something you will not get back. Planning ahead can help you to use your time effectively.
5. On the Importance of Change
“We changed with the times, so we can’t blame the children for just joining the times without even having to change.”
Change is something that will continue to happen over time, so it is important that you can embrace change. It is also essential that you can help others in your team to realize the potential benefits of change. Putting changes in place can simplify processes and make things run more efficiently.
4. On Using Your Experience to Your Advantage
“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”
Throughout life, you are on a continuous journey of learning. You will gain a lot of experience in various areas, and part of this experience will involve making bad decisions and mistakes. Without gaining the experience of making bad decisions, you will not have the experience to understand how to make the right decisions.
3. On Learning from Your Mistakes
“There are three kinds of men. The one who learns from reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
Often, people see making mistakes as something bad. However, in both business and in life, your mistakes are something that you can use to your advantage. It is just as much a part of the learning process as learning from books or through observation. Many people find that making mistakes and learning from experience is something that helps them to become successful.
2. On Expanding a Business
“If you can build a business big enough, it’s respectable.”
Small businesses can often go unnoticed, so most people will try to expand the business at some point. This does not necessarily mean you should aim to become an international conglomerate. Growth is a sign of your success, but this can include even small expansions. For example, you may need to employ an extra member of staff, find larger premises, or extend the products and services you offer. Any level of growth is something that is worthy of respect.
1. On Using Adversity to Your Advantage
“Nothing makes a man broad-minded like adversity.”
According to Awaken the Greatness Within, this is one of the best Will Rogers quotes that apply to business. Although it is wonderful if everything runs smoothly in a business, it is unlikely that you will never encounter problems along the way. However, encountering adversity is character-building and can help you to make your business better and stronger.
