Richard Branson – Virgin’S Versatile Visionary

Intermediate Richard Branson – Virgin’s versatile visionary

Branson is the 4th richest citizen of the United Kingdom, according to the Forbes 2011 list of billionaires. His public image shows him a warm, friendly, idealistic, family man. He is also a workaholic who considers himself a tough negotiator in business dealings. Many entrepreneurs make their fortunes by focusing on doing one thing extremely well. However, Branson has used his own basic business model in various fields, making him a highly successful and versatile businessman.

He was born in 1950 in London and started his business career with the “Student” magazine aged 16. In 1970 he founded Virgin as a mail order record business, opened a record shop in Oxford Street, London, called Virgin Records. The name "Virgin" indicated that they were all new at business. In 1972 he built a recording studio in Oxfordshire where the first Virgin artist, Mike Oldfield, recorded the 'Tubular Bells' album. In 1977 he signed the Sex Pistols and other bands including Culture Club and the Rolling Stones, helping to make Virgin Records one of the top six record companies in the world. In 1992, to keep his airline company afloat, Branson sold Virgin Records to EMI for £500 million.

Branson formed Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1984. Virgin Atlantic uses a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing jets and operates between the United Kingdom and North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia from its bases at Gatwick and Heathrow airports. In 2011 Virgin Atlantic carried 5.3 million passengers, making it the eighth largest UK airline in terms of passenger volume.

In 2004 he added another business to his Virgin empire under the name Virgin Galactic. Its goal is to carry passengers on suborbital space flights. The technology used in the spaceplane Spaceship One is partly funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

Richard Branson’s key ingredient to success is his commitment to his employees. He believes in promoting from within the company, by providing career opportunities to his staff. Even in tough economic times, there are no layoffs at Virgin despite employing over twenty thousand people. He was voted the most popular businessman in the United Kingdom, among others, because he is involved in charity foundations and humanitarian work including AIDS research and help for unemployed young people.

Vital Vocab 4th richest citizen – according to the Forbes list – tough negotiator – entrepreneur – fortune – do one thing extremely well –

1 in various fields – a highly successful and versatile businessman – business career – found a mail order record business – record an album – to sign a band – keep a company afloat – fleet – carry passengers – passenger volume – Virgin empire – spaceplane – partly funded by the co-founder of Microsoft – key ingredient to success – commitment to his employees – promoting from within the company – provide career opportunities – staff – tough economic times – layoff – the most popular businessman – charity foundations – unemployed young people –

True or false? Add the correct answer where necessary

1. True / False: Mike Oldfield is a pilot with Virgin Atlantic Airways. ______2. True / False: Branson became an entrepreneur when he sold Virgin Records. ______3. True / False: Versatile means that Branson only concentrated on one business field. ______4. True / False: A tough negotiator does not easily accepts the offer of the other party. ______5. True / False: Gatwick is a famous railway station. ______6. True / False: Virgin Galactic is already flying passengers to the Middle East. ______

7. True / False: He is committed to his employees, but this is just a minor factor in achieving success. ______8. True / False: Charity organization develop new technologies for spaceplanes. ______9. True / False: If someone is laid off, they lost their job. ______10. True / False: An Airbus is the name of the shuttle bus that takes you from the terminal to the airplane on the runway. ______

Match the phrases to describe Branson

English English Translation 1. tough a. another business to his empire 2. family b. to his employees 3. successful c. man 4. versatile d. in charity work 5. keep e. the company afloat 6. add f. entrepreneur 7. committed g. negotiator 8. involved h. businessman

Make full sentences from the given parts

1. career / start / Branson’s / “Student” magazine ______2. extremely well / make / can / if / do / a fortune / one thing / ______3. basic / using / successful / made / his business model / Branson / versatile / and ______4. at business / they / come from / name / “Virgin” / idea / be new / because / that / ______5. sold / his airline company / Virgin Music / Branson / keep / afloat ______6. formed / Virgin Atlantic Airlines / 1984 ______7. Virgin Atlantic / based on / eight / passenger volume / UK airline / large ______8. / latest / empire / member / Virgin Galactic / Branson’s / ______

9. people / more / employ / Virgin / than / twenty thousand ______10. voted / Branson / popular / businessman / most / in UK ______

Match the synonyms

1. unemployed a. keep a company running 1 -

2. according to b. has many sides, good in many fields 3. versatile c. person who discusses and closes business deals 4. keep a company afloat d. different areas of business

5. sign a band e. based on

6. fleet f. most important component

7. commitment to his employees g. letting employees go from the company 8. layoff h. group of airplanes or ships

9. entrepreneur i. does not have a job

10. key ingredient j. loyalty to his staff

11. negotiator k. owner of his own business

12. various business fields l. make a contract with musicians

Add the missing numbers and give full answers to the questions! There’s one extra number.

5.3 £500 1950s 1984 1992 1972 4th 7 8th 2011

1. Which place is Richard Branson on the richest UK citizens list? ______2. Which year did Forbes publish this list? ______

3. Which decade was Branson born? ______4. Which year was “Tubular Bells” released? ______5. When was Virgin Records sold? ______6. For what price did Branson sell the record company? ______7. Which year was Virgin Atlantic formed? ______8. How many passengers did the airline carry in 2011? ______9. How many airlines in the UK were ranked higher than Virgin in 2011? ______

Match these abbreviations with their full versions

abbreviation explanation English explanation / translation 1. e.g. a. Anno Domini (in the year of the Lord) 2. A.D. b. as soon as possible 3. B.C. c. before Christ 4. GDP d. blind carbon copy 5. CEO e. carbon copy 6. NATO f. Chief Executive Officer 7. VAT g. exempli gratia (for example) 8. R&D h. European Union

9. EU i. frequently asked questions 10. IMF j. gross domestic product 11. ASAP k. International Monetary Fund 12. IMO l. in my opinion 13. FAQ m. North Atlantic Treaty Organization 14. cc n. Research and Design facility 15. bcc o. value added tax 16. PA p. Personal assistant

Now use them in sentences!

1. ______2. ______3. ______4. ______5. ______6. ______7. ______8. ______9. ______10. ______11. ______12. ______13. ______14. ______15. ______16. ______

Add the missing words to these quotes from Richard Branson!

 university  failures  successful education  keep  rules  employ  luck  formula  entrepreneur  missed  invest

Although I'm known as 'Dr Yes' there Do not be embarrassed by are plenty of opportunities Virgin your______, has______. Then again: learn from them and start opportunities are like buses - there's again. always another one coming!

For a successful entrepreneur it can mean extreme wealth. But with extreme wealth You don't learn to walk by comes extreme responsibility. And the following______. responsibility for me is to You learn by doing, and by ______in creating new falling over. businesses, create jobs, ______people, and to put money aside to tackle issues where we can make a difference

I wanted to be an editor or a “My biggest motivation? Just journalist, I wasn't really interested in to keep challenging myself. I being an ______, but I see life almost like one long soon found I had to become an ______that I never entrepreneur in order to had – every day I’m learning ______my magazine going. something new.”

To be______, you have to be out there, you have to hit the ground running, and if you have a good team around you and more than a fair share of______, you might make something happen. But you certainly can’t guarantee it just by following someone else’s______.

12 Great Ways to Love Your Job

Read the tips and make a list which you find: stupid: possibly useful: not realistic: really helpful:

Just how happy are you at your workplace? There will always be challenges in your workplace such as: • Not much enjoyment • Long hours and tight deadlines • It’s difficult to balance between personal life and work tasks • Stressed relationships with the important people in your life

• Lack of any say or power of decision at work • Not many promotional opportunities

1. Get motivated to face the day - On the way to your workplace, get motivated to face the day - A positive attitude will make the day more pleasant and productive. 2. Keep your work in perspective - You can only do the best you can in each situation. 3. You are more than your work - Do not have your identity too strongly tied to the job you do. 4. Plan your time and create a to-do list - Prioritise your to-do list – do the most important things first. 5. Concentrate on the task at hand - Do not let yourself be distracted by worrying about all the other things to be done or losing energy over the undesirable situation you find yourself in. Stay in the moment. 6. Be clear about what’s expected of you - The more clear and straight you are with your manager and co-workers, the better it will be for you in the long term. 7. Delegate wherever you can - Decide if there is anything that can be delegated. Always remember the “3D” rule – do it, dump it or delegate it – never handle a piece of paper twice. 8. Have regular breaks - Get away from your normal workplace even if only for five minutes. Try taking a break from the laptop, emails and yes, leave the mobile behind. Have your lunch break – it is not just for food but also for fresh air and a mental break. 9. Learn to relax - No matter how challenging the work gets or how demanding your bosses are, at the end of the day, it is only a job and you are much more than that. 10. Make your workplace more pleasant environment- Do not gossip in the office as it just creates negativity all around. Do not listen to any gossip either. 11. Review your day before you leave for home - Look at what worked well, and what you could improve the next day. If you feel satisfied with the day’s work, then why not reward yourself? You deserve it! 12. Switch off once you leave work - You are already at work a third of your time, so do not continue to keep it buzzing in your head during your free time. Mentally say good bye to your work space the moment you leave for home.

If nothing else works, remember this: See your work as a game! Life is meant to be fun and if you are going to spend a lot of time at work, you might as well enjoy the game. Enjoy your work! And if it comes down to it, you can always find something better in the future. Adapted from: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/12-kickass-ways-love-your-job-and-life/

Find the following synonyms from these tips: colleague – en route – direct – hand out work – diverted – job –

8 make better – treat yourself to a drink or some chocolate – over a long period of time – turn off – personality – unwanted – right here and right now – vital – throw out –

Branson fails - Around the World in 20 Days

Read the text about this trip around the world and fill the gap with the missing expression. 1 – 3 be; calculate; take off; not/have; want 6 – 13 not/be; carry; catch; cross; float; have; know; not/take 14 – 17 begin; expect; send; wish 18 – 23 begin; fly; lose; not/hear; reach; realize 24 – 28 come; complete; improve; re-enter; spend

Richard Branson was involved in several adventures and record attempts. In January 1991, Branson crossed the Pacific from Japan to Arctic Canada, 6,700 miles (10,800 km), in a hot air balloon of 2,600,000 cubic feet (74,000 m3). This broke the record, with a speed of 245 miles per hour (394 km/h). The next great goal was to circumnavigate the globe by hot air balloon. In late 1998 he made a record-breaking flight from Morocco to Hawaii but were unable to complete a global flight before Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones in Breitling Orbiter 3 in March 1999. Here is their story. On March 1, 1999, the 60-metre-high Breitling Orbiter 3 1. ______from Chateau d’Oeux in Switzerland. The pilots of the hot air balloon 2. ______Bertrand Picard, 42, a Swiss psychiatrist, and balloonist Brian Jones, from the UK. They 3. ______to complete one of the last challenges of the 20th century – to travel round the world non-stop in a balloon. Experts at mission control in Geneva 4. ______that the journey would take about sixteen days if they 5. ______any unexpected problems. The balloon 6. ______slowly south for four days until it 7. ______the jetstream over Africa. Fast winds 8. ______the balloon quickly towards China, where they 9. ______there was a possible problem. They 10. ______permission to fly over China, but they 11. ______allowed to pass over any Chinese military zones. Luckily the winds 12. ______the balloon there, and they 13. ______southern China on their way towards the Pacific Ocean. Meteorologists in Geneva 14. ______reasonable weather over the Pacific, so their chances of success 15. ______to look quite good. In a demonstration of

9 good sportsmanship, competing balloonists Steve Fossett, a Chicago broker, and Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Airways, 16. ______messages of congratulation to Picard and Jones and 17. ______them a safe flight across the Pacific. Soon afterwards, mission control in Geneva 18. ______contact with the balloon because the position of the Inmarsat satellite. They 19. ______from them for several days, but the Orbiter 20. ______on steadily across the Pacific. Picard and Jones got in touch again when they 21. ______Mexican airspace, but suddenly there were problems. The balloon was travelling very slowly, and the pilots 22. ______they were running out of fuel. For the first time, members of the Breitling team 23. ______to think they might not be able to cross the Atlantic. Soon, however, things, 24. ______again, and the balloon 25. ______the fast jetstream winds and 26. ______the journey across the Atlantic. On the final night, after crossing Algeria and Libya, the Breitling Orbiter 27. ______down in the desert near Luxor in Egypt. Picard and Jones 28. ______the next eight hours alone in the desert, where they had time to think about their record-breaking 46,000-kilometer journey before returning to Switzerland in triumph.

Correct the following sentences based on this text!

1 Bertrand Picard came from France.

______

2 The balloon flew over a Chinese military zone.

______

3 They thought the weather over the Pacific would be bad.

______

4 Their communications system worked perfectly.

______

5 The balloon came down in Algeria.

______

6 The journey began in France.

______

7 They were beaten by the Branson-Fossett team.

______

8 The mission control center was situated in Geneva.

______

Did you know? Richard Branson trivia Match the following trivia with their tags: airline; brainstorming; businesses; education; humanitarian work; knighthood

 He was awarded Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 Queen's Millennium New Years Honours List for his services to entrepreneurship. ______

 He has more than 200 entertainment, media and travel companies around the world. ______

 Branson started Virgin Atlantic Airways after a flight he was scheduled for was cancelled. Upon hearing of the cancellation, he quickly had a charter jet liner secured, and invited the passengers of the cancelled flight to fly for free. He jokingly posted a hand-lettered sign above the entryway, reading, "Virgin Atlantic Airways - Flight 1." Several of the passengers of that flight became investors of the airline. ______

 Branson is dyslexic and dropped out of school when he was 15. ______

 He co-founded, with Nelson Mandela and Peter Gabriel, world human rights advocacy group The Elders in July 2007. ______

 He keeps a hammock (hanging bed) in his office in which he likes to brainstorm. ______

 He’s got a book with the title: “Screw it, let’s do it!”

Taken from http://m.imdb.com/name/nm0105232/trivia

Pre-intermediate Richard Branson – Virgin’s versatile visionary

Branson is the 4th richest citizen of the United Kingdom, according to the Forbes 2011 list of billionaires. His public image shows him a warm, friendly, idealistic, family man. He is also a workaholic and a tough in business negotiations. Many entrepreneurs are successful in one thing. However, Branson has used his business model in various fields of business.

He was born in 1950 in London. He started his business career with the “Student” magazine aged 16. In 1970 he founded Virgin, then opened a record shop in Oxford Street, London called Virgin Records. The name "Virgin" means that they were all new at business. In 1972 he built a recording studio in Oxfordshire where the first Virgin artist, Mike Oldfield, recorded the 'Tubular Bells' album. In 1992 he sold Virgin Records for £500 million to save his airline company.

Branson formed Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1984. Virgin Atlantic flies from Gatwick and Heathrow airports using Airbus and Boeing jets. Virgin Atlantic operates between the United Kingdom and North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. In 2004 he added another business to his Virgin empire under the name Virgin Galactic. It will carry passengers on suborbital space flights. The technology is partly funded by Microsoft co- founder Paul Allen.

Richard Branson’s key ingredient to success is his commitment to his employees. He provides career opportunities to his staff. Even in tough economic times, there are no layoffs at Virgin. He was voted the most popular businessman in the United Kingdom. He is involved in charity foundations and humanitarian work including AIDS research and help for unemployed young people.

Vital Vocab 4th richest citizen – according to the Forbes list – tough negotiator – entrepreneur – do one thing extremely well – in various fields – business career – record an album – carry passengers – Virgin empire – partly funded by the co-founder of Microsoft key ingredient to success – commitment to his employees –

13 provide career opportunities – staff – tough economic times – layoff – the most popular businessman – charity foundations – unemployed young people –

Match the phrases to describe Branson

English English Translation 9. tough i. another business to his empire 10. family j. to his employees 11. successful k. man 12. versatile l. in charity work 13. add m. entrepreneur 14. committed n. negotiator 15. involved o. businessman

Make full sentences from the given parts

11. career / start / Branson’s / “Student” magazine ______12. uses / various / business model / Branson / fields of business ______13. at business / they all /mean / “Virgin” / idea / be new / that / ______14. sold / his airline company / Virgin Records / Branson / to save / 1992 ______15. formed / Virgin Atlantic Airlines / 1984 ______16. be / latest / empire / member / Virgin Galactic / Branson’s / ______17. people / more / employ / Virgin / than / twenty thousand ______18. voted / Branson / popular / businessman / most / in UK ______

Add the missing numbers and give full answers to the questions! There’s one extra number.

£500 1950s 1984 1992 4th 1972 2011

10. Which place is Richard Branson on the richest UK citizens list? ______11. Which year did Forbes publish this list? ______12. Which decade was Branson born? ______13. Which year was “Tubular Bells” released? ______14. When was Virgin Records sold? ______15. For what price did Branson sell the record company? ______16. Which year was Virgin Atlantic formed? ______