“The chief business of the American people is business.”
Calvin Coolidge
BusinessEconomy
Business Quotes
200 FAMOUS QUOTES · BUSINESS
Business Quotes
Read 200 of the best business quotes on success, money, leadership and entrepreneurship from Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Benjamin Franklin and more.
“If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon, or make a better mouse-trap than his neighbor, though he build his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
InnovationQuality
“The real price of every thing is the toil and trouble of acquiring it.”
Adam Smith
ValueHard Work
“Every man thus lives by exchanging, or becomes in some measure a merchant.”
Adam Smith
TradeEconomics
“The division of labour is limited by the extent of the market.”
Adam Smith
MarketsEconomics
“It is the maxim of every prudent master of a family, never to attempt to make at home what it will cost him more to make than to buy.”
Adam Smith
EfficiencyOutsourcing
“The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.”
Andrew Carnegie
WealthPhilanthropy
“Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community.”
Andrew Carnegie
WealthResponsibility
“Concentrate your energy, thought and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged.”
Andrew Carnegie
FocusStrategy
“The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell.”
Andrew Carnegie
OpportunitySpeed
“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.”
Andrew Carnegie
LeadershipTeamwork
“The only question with wealth is what you do with it.”
John D. Rockefeller
WealthResponsibility
“Business must be run at a profit, else it will die. But when anyone tries to run a business solely for profit, then also the business must die, for it no longer has a reason for existence.”
Henry Ford
ProfitPurpose
“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.”
Henry Ford
PurposeValues
“It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages.”
Henry Ford
CustomersService
“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.”
Henry Ford
ProductivityPlanning
“Money is in some respects like fire; it is a very excellent servant but a terrible master.”
P. T. Barnum
MoneyWisdom
“Whatever you do, do it with all your might.”
P. T. Barnum
EffortHard Work
“Advertising is to a genuine article what manure is to land - it largely increases the product.”
P. T. Barnum
MarketingAdvertising
“Don't get above your business.”
P. T. Barnum
HumilityFocus
“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.”
John Wanamaker
MarketingAdvertising
“Give the lady what she wants.”
Marshall Field
Customer ServiceRetail
“Riches are not an end of life, but an instrument of life.”
Samuel Smiles
WealthPurpose
“Attention, application, accuracy, method, punctuality, and despatch, are the principal qualities required for the efficient conduct of business of any sort.”
Samuel Smiles
DisciplineEfficiency
“The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.”
Elbert Hubbard
WorkConsistency
Related Topics
About Business Quotes
Business is where ideas meet the real world. Whether you are running a small shop, building a startup or leading a large company, success depends on the same timeless principles: serve your customers well, work hard, manage money wisely and keep your integrity.
This collection brings together 200 of the best business quotes from industrialists, entrepreneurs, economists and wise thinkers, including Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, P. T. Barnum, Adam Smith, Benjamin Franklin and Confucius. Use these quotes about business for motivation, leadership lessons, presentations and daily inspiration.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Business quotes.
What is the best business quote of all time?
Henry Ford's reminder that "it is the customer who pays the wages" is one of the most useful business quotes ever, because it keeps every team focused on serving customers. Benjamin Franklin's "Remember that time is money" is another timeless classic.
What are good quotes for entrepreneurs?
Russell Conwell's "Acres of Diamonds" message, that opportunity is often in your own backyard, and Orison Swett Marden's advice to seize common occasions and make them great are especially inspiring for entrepreneurs.
What did Andrew Carnegie say about business?
Carnegie advised business owners to concentrate their energy and capital on the business they are in, and warned that no one becomes a great leader by doing everything alone or taking all the credit. He also believed wealth should be used for the good of the community.
What are good business quotes about marketing?
P. T. Barnum compared advertising to fertiliser that makes a genuine product grow, and John Wanamaker famously joked that half his advertising money was wasted, but he did not know which half.
What does the Bible say about business?
The Book of Proverbs praises honest weights, diligent work and careful attention to your "flocks," meaning your assets and operations. It also warns that wealth gained dishonestly will not last.
What is the "better mousetrap" quote?
It is a saying attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: if you make a better product than anyone else, people will find their way to you even if you live in the woods. It became a famous principle of innovation and quality.