Richard Branson has once again been voted as the most inspirational business figure, but this time he is joined by some new names.
A new YouGov poll commissioned by Intuitk has found that the man behind Virgin, long the inspiration for young people and aspiring entrepreneurs is also a motivating figure for those already established in business.
The poll of more than 500 business owners and directors across the UK found that Branson is the ‘ultimate business role model’, with more than a quarter claiming he inspired them.
He was followed by Alan Sugar and retail guru Phillip Green, who each had the support of 6% of business owners and directors.
New names joining the field of business role models were former US president Ronald Reagan and rap star Jay-Z, as well as Sir Frank Whittle, inventor of the jet engine, and Bill Kenwright, chairman of Everton FC.
The survey also found that 18% of owners and directors felt it was family member who most inspired them in business.
“Its interesting to see how reality shows like Dragons Den and The Apprentice are inspiring some people to start their own business,” said Susan Lazareff, managing director of Intuit UK.
“More often than not, though, family comes first with small business people looking to their relatives for inspiration and advice when starting up a business.”
