If you are a regular reader of my blogs, you’ll often find a famous quotation. I include them because they express something better than I can. Inspirational quotes can be helpful to small business owners for a number of reasons.

Why we like inspirational quotes

According to FastCompany, there’s science behind our being drawn to inspirational quotes. There are some reasons suggested by the FastCompany article:

• There is power to language. “I have a dream” from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speaks to everyone.
• There’s a biological aspect. Supposedly, as a species we’re aspirational, so language expressing this naturally appeals to us.

Inspirational quotes not only speak to us; they may get us going. They can be an antidote to procrastination, a cure for depression, and a good laugh.

Inspirational quotes for you and your business

There are dozens of inspirational quotes that may speak to you as you start or run a business. Here are some I’ve selected because they resonate with me:

“Even if you’re on the road to success, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” Will Rogers

Success if not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” Henry Ford

“Your value will be not what you know; it will be what you share.” Ginni Rometty (CEO, IBM until 2020)

“I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” Thomas Jefferson

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” Colin Powell

“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” Albert Einstein

“Don’t count the days. Make the days count.” Mohammad Ali

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Walt Disney

“You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it.” Oprah Winfrey

“I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” Estee Lauder

Final thought

My favorite quotes come primarily from Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, and Benjamin Franklin, although many other people have said things that have inspired me. I keep two quotes on my monitor:

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Benjamin Franklin

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” Leonardo Da Vinci

What inspirational quotes do you love?