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The best business wisdom hidden in classic movie quotes We asked entrepreneurs which famous lines from the silver screen offer the greatest insight and advice for running a business. The top 15 are below, but we want to hear from you, too. Which other movie quotes do you think offer valuable business lessons? Please share your favorites in the comments below.
"Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." -- Bull Durham (1988)
"You have to be ready for the peaks and valleys, the wins and the losses, but you also have to keep your mind nimble and ready to react to the unexpected. There is always something ready to roll over the horizon. It could be clear skies or stormy weather, but you have to be ready either way." -- TJ Jackson, president and chief executive of Buffalo Supply Inc. in Lafayette, Colo.
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MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT
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"There's no crying in baseball" -- A League of their Own (1992)
"The same is true here - there's no crying in small business. There are good lessons and bad lessons, but they're all lessons. I always like to say that I've never had a bad day in 39 years - I've had bad things happen, but I've always learned something from it." -- Chris Holman, chairman of the National Small Business Association and chief executive of the Michigan Business Network
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COLUMBIA PICTURES
"My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." -- Forrest Gump (1994)
"Entrepreneurship is similar to that box of chocolates; you never know how it's going to turn out but always hoping you get the best piece possible." -- Ben Lang, founder of EpicLaunch in New York, N.Y.
PHILLIP CARUS
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ABC
"Take the red pill or the blue pill" -- The Matrix (1999)
"All small business owners have big decisions to make. Many can have a huge impact, and many need to be made quickly. Be prepared: Plan in advance (update your business plan and budget every year, even if you're the only one who looks at it). The 'red pill' may be the easy way out, but the 'blue pill' could have huge returns." -- Rochelle Balch, owner of RB Balch & Associates in Glendale, Ariz.
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COPYRIGHT 1999 WARNER BROS.
"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." -- Back to the Future (1985)
"On the surface, this quote represents a future technological achievement that is hidden to the current generation. Entrepreneurs, however, can see the deeper meaning because they make their own roads outside of what society has paved for them. The theme of this film is true to the spirit of entrepreneurship because it empowers the individual to take responsibility to the world and to make a better future. It is our density... I mean destiny." -- Dmitriy Katsel, founder of AdU Network in Studio City, Cali.
Universal Studios
"We all go a little mad sometimes." -- Psycho (1960)
"Does it really need an explanation?" -- Steve Ferree, owner of Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Portland/Vancouver
The Baltimore Symphony O
"A million dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool? A billion dollars." -- The Social Network (2010)
"You've got to think and dream big and work backwards from an end goal. Tomorrow's leaders won't be satisfied with mere millions in revenues and/or profits." -- Chris Hurn, president and chief executive of Mercantile Capital Corporation in Almatonte Springs, Fl.
SONY PICTURES
"Value this time in your life kids, because this is the time in your life when you still have your choices, and it goes by so quickly." -- City Slickers (1991)
"As a small business owner, I didn’t take a vacation the first ten years in business. Now going on 25 years in business, I make time for family and vacations. I’ve just turned 60. I'm not looking forward to the day I start drooling in my soup." -- Alan Wiessner, president and chief executive, Integra Business Systems in Safety Harbor, Fl.
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AP
"I think the question we should be asking is, do you believe in this thing or not?" -- Moneyball (2011)
"Small business owners have all looked in the mirror and asked that question, and when the answer was 'yes,' the hardest part was the next decision Billy Beane made: 'Now, we're gonna see this thing though, for better or worse.'" -- Dan Galbraith, owner of Solutionist in Greensburg, Pa.
2011 Columbia TriStar Marketing GroupInc.
"Coffee's for closers" -- Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
"At Hugh & Crye, we're not exactly tethered to our phones and working from prospect pools like the movie. But we do think of "closing" as finishing a task that has a measurable impact on the business - could be the launch of a new product, inking a deal with a new channel partner, or securing a press mention." -- Pranav Vora, founder and chief executive of Hugh & Crye in Washington, D.C.
Andy Schwartz
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NEW LINE CINEMA
"The question isn't 'what are we going to do,' the question is 'what aren't we going to do?'" -- Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
"It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hard work of running a business and completely forget that while solving problems and building something you can be proud of, you also have an incredible opportunity to shape the future. Even better, you have the chance to meet amazing people and do amazing things along the way. It's important not to get lost among the trees and forget about the amazing, beautiful forest you're planting." -- Colin Wright, co-founder, Asymmetrical Press in Columbia, Mo.
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PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT
“Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night” -- All About Eve (1950)
"Running a small start-up business is not an easy task. There will be ups and downs and you need to be prepared for them." -- Grafton “Cap” Willey, managing director of CBIZ Tofias in Providence, R.I.
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EVERETT COLLECTION
"I believe in a little thing called justice. These b------- think they can walk all over anybody they want. But we're here to tell them that they can't, that it stops right here." -- Flash of Genius (2008)
"Every entrepreneur and small business owner must fight for what is right, as they are the ones who are working hard each and every day to make sure the America Dream is still alive and available to all. Many times, business does not seem "fair," and laws seem to continue to favor the large corporations. So this is one of the most compelling insights; that we must all fight for what is right and remain true to ourselves, our ideas, and our unique genius!" -- Faith Smith, chief executive, Eyes Cream Shades in Irvine Calif.
Kerry Hayes
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UNIVERSAL STUDIOS VIA AP
"Life is about a few moments. This is one of them!" -- Wall Street (1987)
"Sometimes business can grow based on key meetings that lead to money, distribution or marketing. It's often a meeting with someone from higher up that gives you that one chance that catapults you from a boot-strapped venture to a capital-injected venture ready to take on the world!" -- Ash Kumra, co-founder, DreamItAlive.com in Orange, Calif.
Andy Schwartz
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TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." -- The Wizard of Oz (1939)
"Small business owners today know that doing business can be fraught with a whirlwind of uncertainty. We can end up in places we never intended. This famous line provides small business owners with the inspiration to think beyond their own little worlds, to step out of traditional ways of doing business and explore what is possible. Yes, we are small businesses, but we have big ideas that can take us on an amazing journey." -- Cynthia Kay, president and owner of Cynthia Kay and Company in Grand Rapids, Mich.
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WARNER HOME VIDEO
"If you build it, they will come." -- Field of Dreams (1989)
“This is actually bad advice from the movie Field of Dreams. Why bad advice? Most startups focus so much on product (building it!) that they forget about customers and network: Customers, because they need to pay for it, and network, because without a community of power fans around your start-up, it will be very hard to scale.” -- Scott Case, chief executive of Startup America and founder of Priceline
Gordon Company
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Section:/business/on-small-business
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