Sir Richard Branson spoke recently at the Small Business Summit in Toronto.  As one of the world's most innovative and best known entrepreneurs, Branson is quoted by the Globe and Mail as saying, "You have to step back and think, 'What is a business?' It's like a painting ... you want to create something you're proud of and that will make a real difference to people.  If you get that painting right, then somebody may buy it, and if you create this excellent business, somebody may use it."

From hard won experience, he adds, "There's no point in launching something unless it offers a fundamentally better experience."

 Excellent advice for us all, I think.