Business Quote by Benjamin Franklin
“Drive thy business, let not that drive thee.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Poor Richard's Almanack, 1736
Business should be guided by purpose, not merely by profit or external pressures
In simple terms: Let purpose drive your enterprise
Key Takeaway
Align business actions with core values
Themes
ethics
purpose
entrepreneurship
Mood
thoughtful
inspirational
Type
ethical
business
When to use this quote
- startup formation
- corporate governance
- mission statements
Key Concepts
philosophy
economics
leadership
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance profit and purpose?
- What values should define your business?
A Different Perspective
Profit motives can conflict with purpose
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)