Business Quote by Henry Ford
““I determined absolutely that never would I join a company in which finance came before the work or in which bankers or financiers had a part. And further that, if there were no way to get started in the kind of business that I thought could be managed in the interest of the public, then I simply would not get started at all. For my own short experience, together with what I saw going on around me, was quite enough proof that business as a mere money-making game was not worth giving much thought to and was distinctly no place for a man who wanted to accomplish anything. Also it did not seem to me to be the way to make money. I have yet to have it demonstrated that it is the way. For the only foundation of real business is service.””
About This Quote
Source Autobiography: My Life and Work, 1922
True business should prioritize serving people over profit; profit follows when service is genuine.
In simple terms: Serve first, profit follows.
Key Takeaway
Focus on serving customers.
Themes
service
ethics
business philosophy
leadership
Mood
reflective
hopeful
pragmatic
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- entrepreneurship
- management
- product development
- community service
Key Concepts
customer centricity
social responsibility
purpose-driven enterprise
Questions to Reflect On
- How can modern companies balance profit and service?
- What examples show service-led success?
A Different Perspective
Profit motives can corrupt purpose.
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![“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)