His ability to see Intangible Assets
This is a skill that very few entrepreneurs have; even the good ones - the ability to look at their business and see assets that are not easily visible or noticable.
The most obvious is one we always talk about: the brand and what it represents.
But let's look at brands that are within brands. Take music for example. Branson 
had his Virgin label and a number of artists as part of the mix. Some of the pop bands themselves were powerful brands that stood on their own. At certain times in their careers their name alone gauranteed a hit record.
This of course has an ebb and flow to it and must be measured accurately. Branson has that unique ability. Others do to.
When you hear about someone buying a company that doesn't seem to make any sense with the seemingly high price paid for it, yet in a few years it can look like an outright steal. The reason why this happens is because there are intangible assets that the buyer saw that the seller didn't.
This is how he is also able to determine whether he wants to enter a specific niche business or not to compete with a larger competitor. He understands that intangible part of the business that will give him an edge that his competitor doesn't see. That's the reason when he enters into competition with them, his competitors start to copy what is making him successful. That's one of the things that gets him off in his business ventures.
The secret is to understand the not so obvious parts of your business that are making it so successful and exploit them before your competitors know what is happening or how you're doing it.
Other Richard Branson Resources:
Richard Branson's Virgin Success
Thoroughly postmodern billionaire
Richard Branson's latest adventure will take Virgin into space
Richard Branson - Life - Philanthropy - Money
Richard Branson, Business Personality
Richard Branson conquered the world. Now he wants to fly you to space.
Sponsored link: The outsourcing every manager requires - Tampa Locksmith
Comment Preview