James Cash Penney

The five separate fingers are five independent units. Close them and the fist multiplies strength. This is organization.

There has never been a time when a career in the Penney Company was not a challenge that brought out the best in a man.

Every man must decide for himself whether he shall master his world or be mastered by it.

No company can afford not to move forward. It may be at the top of the heap today but at the bottom of the heap tomorrow, if it doesn’t.

Responsibilities are given to him on whom trust rests. Responsibility is always a sign of trust.

I do not believe in excuses. I believe in hard work as the prime solvent of life’s problems.

Mass production is craftsmanship with the drudgery taken out of it.

What’s the quickest way to become a millionaire? Borrow fivers off everyone you meet.

Clock watchers never seem to be having a good time.

If you find out what men want and give them that, you are pleasing them. If you find out what is good for them and give them that, you are performing a service. That’s what we are trying to do.

Test ideas in the marketplace. You learn from hearing a range of perspectives. Consultation helps engender the support decisions need to be successfully implemented.

Anyone who criticises me for talking about fair trade is a few pebbles short of a beach. Because everyone should care about it, just like everyone should care about the environment, because we all live here.

The worst of times often create the best opportunities to make good deals.

Salesmanship is limitless. Our very living is selling. We are all salespeople.

My friends are people who like building cool stuff. We always have this joke about people who want to just start companies without making something valuable. There’s a lot of that in Silicon Valley.

If you love what you do, if you love going to the office, if you really like it – not just say it, but really like it – it keeps you young and energised. I really love what I do.

A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.

It’s not just about being better. It’s about being different. You need to give people a reason to choose your business.

I have had the top people in the world into One Hyde Park, and they have seen everything and they say there is nothing quite like this.

Salesmanship, too, is an art; the perfection of its technique requires study and practice.

You now have to decide what ‘image’ you want for your brand. Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place.