Branson was speaking in a recorded video message to a breakfast event on mentoring, organised by people engagement specialists Purple Cubed.
“I am often asked what the link between a promising business person and a successful business person is, and mentoring always comes to mind,” Branson added.
“Giving people advice on how to achieve their goals is often overlooked in British businesses.”
Branson was introducing Peter Avis, manager of the Virgin-owned Babylon restaurant, who spoke about the importance of mentoring in the hospitality sector and beyond.
Avis called for businesses to embrace a “culture of mentoring”.
“If you take time to have that chat, [those people you give time to] can really change the shape of your business,” he said, adding that embedding mentoring had helped him save on recruitment and training costs.
“[Embracing mentoring] is actually common sense,” he said.
