OREANDA-NEWS. December 21, 2015. If there’s one thing we know about small businesses, it’s that they’re focused on growth. When we surveyed entrepreneurs and small-business leaders earlier this year, the majority told us they expected to grow significantly in the coming year. (Click here to see the full results of our research.)

So, as 2015 draws to a close, we wanted to give small businesses a little inspiration. Here are 23 of our favorite quotes to help you jumpstart business growth in 2016.

"Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together."

— James Cash Penney, founder, JC Penney

“Play by the rules, but be ferocious."

— Phil Knight, founder, Nike

“The only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”

— Mark Zuckerberg, founder, Facebook

“Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength.”

― Sigmund Freud, neurologist

“Motivation is the catalyzing ingredient for every successful innovation.”

— Clayton Christensen, economist and Harvard professor


"Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle."

— Napoleon Hill, author

“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.”

― Andy Rooney, journalist

“Mistakes are the growing pains of wisdom.”

― William George Jordan, writer/editor

“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.”

― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, writer/statesman

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

― Anaïs Nin, writer

"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."

— James Cash Penney, founder, JC Penney

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

— T.S. Eliot, author

“The only way you are going to have success is to have lots of failures first."

— Sergey Brin, co-founder, Google

"If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs."

— Dhirubhai Ambani, founder, Reliance Industries

"I do not know the word ‘quit.’ Either I never did, or I have abolished it."

— Susan Butcher, sled dog racer

"To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart."

— Thomas Watson, Sr., former CEO, IBM

“It's very easy to be different but very difficult to be better.”

— Jonathan Ive, Chief Design Officer, Apple

“Almost everything worthwhile carries with it some sort of risk, whether it's starting a new business, whether it's leaving home, whether it's getting married, or whether it's flying in space.”

— Chris Hadfield, astronaut

“Happy employees lead to happy customers, which leads to more profits.”

— Vaughn Aust, EVP of Integrated Solutions, MarketStar

"Employees want to feel inspired by their leaders...hire individuals who will lead by example."

— Jody Kohner, VP of Employee Marketing & Engagement, Salesforce

“Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it.”

— William Durant, co-founder, General Motors

Want more inspiration? Check out our e-book with the 5 essential productivity tips every small business should know.