Billionaire Branson has a tip for aspiring Queensland businesspeople Richard Branson Photo: James Morgan There's one question billionaire Sir Richard Branson wishes someone would ask. What will you do now that you've gone to space? Upon consideration, it's a fair call. Billionaires seem to be dime-a-dozen these days, but one who's been space? That's a far rarer commodity. Presumably that's why the legendary master of business showmanship flashes his extraterrestrial credentials in this, his latest interview. If there's one thing the creator of the Virgin brand has learnt since launching the first of his 400 companies, it's that it pays to stand out from the crowd. "It is not easy to start a company and to survive and thrive in the modern world," he says, ahead of his arrival in Brisbane to speak about innovation at a lunch hosted by the University of Queensland Business School. In fact, you've got to do something radically different to make a mark today. If you look back at the most successful businesses of the past 20 years - Microsoft, Google or Apple, they all played a part in shaking up their sector by doing something that hadn't ever been done and by continually innovating. It's another sensible point made by a man who's built a career around being right, and being right first. But he says he owes it all to his parents. Had they not brought him up to be so inquisitive and challenge-ready, there's a good chance the world might be without Sir Richard Branson, and Brisbane without its Virgin business - a branch of his empire of which the man says he's "extremely proud." "We have also just done a deal with the Bank of Queensland and it will now use the Virgin Money Australia brand," he says, adding his company remains "very committed to the state," even though it's so far away, Down Under. Indeed, his business interests are as broad and diverse as the man's own interests. So how does he manage it all? "Delegation and decentralisation has allowed me to start up many businesses in different parts of the world and not get myself too bogged down in the detail," comes his answer. We started Virgin Atlantic in 1984 with a few good people and a clear idea of how to do things differently; we have followed that path with the launched of our mobile, money and health club businesses over the years. This aligned to an ability to take calculated risks means Virgin has not been afraid of jumping into the unknown and starting new ventures or taking on new issues... [Success has meant] never being afraid to take on the big boys! However big boys, and girls, have proved to be valuable beyond being a wall off which to bounce. Branson was instrumental in forming The Elders, an independent group of global leaders who have been working together for peace and human rights since 2007. He says some of these "truly inspirational men and woman" - Nelson Mandela, Al Gore, Archbishop Tutu, Mary Robinson to name but a few - have played a significant role in his life. Perhaps in response to his own realisation about how a great and powerful person might actually help, rather than hinder, the process of innovation, Branson expresses a real eagerness to play the role of inspirational elder himself. Speaking about his reasons for agreeing to participated in the upcoming 'NEXT? The Future of Business Q&A' event, Branson says the invitation hit a nerve close to his heart. "I like to do these sorts of events to stir up debate amongst the next generation of potential business leaders," he says. This is partly because he believes global business is at a critical crossroads, and there is "too much short-term thinking in pursuit of pure profit." "We need to ensure that business leaders ensure their companies focus on the long term good for society, the preservation of the environment and our world's natural assets," Branson continues. We have begun to address some of the thinking in this area through a new group made up of far thinking business leaders who share similar views about the role business will play in society's future, and the need for change. This global group is known as the B-Team. I really hope you will hear a lot more about them in the years to come. There, it seems, is the answer to his much-longed for query. Richard Branson went to space, and now he wants to save the Earth. So perhaps the next question is, how?