George Steinbrenner's Business Lessons

"The Boss", George Steinbrenner may have been the most hated man in baseball by everyone who wasn't a Yankee fan, and maybe by a few that are. One thing that can't be argued, however is that he was incredibly successful as a businessman.

He died earlier this week at the age of 80, but will be remembered for his legacy as the owner of baseball's New York Yankees. Arguable the most recognized sports team on Earth. Didn't matter that he was probably in need of wrinkle cream reviews in his later years to stay looking sharp. He was still pulling the strings no matter how he was doing. Not to mention how he likely pulled the strings for the Yankees even when suspended by the league several times for as long as 2 years.

What made him so special? Take a look at what he taught us.

The Early Bird Catches the Worm

Probably one of the oldest sayings you can remember. Everyone has heard it. In fact this has been around since the 1600s. This is first recorded in John Ray's A collection of English proverbs 1670, 1678. It's still as true today as it was the first time you heard it. For humans and birds.

Studies show that morning people are more likely to succeed. Even if other studies show that night people are more creative, funny, and smarter. Clearly it is up for debate.

Christoph Randler, a biology professor at the University of Education in Heidelberg, Germany says a mornign person that gets up about the same time everyday be it a day on, or off.

"When it comes to business success, morning people hold the important cards," Randler told the Harvard Business Review of his research, some of which originally appeared in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology. "[T]hey tend to get better grades in school, which gets them into better colleges, which then leads to better job opportunities. Morning people also anticipate problems and try to minimize them. They're proactive."

They are probably more likely to be healthier and eat food that burns fat rather than junk from being behind all the time. Waking up late for most businesses probably isn't the way to go as the rest of the world isn't working anymore. read more

Old Spice Blows Up Marketing With Social Networking

If you haven't figured out by now that social networking probably the greatest free form of marketing out there, you should now. After Old Spice and it's hero Old SPice Man proved it beyond a reasonable doubt this past month.

What did they prove? That virtually anyone with a strong enough character, or idea can reach anyone, and get their backing. If you had a good enough marketing idea for guaranteed life insurance even you could probably get world renown celebrities in your corner if you played it right.

Just take a look at how Old Spice Man became an overnight internet viral marketing sensation. He's everywhere. Everywhere I have looked at small business news, and business news in general I have seen this campaign discussed.

Raise Capital For Your Business By Not Wasting It

Using money in a business for things you absolutely don't need seems to be a problem for many a business owner. Then they are left scrambling for some capital, when they probably have much of it available all along.

What's the biggest trap many entrepreneurs fall into? The old adage "Fake it until you make it." comes shining through for many of them. They try to appear successful, and spend a pretty penny trying to accomplish that lie. Spending ridiculous amounts of money on cosmetic things when the business doesn't even need it. Trying to dress like a Fortune 500 CEO, or just plain live like one when you can barely keep your doors open probably isn't a wise use of your cash. There is a time and place for all of that, but certainly not for MOST business owners when they are getting started. It's not like you are running an apidexin scam and need to look like an upstanding citizen are you?

Here are 10 ways that Entrepreneurs waste money.