20 Something Millionaires Made It Online

If you have an idea that you think a lot of people are willing to pay money for there is no more cost-efficient way to get started than to do it online. Almost anyone with a search engine and internet access can learn, or find all the information they need to get started. You just have to have the idea, and the desire to work, rather than sitting in your dorm room playing xbox 360 all night.

For a little inspiration it makes a lot of sense to see a few people that have done it before and done it right. It isn't all just having what people want and slopping together a website. There are plenty of other things you will need to learn, and you need to know how to make it all work. Take a look at 3 booming ideas that took off for these owners online when they were just hitting adulthood.

Time Saving Tech

What good is tech for business if it doesn't save you a lot of time? Certainly that IS what you use it for right, and not just so you can set up a LAN game of your favorite FPS in the office to play with other people in the office? *cough*

Tech is unavoidable, and even the least tech savvy these days has to learn at least some of it just to get by. Computers are becoming more and more user friendly and dummy proof for basic office functions and a 10 minute tutorial. As easy as tying your designer ties. What about all the gadgets that we entrepreneurs love to use to save us time?

Connectivity is probably the most important aspect of business tech. With the smartphones, laptops, and all sorts of handheld devices we can take off froom the office and still get things done. Here are some of the better time saving tech for business.

Doing Business Outside the U.S. Isn't the Same Everywhere

It may seem like common sense to many, but there are a lot of business owners that think they can just jump right into a market outside the U.S. without having to do much different. They find out the hard way that they had no idea what they were getting into because they had no idea what that market required. Just because you have a nifty yakima rack that sells one way to Americans, you may not be able to get anyone in China, or Germany, or Poland to buy them.

There are many reasons why you can't do things the same in all place, but here are a few general guidelines to the mistakes most people make.

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.

Making a Marketing Plan

For a lot of us business guys we see marketing as common sense most of the time. We are all pretty creative thinkers so we can think of neat ways to get some exposure and find ways to draw people in. Of course we sometimes just go about it completely the wrong way and don't formulate a direct plan. Instead trying things out that we "think" might work, but we haven't really given a lot of in depth thought.

Of course when you go into detail and formulate a marketing plan with all aspects of your business in mind things start to become a bit more clear and concise. Things just work better if you plan them out more. Doesn't matter if you are hawking prototype 37c, or you are a service company.

Here is a How-To Guide to Writing a Marketing Plan that should be a bit of help to become more organized in this area.

Selecting the Right Retirement Benefits For Your Business

While it may seem that there is a sea of options for retirement benefits for employees and your business there really aren't that many. Most of the time they are obvious as to what fits best for your type of business and how you want to run a retirement program for it. The major problem usually is the guy that comes in and tries to set you up with the wrong retirement package because, for lack of a better term, they are greedy.

You see, different retirement plans have different sorts of fees involved with them. The agent that runs your plan gets paid a bit differently depending on how it is set up. Either a large admin fee every year, or a little cut on the money being put in, or both. Some of these cost you a little more than others, and may not even be the best for your business. Any agent worth a damn knows he is going to make money on these plans anyways so if they aren't finding the most logical one for you they are dirt. You aren't looking for a bargain here by any means like you would for say cheap adipex, but you need to at least know your options.

So...it may do you a bit of good to at least familiarize yourself with the basics so you have a slight plan before going into the meeting with an advsior. Know the questions you want to ask, or the questions you want answered for the plan going in. Here's a good primer for different plans that will help you get rolling.

Climbing Rate of Sexual Harassment Claims From Men?

When you think of sexual harassment you rarely think of it being directed towards men do you? I guess most of us men don't consider ANYTHING sexual harassment. Just flirting :). Of course things are a lot different when you are married, or in a serious relationship. While it is nice to get offers it certainly isn't alright when you clearly aren't interested and it can hamper your career (yes...men actually aren't interested sometimes).

It doesn't happen as often as it does to women, but it DOES happen. Men being sexually harassed at work isn't unheard of, and it seems that claims by men is on the rise. In fact it has doubled in the last couple years. Maybe that female boss at your scanning software company wants you to stay late one night, or FIRE YOU. What are you gonna do when you have a wife and kids at home?

During fiscal year 2009, 16.0 percent of all sexual harassment cases were filed by men in the U.S., the highest percentage ever, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. That comes fresh on the heels of the record number of such complaints filed by men (more than 2,200) set in 2008. The rise is despite the fact that the overall number of sexual harassment complaints has declined.

How do you put a stop to it in your business, or prevent it in the first place? Take a few tips from Inc.com.