If you saw "Smokey and the Bandit, you are familiar with the work of Jackie Gleason.  He was an entertainer with a long string of success years before the hit movie came out late in his career.

Dubbed "The Great One," he made some mistakes, but will always will be known for his successful business decisions. He starred in the hit series "The Honeymooners," in the early days of television and revived the role in a variety program a decade later.  He inspired the concept of "The Flintstones" cartoon show and many of the plots were taken from his ideas in "The Honeymooners."  

Here are four lessons he taught us about business that will inspire you, too:

1. Admit your mistakes. The terrible game show format of his 1960s variety show. He came on the next week and apologized the next week and turned it into a Variety Hour. How many politicians would benefit by admitting their mistakes and owning up to their responsibility?

2. Go where no one else goes. Telecast from Miami Beach, Florida. The auditorium in Miami is named for Gleason.

3. Brag on your audience. Always worked into the monologue, "The Miami Beach audience is the greatest audience in the world!" Local people loved this and it made the audience more responsive to his show.

4. Give the people what they like most about you. He revived the old "Honeymooners" idea from the 1950s in his variety show and brought back most of the cast, including his funny man, Art Carney.