Unfortunately and probably not uncommon in Hollywood, he bailed.

Nevertheless, I was sure my idea to find a partner with industry “mojo” was sound. So I advertised on a website for the entertainment business. Sure enough, I got a response from someone who owns a large comedy talent agency. He has many relationships with television networks and folks in the business. Our interests were a good fit. So I have a new partner. He has the connections to make my event bigger and better. And, most important, more profitable.

If you need a partner for a specific industry, a trade publication or website can be a great place to find them.

There are trade publications and websites for almost every industry and niche. Many of them offer some form of classified advertising. In my case, the posting was free. But if there is a charge, it will usually be minimal.

[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is the publisher of the “Street Smart Business” program. It’s packed with dozens and dozens of ideas to help the small businessperson succeed. For more info click right here.

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So when I found a business card on my windshield for a car washing service, I was interested. I looked around the parking lot. Only dirty cars had the card.

The card advertised a deal for an introductory wash. Better yet, they would come to the customer’s home or place of business and do the job there. Perfect for me. Couldn’t be more convenient.

I called and set up an appointment.

I used to do something similar with the lawn cutting business I had as a teenager. I would ride around on my bicycle and look for yards with grass that looked like it needed a mowing. When I found one, I’d knock on the door and ask if they would like to hire me.

I had all the work I could handle.

Even in today’s economic environment, you can have a thriving business.

All you need to do is use this “Dirty Car Secret.” You target people who have a strong need for your product or service. If they need it, they won’t be able to do without it. And they will pay you to provide it.

For example, when I was starting my ballroom dance instruction business, I found that couples who were about to be married often needed lessons. After all, that first dance as “Mr. and Mrs.” in front of all of the wedding guests is a tradition. And with all eyes upon them, nobody wants to stumble around the dance floor.

Before I discovered my “dirty cars,” I had been mailing postcards promoting my business to the general public. Using mailing lists based on income and geographical area, I’d get a response rate of about 1 percent. But, when I started mailing to couples about to be married, the average response rate was 12 percent. A 1,200 percent increase!

Years later, I used the Dirty Car Secret when I was in the swimming pool service business. Any time my pool cleaners spotted a pool that was less than sparkling clean, they left a flyer with a discount coupon on the door. More than 10 percent of the recipients called to take advantage of the offer.

Ten percent! Twelve percent! To give you an idea of how impressive those response rates are, one seven-figure mail order company I know considers a 2 percent response rate to be huge. If they were to get 10 percent, they’d be uncorking Champagne.

Smart direct mailers have used the Dirty Car Secret for years. What they do is rent other mailers’ “buyer lists.” These lists are made up of the names of people who have bought a product that’s similar to the one the marketer is selling. The assumption is that if those folks bought that product before, they needed (or wanted) it. And, chances are, they will need (or want) it again.

But there are many other ways to apply the Dirty Car Secret.

For instance, if you wanted to sell cold beverages with vending machines, you would put your machines where many thirsty people would see them. (When I owned a vending machine business, our machines in hot auto garages were our top performers.) And if you wanted to teach English to people who speak Spanish, a good place to post your flyers would be in grocery stores specializing in Latin-American foods.

The idea is to find a way to identify people who are likely to have a strong need or desire for your product or service. You’d be surprised by how many entrepreneurs spend vast amounts of time and money getting their marketing message into the wrong hands.

Here are some tips to help you find the “dirty cars” that could jumpstart your business in as little as a few days:

Identify your ideal prospects.

If you’ve ever gotten a traffic ticket, you’ve probably been barraged with mailings from lawyers who specialize in traffic tickets – because there’s a good chance a lawyer can help you. Likewise, if you have a dirty car, you might need someone to wash it. If you have an overgrown lawn, you might need someone to cut it. If you’re planning to get married, you might need ballroom dance lessons.

So your first step with this marketing strategy is to pick up on the clues that reveal the ideal customers for your product or service.

Figure out how to reach them.

Once you know who you want to target, you’ve got to determine the best way to get your marketing message to them.

Direct mail is a great way to reach prospects, but it’s only one option. You can pass out business cards or post flyers. You can sell your product or service on the Internet with pay-per-click ads. Use your imagination! One method I used to promote my ballroom dance business was to advertise in the bridal section of the local metropolitan newspaper.

Find a way to separate yourself from the pack.

Reaching your prospects isn’t enough. You have to get their attention and land their business. No matter which advertising method you use, the basics are the same:

1. Grab them with a headline that makes a promise or claim that will interest them.

2. Prove to them that you can deliver on that promise or claim.

3. Ask for the order.

You can use the Dirty Car Secret to pump up the profits of any small business – or start a new one that will deliver enough cash for you to be secure … to pay your bills, put some money away for the future, and have a decent lifestyle for yourself and your family.

If you’re worried about losing your job or having a business that’s failing, that’s good news for you!

P.S. I’ll tell you exactly how to start and grow a profitable small business with my program dedicated to teaching aspiring entrepreneurs. To find out more about it, just click right here.

If you’re a municipal-bond investor, you need to know what you’re buying and be careful.
Recently, Standard & Poor’s (late to the party as ever) placed $67.1 billion of California’s general obligation bonds on watch for a downgrade. California faces a $19.5 billion budget deficit and says it’ll be out of cash by the end of July if the fiscal 2010 budget isn’t changed.

S&P seems truly concerned that California might actually miss an interest payment. Missing interest payments on general obligation bonds must be about the worst thing that can happen in the munibonds world. General obligation bonds are backed by the full faith, credit, and taxing power of the issuer. California is the seventh-biggest economy in the world. If it can’t service its debts … wow!

True to form, Standard & Poor’s still rates California’s general obligation debt “A,” and it delicately mentions “the state’s impending liquidity shortfall,” instead of just saying California is going broke. Remember, S&P said AIG wasn’t insolvent, just illiquid. “Illiquid” is financial speak for flat broke.

I wonder if Warren Buffett is buying California GO bonds. He nearly doubled his munibonds holdings from $2.05 billion to $4.05 billion from last summer through the first quarter of 2009. They’ve appreciated to $4.35 billion recently.

But Buffett is also scaling back on insuring municipal bonds because he thinks city and state governments might choose to default rather than raise taxes.

It turns out that the institution she is in has dozens of kids with the same problem. In case you haven’t heard about it, Adderall is commonly used to treat ADHD. It’s an amphetamine. And, of course, it has plenty of potential for abuse and addiction. It can also kill you suddenly if you have a heart condition.

It’s amazing. Adderall is infinitely more dangerous than marijuana, yet it is promoted – not just sold but promoted – by the Big Pharma/big medicine industry to millions of American kids.

Here’s how he did it:

After searching around, he determined that it’d cost him about $2,000 a month to rent enough space for his business. Instead, he leased a larger space for $3,000. It had three extra little offices and a large reception area.

He rented out the small offices for $700 each, for a total of $2,100 a month. Then he sectioned off four workstation cubicles in the reception area, leaving room for a receptionist’s desk. He had no trouble renting out the four workstations for $300 each. That’s another $1,200.

His gross monthly income from these rentals is $3,300. Even allowing for a few vacancies during the year, he’s pretty much breaking even on his own rent.

In other words, George has a $2,000-a-month office practically for free.

Using the same general idea, you can keep your overhead down so you can start a business with very little capital.

[Ed. Note: Want even more strategies for starting and growing a business on a shoestring? Paul Lawrence is a successful entrepreneur and publisher who has started over a dozen profitable enterprises. To get more practical small-business tips, check out Paul's "Street Smart" program by clicking right here.

Office space is a secondary business concern, something to think about once you have a proven way to bring in sales and revenue. To learn how to get to that point as quickly as possible, check out Michael Masterson's book Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat.]

Bob had just commented on how I looked like I worked out a lot – and I sensed that, because I looked so “big,” it bothered him.

We were meeting for the first time, and I wanted to secure a deal with him. I didn’t want him to feel intimidated or get his guard up. (Not that being bigger and stronger is worth much when it comes to business.) So I used an old comedian’s technique to win him over.

Not only did I admit to being a “natural-born” weakling, I told him that I’m a lousy athlete. I said that any strength I had was artificially created through years of working out – and that the moment I stopped exercising religiously, my muscles would melt away with alarming speed.

Bob did just what crowds do in a comedy club when a performer uses this technique. He smiled and loosened up.

People don’t go to a comedy club to listen to some guy on stage who presents himself as being smarter, better looking, and making more money than they do. They go to feel good. And when a comic uses self-deprecating humor, it makes them feel good about themselves. It’s just human nature.

Putting yourself down to build up the other guy works just as well in the business world – whether you’re trying to close a deal, get other people to support your objectives, or win new customers.

Here’s an example of how it works…

John, a real estate multimillionaire, was interested in buying an office building that was about to go into foreclosure. The owner had taken a risk when he bought the building by using almost all his cash for a down payment. Then, when the economy slowed and several tenants moved out, his cash flow slowed to a trickle… and he was in trouble.

When John met with the owner, it was clear that the man expected to take a financial beating on the property – and was blaming himself for the situation he was in. So before John even made an offer, while shuffling through the papers in his briefcase, he chatted about his own “problems.” Shaking his head, John said, “I don’t know how it happened, but I have no control over anything at home.” He confided that his wife ruled the roost – and he felt lucky that she even allowed him to watch football on Sundays.

There was a smile on the owner’s face as he read through John’s offer… and then, feeling very much in control, signed the contract.

Here’s another example…

When Jane was hired as the manager of a retail jewelry store, she expected trouble. The assistant manager was 20 years her senior, and had worked for the company for eight years. Needless to say, he resented having been passed over for the promotion.

As Jane walked through the door her first morning on the job, the assistant manager made some flippant, borderline-offensive comments. The other employees laughed, and Jane knew she had to do something quickly to overcome this potential obstacle to her success.

She could’ve given the assistant manager a verbal lashing in front of everyone, but she knew that would simply make matters worse. Instead, a bit later in the day, Jane asked him to come into her office.

“I’m going to be honest with you,” Jane admitted. “I’m so scared about doing a good job that I almost lost my breakfast this morning.”

The anger in his eyes dissipated as Jane continued: “I know that I’m an outsider, and there must be a ton of things I don’t know that could ruin me. I’m hoping I can count on you – so, together, we can make this the number one store in the chain.”

The assistant manager’s attitude completely turned around. From that moment on, he went above and beyond the call of duty to get the entire staff to support all of Jane’s decisions.

Now before you try this self-deprecation technique for yourself, there is one important caveat: What you say about yourself must ring true, or you’ll completely alienate the person you’re trying to win over. But when used correctly, it is a very powerful tool – and only one of many that I have in my arsenal.

There is nothing more important to a business career than knowing how to deal with other people. If you want to have every advantage on your side, click right here and check out my free report on People Power Skills.

[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a successful entrepreneur and publisher who has started over a dozen profitable enterprises. If you're interested in starting a new business with less than $100 in capital, you should take a look at Paul's Micro-Business program right here. It could add thousands to your bank account in as little as 30 days.]

“Yes, we can,” she answered.

Because I asked that one question, a deal that we’d been negotiating for weeks was instantly done. It’s an old technique, but one worth reminding yourself of from time to time.

When the other party says they want “one more thing”… they’re often telling you that they’re ready to make a deal – and bells should go off in your head. If you can live with the request, you can likely close the deal right then and there.

Recognizing subtle “buying” signs like this one is a skill you should work on developing. I recommend practicing whenever the opportunity arises in your everyday life.

Let’s say you and your wife can’t agree on dinner plans. You really want Japanese, but she’s hesitating. “I don’t know if I want to go out at all,” she grumbles. “We always go where you want to go.”

So you say, “Would you be okay with Japanese tonight if we go to your favorite sushi place – and next time we go anywhere you want to go?”

She nods emphatically… and you’ve got yourself a deal.

[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a successful entrepreneur and publisher who has started over a dozen profitable enterprises. To get more practical small-business tips, check out Paul's "Street Smart" program by clicking right here.

Effective negotiation is just one skill you need to be successful in business. To learn dozens of others, use Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat by Michael Masterson as your reference guide.]

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The reason is simple. It’s cheap to produce them. And if a show catches on – like American Idol, Survivor, or The Real World - it can attract larger audiences than the most popular scripted programs. 

This year, the reality show Dancing With the Stars snagged as many as 22.5 million viewers per episode. In comparison, a top-rated sitcom like How I Met Your Mother brings in about 8 million viewers.

The low cost of producing reality shows, combined with their large audiences, equals big profits. According to The Wall Street Journal, each episode of UPN’s Top Model costs about $800,000. Meanwhile, the cost of an average scripted drama is in the range of $2 million. 

Why is it so much cheaper to produce reality shows? Simple. The people appearing on them can usually be paid much less than those on scripted programs. In addition, filming is usually done in the participants’ homes, which avoids expensive set construction and labor costs. And they require only a bare-bones writing staff.

If the show is a big hit, the production company can earn enormous licensing fees. The New York Times reports that the production company of American Idol had revenues that grew to $96 million last year from $67 million two years earlier, with gross profit margins expanding to 77 percent from 69 percent.

If you could get in on that kind of action, you’d not only have “made it” in Hollywood, you’d have a nice chunk of change for your “trouble.”

However, you need more than just a good idea. I’ve pitched shows to producers well over a hundred times, and I’ve found them to be surprisingly unimaginative. 

They need to be shown precisely what the show will be like. 

One of the best tools for doing that is a video “demo.” 

Let’s use Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice as an example. 
In this show, two teams of celebrities compete by performing a specified business task. The team that does it better wins. One member of the losing team is “fired.” The following week, the remaining celebrities are given another challenge – and this continues until only one celebrity is left. 

The celebrities appear on the show in order to raise money for charities they support – plus, they get publicity as a result of being on nationally broadcast network TV. 

Viewers watch the celebrities as they go about planning and completing the assigned task. Along the way, there is constant bickering and feuding… as well as plenty of drama. 

So, if you were going to make a demo for Celebrity Apprentice, it might look like this: 

1. A 30-second clip of Donald Trump telling the celebrities about their task.

2. Several quick sound bytes of celebrities speaking into the camera about how they feel about the task.

3. Some scenes of celebrities butting heads as they try to get the task done.

4. A 30-second clip of their final results.

5. Some brief squabbling while Trump berates the celebrities in the boardroom and then fires one of them.

Almost anyone can produce a demo reel. It has to look fairly professional (i.e., it can’t look like you shot it with your cellphone), but it doesn’t need to be anywhere near as polished as an actual broadcast show. 

Fortunately for today’s aspiring reality show producers, high quality video equipment no longer costs an arm and a leg. A basic mini-DV camera can be bought for only a few hundred dollars – and if you don’t want to buy one, you can rent one for even less. Not only that… if you don’t want to shoot the demo yourself, there are many professional videographers out there who charge very reasonable rates.

If you’re interested in creating a video demo to pitch an idea to reality television show producers, here are some tips to get you started: 

• Capture the essence of the show in no more than five minutes – three minutes would be better. Hollywood producers are incredibly pressed for time, and have no patience. If they can’t “get” what your show would be like in a few minutes, they will almost certainly stop watching and pass on the project. 
• When possible and appropriate, add music to enhance the “feel” of the show. If, for example, the show is about an up and coming female martial artist, you might use high-energy rock music.
• Keep the video fast-paced, with lots of quick cuts between scenes.
• Capture some panic, anguish, excitement… something the execs can sink their teeth into.
• Use someone with a professional broadcasting voice to do a voiceover narration. If that’s not possible, just use captions to make it easy for the viewer to understand what’s going on onscreen. 

If you come up with a hot idea for a reality TV show and present it to producers in a professional manner, they will take you seriously – even if they’ve never heard of you before. And, if they like your idea… you could be on your way to a new career in the entertainment industry. 

[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a produced screenwriter who's had a multimillion-dollar film produced and released worldwide. He has signed two development deals to produce reality shows with established Hollywood television production companies. For more information on Paul's "How to Break Into Hollywood" program, just click right here.] 

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When “Winston” asked me to help him promote one of his products, I agreed to mention it in my e-mail newsletter. I told him that all he needed to do was give me a coded link for his landing page. 

If you’re at all involved in marketing on the Internet, you know that this is very basic stuff. By providing me with a link that includes a tracking code, Winston would know when a purchase was the result of the promotion in my newsletter. That’s how my profit share would be calculated. 

Among Internet marketers, this is like telling an ice cream truck driver that he needs a freezer to keep the ice cream frozen. 

Unfortunately, Winston didn’t know what I meant. He brought in his “IT” guy, who didn’t know what I was talking about either.

Eventually, after I gave them several examples of coded links and explained the process in half a dozen e-mails, they got it. 

At that point, I was sorry I’d gotten involved. I kept my word and gave Winston’s product a mention – however, I politely passed on any future collaboration.

When you’re dealing with a larger and more experienced company/businessperson, you must make it easy for them to work with you. And a huge part of that is knowing what you’re doing. You don’t have to be an expert by any means, but educating yourself on the basics is key.

If Winston had been prepared, he would’ve given some thought to my needs as a marketer and e-zine publisher. Naturally, I would want to know how he was going to track sales to calculate my percentage of the profits. Other ways he could have impressed me and made me more inclined to do future business with him would have been to show me statistics on how his product has sold to other competing lists and/or sales copy that he has tested and proved to be successful.

If you’re asking for help to advance your career or business, make sure you’re ready if the answer is “yes.” Because you may not get a second chance.

[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a successful entrepreneur and publisher who has started over a dozen profitable enterprises. To get more practical small-business tips, check out his "Street Smart" program.

Ready to jump-start your marketing knowledge? Check out Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business, Michael Masterson and ETR Publisher and CEO MaryEllen Tribby's bestselling book.]

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I’ve seen so many people like her – not only in sketch comedy but in every type of business – self-destruct because of one thing: They spend too much time trying to prove how talented they are. Not by delivering extraordinary results that can’t be ignored, but by boasting about minor successes that aren’t very impressive… criticizing others without being qualified to do so… and giving advice without being asked for it. In general, by rubbing just about everyone the wrong way.

That is not the way to form relationships that will lead you to success. As MaryEllen Tribby said in her article “Is Your Ego Bigger Than Your Skill Set? ” “Whether you are working in a corporate environment or on your own, you should always be building relationships. Relationships with your customers, your competitors, and certainly with your curre-nt and previous mentors. If you take these people for granted… and start putting yourself ahead of them… you’ll be burning valuable bridges.”

It’s worth taking a very candid look at yourself to make sure you aren’t letting your ego get in your way. If you deliver extraordinary results, your talent will be recognized. Forget about trying to prove your value any other way.

[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a business author and entrepreneur who owns and operates a six-figure Internet publishing company. He also produces the prestigious annual International Sketch Comedy Championships. For more information on his methods for success, check out his Dare to Live Your Dreams program

Discover how to prove your talent and become more successful with secrets used by billionaires right here. ]

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I mentioned to him that I know someone who makes a lot of money with instructional videos that teach Brazilians how to speak English. In fact, I’ve been thinking about creating a similar product for Latin Americans. And I pointed out that, with his knowledge of Japanese, he could easily create and market an instructional video for Japanese who want to learn English.

He was interested, so I explained the basics of how to get started. Will is currently loaded with debt (all the more reason to get a side business going). And because he has no money at all to fund this little venture, I offered to be his partner.

I agreed to produce the video at my expense and market it on my website. All Will had to do was appear in the video doing something he knows how to do very well. He wouldn’t have to put up a dime – and within a week’s time, he’d own half of a potentially very profitable business.

Well, it’s been a month since we had that conversation, and nothing has happened. Will has called a few times to ask a few questions… but there always seems to be something preventing him from taking the next step and coming up with an outline for the script.

Listen – you can always find some reason not to push yourself to move forward with a project. Maybe you’re not 100 percent sure it’s going to work… or you have never done anything like it before… or you have other things going on in your life. But if you let those things stand in your way, the opportunity will slip away and be gone for good.

As Michael Masterson says, “Ready, FIRE, Aim.” As soon as you know you’ve got a decent chance to succeed, jump in with both feet. If you wait for the “perfect” time, it will never happen – and you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering “what could have been.”

[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a successful entrepreneur and business author who has started over a dozen profitable enterprises. For more information on his "Dare to Live Your Dreams" program, click right here.

Need an extra dose of motivation? Proven tools for getting a new venture off the ground? Help moving forward with your goals? Success mentor Bob Cox can give you all this and more. Simply sign up for ETR's Total Success Achievement Program, and let Bob help you turn yourself into the person you've always wanted to be. ]

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Why bother? Because by keeping an eye on your competition, you can improve your own marketing efforts.

Be especially on the alert for sales promotions that you see over and over again. If your competitor keeps running the same ad… you can be pretty sure it’s working (i.e., bringing in lots of money). That’s your cue to try something similar.

[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is an entrepreneur and business author who's started over a dozen profitable enterprises with under $100 in capital. For more information on his Street Smart Business Program, click here.
For 12 marketing methods that can help you reach your prospective customers exactly at the moment they want to buy, pick up a copy of the Amazon.com bestseller Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business.]

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