Chinese take-out is big business in South Florida. But “Chang’s” never had a chance.

They opened, added their name to the sign at the plaza entrance… and that was it. No ads in the local paper, no insert in the Penny Saver, not even a guy sticking flyers under windshield wipers in the parking lot.

Have you assumed this same “build it and they will come” attitude with your business? You may have built a website and created products. But have you taken steps to build up your e-mail marketing list or optimize your site for Google searches?

You need to “channelize” your business by marketing via as many different channels as possible. That means getting the word out about your products through search engine optimization, pay-per-click campaigns, forum posts, e-mail marketing, direct mail, print ads, TV ads … every marketing channel that’s appropriate for your market.

As Michael Masterson and MaryEllen Tribby write in Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Million for Your Business:

“Your best customers are those who are motivated, financially capable of buying from you, and prepared to buy. If you don’t locate and convert these customers through a multi-channel, direct-response advertising campaign, then you are leaving dollars – perhaps millions of dollars – on the table.”

[Ed. Note: For even more tips to supercharge your marketing campaigns and increase your business's bottom line, check out Michael Masterson and MaryEllen Tribby's book on multi-channel marketing, Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business.]

Comment on this article

How do you find out what you need to know? By asking questions, of course.

But in a business environment, that simple practice all too often goes out the window.

Whether you’re intimidated by your boss, afraid to look dumb in front of a coworker, or embarrassed by your lack of knowledge, not asking questions can have serious consequences: failed plans, miscommunication, and stalled innovation.

Suppose, for example, you get assigned a new project by your superior. What you shouldn’t do: Spend three days trying to figure out what she meant by “Look at the 2005 results” when you have no idea what happened in 2005. What you should do: Go back down to her office the next day with a specific list of items you need clarified.

Or imagine you receive an e-mail with an attachment you can’t download. What you shouldn’t do: Spend hours trying to figure out the problem on your own. What you should do: Consult the IT department or ask the person to send you the file in another format.

I’m not advocating that you ask people in your company to hold your hand 24/7. You do have to figure things out on your own and do your own research. But don’t assume you know everything. And don’t be afraid to ask questions – “big picture” or very specific – when you know you don’t understand.

[Ed. Note: Have you ever been in a situation where you should have asked more questions, but didn't... and suffered the consequences? Let us know right here.]

Comment on this article

Whether it’s speaking to a group of peers at a company meeting, a group of potential clients, or a group of seminar attendees who are there to hear you share your knowledge, being a good public speaker can really pay off.

To be truthful, I was nervous about speaking in public when I was younger. Actually, terrified would be more accurate. However, I eventually overcame my fear and now get paid very handsomely as a featured speaker at business events.

The good news is that anyone can learn to be a good public speaker. Knowing how to capture the interest of your audience is a big part of it – and here’s one very effective technique for doing that: Tell them a story.

For example, at one conference, the main point I wanted to get across to my audience – a group of small-business entrepreneurs – was the importance of not overestimating their resources. But instead of boring them by trying to prove my point with a lot of statistics, I related a news story I’d recently read in a local South Florida paper.

It seems that the mangled remains of a giant snake had been found in a swamp. The snake apparently attempted to eat an alligator… and then actually exploded (partially digested alligator chunks were mixed in with the mess), because the alligator was just too big for the snake. “The snake,” I said, “had made the common – and sometimes fatal – mistake that I’m trying to keep you from making: overestimating its capacity.” The story got a big laugh, made my point in a way that my audience would remember, and completely won them over.

Next time you’re going to make a presentation, consider illustrating your point with a story. It’s one of the most effective public speaking tools I know.

[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is an accomplished public speaker and a successful business author. Get information about his course on how to make money with public speaking here.]

Comment on this article

Michael Masterson explains the system he uses every single day to set and achieve his business and personal goals. And you get a tour of his office, too!

[ETRVideos]rqCriPkLG2Q[/ETRVideos]

The end goals of direct-response marketing (DRM) and brand marketing are entirely different. Direct response wants to get the customer to provide information or open his wallet. Branding, on the other hand, wants to get the customer to remember the product.

But today, with the power of the Internet behind them, branding and DRM work more closely together… closer than they ever have in the history of advertising.

Think about Early to Rise. Because ETR is a true daily – delivered seven days a week and reaching close to 450,000 people – it has developed a certain “brand presence.”

By “brand presence,” we mean that ETR has a specific look and feel. It has a strong mission statement and specific core values. These are aspects of our “brand” that have been with us since ETR’s inception.

All of the products we produce carry our logo. So when you see our banner ads on other websites and text ads in other newsletters, you know by the logo that the ads come from ETR.

But at its heart, ETR is not a brand marketer. ETR is a direct-response e-newsletter. That’s how we developed our subscriber list. That’s how we’ve grown our business. And because we’ve been consistent with our message, our values, and our product quality, we’ve been able to create a brand presence that other people recognize. A brand can develop organically from good direct-response marketing.

For most small businesses (the non-Cokes and non-Nikes of the world), this is the best way to grow. Spend your money on great multi-channel direct-response campaigns and let your brand develop while you make money.

[Ed. Note: The above article is an excerpt from Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business, the best-selling book by MaryEllen Tribby and Michael Masterson. You don't have to be a CEO to put Changing the Channel's 12 Profit Accelerators into action. They can work whether you're a brand-new employee... or an entrepreneur... or the head honcho. If you don't yet have your copy of Changing the Channel, order it today.]

Comment on this article

An insurance agent named Tolbert had a remarkable ability to sell insurance. He’d been trained to sell people the most insurance that he could and he did it well, according to Stedman Graham in his book Build Your Own Life Brand. But although Tolbert was very successful, he was not happy.

Deep in his heart, he didn’t feel right about pushing people to buy more insurance than they probably needed. So, he changed his ways and started telling prospects the truth. If they asked him about policies they didn’t really need, he told them why he didn’t recommend them – even if it cost him a larger commission.

Then something happened that Tolbert hadn’t anticipated. His income didn’t drop. In fact, it shot way up. Turns out his clients had learned to trust him so much that they not only took all their insurance business to him, they enthusiastically recommended him to their friends and relatives.

I’m not surprised. I’ve found that whenever I’ve truthfully told a customer that the product he was interested in really wasn’t right for someone in his particular situation, I may have lost that sale… but almost always ended up gaining a long-term customer who bought many more of my products down the road.

Certain people skills are a crucial factor for success in business – and putting the needs of your customers first is one of them. You’ll find that your own interests will get served in the process.

[Ed. Note: Selling is not about making money – it’s about solving your customers’ problems. Get the skinny on this fundamental marketing principle – plus, dozens more sales strategies that work – right here.

Paul Lawrence is a produced screenwriter and successful small-business entrepreneur specializing in low-capital business start-ups. Get more information on his strategies for success right here. 

Comment on this article

A few weeks back, I visited my hometown (yeah, I grew up in Cucamonga, what’s it to ya?) to see my family. Pop still lives in the same house he bought just after WWII, and it’s hard for me not to feel like I’m 15 again when I’m there.

Not that I feel all young and vibrant. Naw. More like I get back in touch with how freakin’ clueless I was for the first half of my life.

It was a great childhood, a gruesome adolescence, and even now ghosts from my past haunt every corner of the neighborhood.

Always interesting/spooky/insightful to go back to old stomping grounds. I love my family. And I’m still chewing over how that town shaped who I am today. In fact, it got me pondering long and hard about what “makes” an entrepreneur.

A lot of people – including me – talk about the value of goals in launching any entrepreneurial venture. Figuring out what you truly want … setting a plan in motion to attain it … and following through.

There is, however, a difference between “understanding” goal-setting behavior … and actually DOING it.

So here is what I propose you do this weekend: Give yourself a brutal reality check.

Are you spending enough time figuring out what you really want to do when you grow up?

This is not a trick question. Most rookie goal-setters need to refine their skills at this over a frustrating period of time.

The first goals you set are likely to be things you actually don’t want, after all. There is an art to looking deep into your own heart and soul and coming to grips with what REALLY rocks your boat … and what will continue to make nice waves in your future.

It’s never enough to want to be “rich.” You must spend time thinking about what “rich” means to you. Not to your buddies or your colleagues or anyone else. You.

And if you decide you want to be filthy rich … well, you’ve got to do more than just set that as a goal. Ya gotta work out your plan to get there. With lots of little goals along the path.

If you’ve yet to make dime one online, for example, then a goal of becoming a billionaire online isn’t a goal … it’s a dream. You’ve got to earn your first buck. Then your second. And go on from there.

Your first goal may be to weed through all the info available out there … find the resources you feel you can trust … and dig in.

Those subsequent “dig in” steps – the actual goal-by-goal stepladder that will take you toward your desired destination – cannot be glossed over.

And there are consequences to consider. You may not yet know what awaits you as a cash-generating genius. But you sure can examine how your life starts to change as you go.

Every detail of your life can morph in strange ways when the money starts coming in. Your friends and family may wrestle (often unsuccessfully) with your rise in status, liquidity, and self-confidence.

It won’t always be pretty. But the more you “arm” yourself with insights like these, the less surprised you’ll be when you hit each milestone in your quest for a better life.

You’ll be … uh, what’s the word? … prepared.

Goals are great. But I’ve known too many people who ONLY set goals. They never go after them.

Movement is key. And you’ll feel better about moving toward your goals if you spend some serious time thinking about them.

Play with them. Mold them. Constantly put them through your “What if?” grinder. (What if you can’t do it with your first idea? Will you try again? Try something else? What?)

The “secret ingredient” of great goal setting is to cogitate obsessively on the consequences of actually meeting each goal once you set it. This not only helps you blow through failure … it also creates a “vision” of yourself that keeps your motivation hot.

This requires “forward thinking” … which doesn’t come with the default equipment you’re born with. Ya gotta exercise it.

Without goals, you’re just being taken for a ride by Fate.

Goals do not guarantee anything … except, once you take steps to attain them, you will move SOMEWHERE new in life. And you’ll be doing as much of the driving as possible.

Fate will still screw with you. But you’ll no longer be helpless.

At first, even five minutes of focused “forward thinking” will make you sweat and want to go do something else.

Get over it. Stick with it. Soon, you’ll be an ace at peering into the fog down the line, and you’ll be able to exert more control over events than you ever dreamed possible in your pre-goal-setting days.

This weekend, get your five minutes in. Move through the sweat and avoidance.

Jumpstart something new.

[Ed. Note: Now’s the perfect time to start setting your goals for making money in 2009. Follow Internet marketing expert John Carlton’s advice and take a little time this weekend to practice focused thinking. Once you know where you’re headed, pick up a copy of ETR’s 2008 Info Marketing Bootcamp DVD Library. It will give you dozens of money-making marketing ideas you can use to help accomplish those goals.

John Carlton is an expert copywriter, a pioneer in online marketing, and a teacher of killer sales copy. He knows marketing inside and out. Discover how to get your hands on the kick-ass secrets of the world’s smartest, happiest, and wealthiest marketers.

Comment on this article

Did you ever stop to think about the many words you encounter and use that are derived from the names of real people?

Linguists call such words eponyms (EP-uh-nims), from the Greek for “named after.” Eponym can also mean the person who inspired the word. The adjective is eponymous (eh-PON-uh-mus).

The list is long, but here are a few interesting examples:

• axel – a figure-skating maneuver. Named after Axel Paulsen (1855-1938), a champion skater.

• bowdlerize – to remove objectionable material from a written work. Named after Thomas Bowdler (1754-1825), who did so to Shakespeare.

• boycott – an organized social, economic, or political protest. Named after Charles C. Boycott (1832-97), a victim of the tactic.

• quisling – a traitor. Named after Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), pro-Nazi leader of Norway.

• sandwich – a… you guessed it!… sandwich. Named after the fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-92). As the story goes, he couldn’t tear himself away from the gambling tables, so an aide brought him a hand-held meal consisting of meat placed between two slices of bread.

Finally, let me tell you about the fascinating origin of the word “silhouette.”

Etienne de Silhouette (1709-67) served as finance minister of France. As my logophile friend Charles Harrington Elster notes, the parsimonious official imposed severe luxury taxes and stringent austerity measures in an attempt to revive the French economy after the Seven Years’ War. As a consequence, many things became, as people scornfully said, “mere shadows” of the originals. Thus, his name inspired the phrase “a la Silhouette,” meaning “on the cheap.” The phrase was used to describe pants made without pockets, coats made without folds – and the inexpensive shadow portraits that had just become popular in Paris.

If history is any indication, the names of at least a few people now living will one day inspire the creation of new words.

[Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was an award-winning independent direct-response copywriter and creative consultant. He is author of The Versatile Freelancer, an e-book recently published by AWAI that shows writers and other creative professionals how to diversify their careers into speaking, consulting, training, and critiquing.]

Comment on this article

“What are you doing for lunch today?” I asked Jessica Kurrle, ETR’s Marketing Director.

“Hmm… I definitely want a sub. I’ve had this sub song stuck in my head all morning. You know, the one that goes: ‘5… 5 dollar… 5 dollar foot-long.’”

“Oh,” I said “The Subway song.”

“Is that what it’s for? I didn’t remember that it was for Subway, just the song. I can’t get it out of my head. And it’s making me crave a sub sandwich.”

Jessica is always thinking like a marketer. After a second’s reflection, she commented: “That’s not very good marketing, actually. They did a good job coming up with a catchy tune and lyrics – but they didn’t clearly connect that to their particular brand. It’s like they’re advertising for subs in general, not Subway.”

No matter what product you’re marketing, keep this in mind. As Jessica says, “Make sure you market for the brand and not just the product.”

For example, a great commercial pointing out the benefits of a trampoline exercise would boost all trampoline sales. But if you own Joe’s Trampolines and you’re paying for that commercial, you want to stress that only Joe’s Trampolines have the highest-grade elastic material, with the right amount of buoyancy to give you the optimum workout.

[Ed. Note: When you market your product, you want people to think of you... not someone else! You can get specific, easy-to-follow advice on how to make your advertising sell with Eugene Schwartz's Breakthrough Advertising. The strategies you'll find inside have made billions over the years. Find out how much they can help you.]

Comment on this article

“This is terrible!” Michael Masterson told me. He was talking about ETR’s upcoming Info Marketing Bootcamp. And I was shocked beyond words.

Here’s what led him to say such a thing about ETR’s biggest event of the year…

Now Friday at 5:00 is hardly the time I wanted to get into a “debate” with Michael. But I walked right into it last week. I was telling him about all the fabulous “extras” we’re packing into Bootcamp this year.

That means, on top of the $1.2 million worth of advice from 12 of the world’s top Internet marketing experts, our Bootcamp will also offer:

• An info marketing Jeopardy-style game – during which our attendees have a chance to win exciting prizes. That’s including our grand prize, worth $4,000!

• A VIP networking gala for our Internet Money Club members. Our VIPs will have the chance to sit down, one-on-one, with people like Rich Schefren, David Cross, Yanik Silver, Alex Mandossian, and me. (That’s right – they’ll get targeted, personalized advice from some of the biggest superstars in Internet marketing.)

• A ’50s night cocktail party. Not only will this party provide attendees with the perfect no-pressure venue for meeting up with people in their industries, it’s a great chance for them to have a personal chat with me, Michael Masterson, or any of the ETR staff. Plus, the winner of the best costume will receive a one-of-a-kind prize that cannot be gotten anywhere else.

• An elegant sit-down awards luncheon. Every attendee is invited to see me hand out four very special awards to people who have influenced or changed our industry. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award is going to Bob Bly – and those who’ve never seen Bob are in for a treat. Every time he presents, the audience goes wild, and the laughter and applause go on and on. This could be one of the last times Bob will ever do it. He’s officially retired from speaking, but agreed to come out of retirement to share some of his six-figure ideas with Bootcamp attendees.

• A chance for attendees to meet and speak with their favorite ETR contributors. You see, many of ETR’s expert contributors will be attending this year’s event, even though they are not speaking. They are coming to mingle and spend time with our guests and other experts.

And, of course, I noted that Bootcamp is the only ETR event at which Michael speaks.

I was so proud of myself and my team for putting this incredible event together. “This is by far the best event line-up I have ever seen for any conference we have held or for any outside event I’ve attended,” I told Michael confidently.

“Any event can get good speakers… even great speakers,” I said. “But even though it adds a huge expense to our bottom line, I firmly believe that ‘extras’ – like our parties and lunches and networking opportunities – can turn a good event into a great one.

“Plus,” I went on, “we have speakers who are doers. Our experts are not professional circuit speakers. They have made millions doing what they do. And they are teaching their money-making techniques at this year’s Bootcamp.”

I explained that we have feedback from previous years’ attendees who have praised our networking events. That’s where they had the opportunity to make contact not only with our expert speakers but with other attendees who often ended up being their business partners. And that is why they come back year after year.

That’s when Michael said those jaw-dropping words: “This is terrible.”

I could hardly get my question out: “Why?”

Michael agreed that we did indeed do a fantastic job of putting events together, as far as getting the best cutting-edge speakers and over-delivering on our promises. He said that I was absolutely doing the right thing by adding all the “extras.” In fact, he said, the extras are what differentiate ETR’s conferences from everyone else’s.

What was terrible, Michael said, was that we’ve been doing an awful job of letting ETR readers know about all those extras.

He said that you deserved to hear everything I had just told him. That you wanted to know about ALL of the opportunities to accelerate your business growth – not just the incredible speaker sessions.

So here it is… here is the full agenda for this year’s Info Marketing Bootcamp. It starts Sunday, November 9 at 3:00 p.m…. and is going to pretty much keep going until you cannot keep your eyes open any longer.

Bootcamp 2008 Agenda

Sunday, November 9

3:00-5:30 p.m. Bootcamp Registration - We will be handing out all of the conference materials, which will be invaluable in preparing you for the week’s events. You will also learn about each speaker – know in advance who to approach in the hallway or at the networking events.

5:30-7:30 p.m. Conference Welcome and Opening Session With Michael Masterson – Bootcamp is your only chance to see Michael Masterson speak all year… and he will appear only twice at this year’s event. Michael always shares his most powerful business-building secrets (not to mention some juicy insider stories) during his opening speech, and this year won’t be any different. Don’t miss out!

7:30-9:30 p.m. Networking Gala and Staff/Speaker Meet and Greet – A big part of Bootcamp is getting to know your fellow attendees. These are potential business partners, after all. Of course, you also have the opportunity to pick the brains of the Early to Rise staff and our marketing experts to get a little “off the record” advice. And what better way to get acquainted than with a few cocktails and hors d’oeuvres?

As if that isn’t enough, we’ll be hosting our first round of “Info Marketing Jeopardy” with our very own Alex Trebek, nationally known comedian Peter Fogel. Contestants are eligible to win a prize worth thousands by answering questions about direct marketing, information publishing, online marketing, and more. Details will be included in the on-site registration materials.

Monday, November 10

7:00-8:00 a.m. Networking Breakfast – Continue the conversation with your new “conference buddies” over coffee and bagels bright and early. Then mentally prepare yourself for the first full day of Bootcamp. By the end of the conference, you’ll be well on your way to a new life as an Internet entrepreneur.

8:00-10:00 a.m. Get a sneak peak at MaryEllen Tribby and Michael Masterson’s new book, Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business. This is the first book co-authored by these two marketing powerhouses, and they’re going to tell you why you risk leaving millions on the table if you don’t make multi-channel marketing part of your business. Better yet, they’re going to tell you exactly how to do it.

10:00-10:15 a.m. Stretch Break – A great time to stretch your legs and grab a drink (or that last cup of coffee). But don’t be late for the next session. We are sticking to our jam-packed schedule.

10:15-11:45 a.m. The Early to Rise subscriber list recently broke 400,000. MaryEllen, David Cross, and Brian Edmondson tell you step-by-step how we did it and how you can do the same – even if you’re starting from zero.

11:45a.m.-12:45 p.m. Lunch Break – The Delray Beach Marriott has some very nice restaurants just steps from our conference room. The on-property Seacrest Grill and the Cascades Poolside Grill serve American classics. To expedite lunch service, the Marriott will also set up a cash-and-go buffet in O’Grady’s in the lobby.

12:45-2:45 p.m. Web 2.0 (and even 3.0) marketing expert Rich Schefren highlights what you need to know about social networking, blogs, online chat rooms, and other social media… and how to use this new technology to grow your business and make a sizable profit. And don’t get thrown off if you’re not familiar with the subject. Rich has a knack for explaining Web trends in plain language.

2:45-3:00 p.m. Stretch Break

3:00-4:30 p.m. You don’t have a business without products. And serial entrepreneur Marc Charles is here to help you find not just products, but products you can be proud of that will sell like crazy to your target market. Marc will also reveal the details of one the most important secrets of business: You don’t tell the market what it wants, the market tells you.

4:30-4:45 p.m. Stretch Break

4:45-6:45 p.m. Internet entrepreneur Yanik Silver was a one-man show when he started out and didn’t have much start-up capital. But he has grown a multimillion-dollar business working from home by harnessing the power of two marketing channels, joint ventures and affiliate marketing.

7:00-8:30 p.m. VIP Reception – This is an exclusive gathering of Internet Money Club members, as well as other VIPs. The Early to Rise staff and our expert speakers will also be on hand. Get a critique of your business plan, get help with your marketing plan, learn copywriting secrets from the best in the business. This will be the place to do all that – and more! And don’t forget, you’ll enjoy gourmet food and drink in an outdoor, tropical setting.

Tuesday, November 11

7:00-8:00 a.m. Networking Breakfast

8:00-8:15 a.m. Monday Recap – Alex Mandossian, our emcee, believes that repetition of key concepts is a vital part of learning. So first thing each morning, he will go over the main points of the previous day’s presentations. Be prepared, because he will be placing you and your fellow attendees into discussion groups to talk about what you’ve learned so far.

8:15-9:45 a.m. Two of Agora Inc.’s top copywriters, John Forde and Charlie Byrne, share the stage to teach you how to sell with words. And they share with you the powerful writing secrets that have allowed them to sell millions of dollars’ worth of products every year. Learn to grab your customer by the wallet with the written word.

9:45-10:00 a.m. Stretch Break

10:00-10:15 a.m. Info Marketing Jeopardy, Round 2

10:15-11:45 a.m. Search engine optimization expert John Phillips tells you what Google doesn’t want you to hear: how to “game” their system to get a high ranking (even #1) in their search results. It’s all part of doing business online and perfectly ethical, of course. As John says, “What’s good for Google is good for the customer.”

11:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Early to Rise Awards Luncheon – We honor the best in the information-marketing business during this luncheon hosted by ETR Publisher and CEO MaryEllen Tribby. Honorees were rigorously selected and adhere to the highest ethical standards, while running extremely profitable businesses. Their success is something to aim for. Lunch will be provided – it’s on us.

1:45-3:45 p.m. Howie Jacobson has been working with Google AdWords, the Internet’s premier pay-per-click ad service, since the beginning. Heck, he literally wrote the book on Google AdWords. So he’s well qualified to show you how to bring huge amounts of traffic (that means prospective customers) to your website by using just three-line text ads.

3:45-4:00 p.m. Stretch Break

4:00-4:15 p.m. Info Marketing Jeopardy, Round 3

4:15-6:15 p.m. Alex Mandossian steps out of his role as emcee and takes the stage as a presenter to reveal how you can make money with just your voice and a telephone. Using teleseminars as the main component of his information-marketing business has allowed Alex to turn what used to be his yearly income into an hourly income.

7:00-9:00 p.m. Networking Sock Hop and Changing the Channel Book Signing – Yes, you read correctly. Get on your dancing shoes and your best “Grease” costume. We’re hosting a ’50s-themed party, and there will be plenty of music and entertainment. There will even be a contest for best costume.

This night will also be your chance to get a copy of Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business - signed by the authors themselves, Michael Masterson and MaryEllen Tribby.

Wednesday, November 12

7:00-8:00 a.m. Networking Breakfast

8:00-8:15 a.m. Tuesday Recap With Our Emcee, Alex Mandossian

8:15-10:15 a.m. Buck Rizvi and Brock Felt escaped from the toil of the corporate world and struck out on their own. With techniques you can easily “copy,” they made millions using online direct marketing to sell high-quality products. These are regular guys. (You’ll see during their presentation.) If they can do it, so can you.

10:15-10:30 a.m. Stretch Break

10:30-11:45 a.m. Info-Marketing FINAL Jeopardy – The final round of our little game show. The winning contestant will receive the grand prize:… well, we don’t want to spoil the surprise. You’ll have to watch to find out what it is.

10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. David Cross, Agora’s Senior Internet Consultant, and Internet entrepreneur and success coach Brian Edmondson take everything you’ve learned at Bootcamp and tie it together… and give you an action plan for when you get home and start working on your business.

12:30-1:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30-3:15 p.m. The Expert Panel - We gather the experts you’ve heard from over the past three days and put them on the hot seat.

3:15-3:30 p.m. Closing Remarks – MaryEllen and Michael Masterson bid you farewell and good luck. And encourage you to let us know how you are doing over the next several months. We’re dedicated to making your business a success.

* * * * *

So there you have it.

ETR’s 2008 Bootcamp is going to teach you how to start and grow a blockbuster Internet business. In fact, it could help you earn $1.2 million in 2009. But, as you can see, the sessions with our experts are just a part of what you’ll get as a Bootcamp attendee.

Michael was right. I should have sent you this note weeks ago. Because of that, I’m going to re-open our Early Bird offer until this coming Monday. That means you have three days to sign up for Bootcamp and still get a $200 discount on the price. This is the absolute final chance to get $200 off when you sign up. But I must warn you, there are not a lot of spots left. So sign up right now.

And one last thing…

Because of that conversation I had with Michael, a new column has been born. Each week, I will write you a letter giving you an inside look at something that has happened in our business that made a difference to how we run ETR. You, in turn, can take that experience and apply it to your own business.

Sign up for Bootcamp. And keep reading my new column to get a publisher’s perspective on business online.

[Ed. Note: Have you signed up for Bootcamp yet? If so, what are you looking forward to the most? Let us know right here.

If you haven't signed up for Bootcamp yet, what are you waiting for? MaryEllen revealed exactly what you'll be missing - and those are just the extras! Learn which experts will be disclosing their $100,000 ideas right here. And don't forget - your chance to get $200 off the price of Bootcamp ends this Monday.]

Comment on this article

It’s scary. Today’s financial crisis threatens the livelihood of almost everyone – whether you have a full-time job, are self-employed, or own a business.

Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself. Here’s one strategy.

For more than 30 years, I was a freelance advertising copywriter. Although writing generated most of my income, I simultaneously had several lucrative sidelines…

• Public speaking: I spoke at industry conferences, professional seminars, trade lunches, and similar events.
• Corporate training: I taught and coached at client companies, helping staffers sharpen their copywriting and marketing skills.
• Consulting: I showed publishers how to get better results from their direct-mail campaigns.
• Critiquing: I evaluated companies’ advertising and suggested ways it could be improved.

For each assignment – and most didn’t require a lot of time – I charged between $2,000 and $10,000.

But I’m far from alone. Many other people, in numerous fields, have successfully made this transition…

A career counselor became a consultant and corporate trainer. A psychotherapist morphed into a wildly popular speaker at business gatherings. A travel writer gives travel-writing seminars. A book editor critiques manuscripts for authors, and is so busy that he has a waiting list. An employee quit his job, turned his former employer into his first client, and wound up making twice his previous salary – for one-fourth the time.

Consider a friend of mine. For a while, he was well compensated by a major airline – for teaching its mechanics how to write better! Who would have guessed?

Whatever work you do, you have knowledge and experience that are of potential value to others. You may be able to communicate it – and make money in the process.

How does this help in the current painful climate? Diversifying the skills and services you offer gives you an “insurance policy” of sorts against a recessionary economy.

This is the subject of The Versatile Freelancer, my new e-book. I researched and wrote it this year, during a period of economic gloom, unemployment, bank failures, foreclosures, plunging stock indexes, and fears of recession. Yet all the professionals I interviewed told me that their practices were unaffected and that they were doing as well as ever, or even better! Many attributed that happy situation to their versatility: Their services and specialties include some or all of those cited above.

Why does career diversification protect you? The answer is simple.

You can boast a wider portfolio of skills and services. You have not just one source of revenue, but “multiple streams of income.” If one declines, another can take its place.

And there are more reasons. During tough periods, companies trim their staffs or don’t hire as they normally would. An outside consultant or trainer, a one-time project, a lower-priced service – these can be attractive options. You’re also in an ideal position to promote yourself by speaking at business conferences and other industry events. When people are desperate, they’re eager to hear solutions.

The experience of one veteran copywriter I know confirms all of these points. She told me that her primary work keeps her busy in prosperous periods, while consulting and critiquing assignments pick up in bad times such as those we’re experiencing now.

You say you don’t have terrific public speaking abilities? No problem. To do these things, you don’t need to be a spellbinding speaker. I’m not, yet my presentations were always well received. How come? What’s most important is the quality of the content you deliver.

How do you begin? Try this three-step procedure. For best results, do it in writing.

1. Take an inventory of your background, experience, skills, achievements. Do you have a track record of proven accomplishments – for instance, increasing profits, cutting costs, solving problems, coming up with innovative ideas?

2. Determine who might pay you for that knowledge. Consider companies or organizations where you have contacts, or others you can research. As my example of the airline-mechanic writing tutor demonstrates, hidden opportunities lurk in the most surprising places. Think creatively.

3. Match your expertise to the market’s needs and approach your targets. Submit a proposal. If you know the appropriate executives, you have an edge. Cold calls are more challenging, but not impossible.

Of course, limits exist. According to a Wall Street Journal article, no industry or profession is 100 percent recession-proof. But expanding the range of skills and services you provide may come as close as possible to the perfect strategy for protecting yourself in all types of economic climates.

[Ed. Note: Don Hauptman writes ETR's Saturday column, "The Language Perfectionist." The above article was adapted from his just-published e-book The Versatile Freelancer: How Writers and Other Creative Professionals Can Generate More Income by Seizing New Opportunities in Critiquing, Consulting, Training, and Presenting. The book comes with a free bonus report and a 100 percent money-back guarantee of satisfaction. Order your copy without risk here.]

Comment on this article

At what age are you too old to start a new career or business?

I have thought at various times in my life (I am now 51) that the cut-off age was 50… 60… or even 70.

There were two reasons I believed you’d reach a point where starting over just wasn’t practical anymore.

The first, and lesser, was sheer age and lifespan: the idea that when there are many more years behind you than ahead of you, your time to enjoy the fruits of whatever labors you pursue is too limited.

The second reason I believed there was a cut-off date for starting a new career, learning a new trade, or launching a new small business was lack of experience.

For instance, one of the many careers I considered in my youth was the law. But I decided pursuing that in my later years was impractical.

Reason: Say, hypothetically, you were to graduate law school at age 45. You compete against two groups.

The first group is other 45-year-old lawyers who are the same age as you – but have 20 years of law experience vs. your zero years.

The other group you compete against is your classmates. Like you, they are new to the law. But being in their 20s and single, instead of 45 and having a mortgage and three kids in college, they can afford to work for starting salaries too small to meet your needs.

However, actor Abe Vigoda has changed my mind about all this. And my opinion today is that it is NEVER too late to learn new things, start a new business, switch careers, or go into a different industry. (Abe Vigoda, if the name does not ring a bell, is the dour-faced actor famous for playing the character Fish on the TV sitcom “Barney Miller.”)

On the Internet recently, I read a short interview with Vigoda, who is still a working actor at age 87. It reminded me that his big break was his first movie, “The Godfather,” in which he played Sal Tessio.

Well, “The Godfather” was released in 1972. So if you do the math, Vigoda didn’t begin his movie career until he was over 50. More impressive is that, at age 87, Vigoda – who, pardon me, has a slightly cadaverous appearance that makes him look ready for the Old Folks Home – is still a competitive handball player.

If Abe Vigoda could get his first movie role at over 50 – beating out actors his age who had decades more credentials and experience – then I am convinced that you and I can start a new career or business at any age.

As an older entrepreneur or career changer, you will likely have some advantages over your younger colleagues, peers, and competitors – such as greater life experience and wisdom to draw upon when making decisions.

You may have some disadvantages, too – including (possibly) less energy, less flexibility, and less adaptability to new technologies and methods. Then again, maybe not. It depends on your personality – and your circumstances. If you are a retired empty-nester, you may actually have more time, freedom, and flexibility, not less.

If you are still working for a paycheck because you have to and not because you want to, it may take a greater degree of courage and fortitude to make any major business, career, or life change. But I know from firsthand experience that 50 is not too old to make a major change. And from that, I am guessing that your age won’t stop you, either.

I started a small online information marketing business as I was closing in on my fiftieth birthday. I kept my day job as a freelance copywriter, while putting in long hours to get the new business started. But today, I earn a six-figure passive income from that business, selling information products on the Internet and “working” only an hour or two a day. Meanwhile, entering a new field has energized and renewed me in a way I never thought possible.

If your gut tells you that you are ready for a change, you probably are.

I close with this piece of wisdom from Milton Hershey, founder of Hershey Chocolate:

“I have often been asked – What is the best age for producing? I know only one answer, the age you are now.”

[Ed. Note: As copywriting master and experienced info-marketer Bob Bly said, it's NEVER too late to start your own business. Now's the perfect opportunity to get your online business up and running. Bob will be speaking at ETR's 2008 Info-Marketing Bootcamp. He - along with 11 other business-building and marketing experts - will reveal a proven technique that can help you make at least $100,000 in 2009. Learn the details here.

For expert insights into the world of direct marketing, be sure to sign up for Bob's free monthly newsletter, The Direct Response Letter. Do so today and get over $100 in free bonuses.]

A simple 10-word question. That’s all you need to increase sales, close deals, and cement profitable relationships with clients and customers.

I’ve used this technique to generate millions of dollars in sales. And the best salesmen and entrepreneurs know this strategy, too. They use it every day. It’s the key to their success.

It doesn’t make any difference if you’re selling in person, on the radio or TV, in an e-mail newsletter, or via direct mail. When it’s time to close the sale, ask:

“What can I do to make this work for you?”

I know… it sounds like a used-car pitch. But if you think about it, you’ll understand the wisdom behind this technique.

When most people try to close a sale, they’re thinking about themselves and what they want. But the best sales gurus think about what the prospect wants or needs. Then, when they really understand what it’s going to take to “make this work” for the prospect, they craft an appropriate proposal and close around it.

Simply ask your prospects what you can do to make the deal work for them, and – 98 percent of the time – they’ll tell you!

[Ed. Note: Marc Charles is an expert at discovering low-effort business opportunities with high profit potential And now you have the chance to meet him in person... and pick his brain about the best entrepreneurial ventures around. Just sign up for ETR's 2008 Information Marketing Bootcamp. Not only will you get to hear about Marc's freshest business opportunities, you'll also get insight into the Internet's hottest trends from 11 other money-making masters. And be prepared to be blown away. We've insisted that each speaker share at least one idea that could place $100,000 cash money in your pocket within just 12 months or less... regardless of your current level of skill, expertise, or the state of your business. Learn how to reserve your spot right here.]