The Empty Restaurant
Entering the piazza, we saw that we had the choice of four restaurants: one that was very busy, two that were moderately busy, and one that had just one couple sitting at a table in the back.
Which do you think we picked?
READ MOREA Summer Across the Pond
We got a lot of feedback on last week’s piece about the importance of starting your day off on the right foot. I also gave you a special look at Michael Masterson’s daily routine. Here’s just one email we got, from Rita: Michael Masterson’s daily routine is an inspiration to…
READ MOREBuild a Website, Change a Life
One of the most touching stories I heard this week was from Dr. Mark Mauldin, a practicing ER physician from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.Some people came to our 5 Days in July Conference looking for a part-time or full-time income stream. But it’s not just about the money. “We…
READ MORESo how, exactly, can you tell if your business idea will be profitable
There are several indicators… Now I can’t give away all of the secrets that have been shared with us so far, but I would like to give you an idea of the kind of tips we’ve been getting… because they’re so good. Example: Let’s say your passion is antique engagement…
READ MOREUnderneath the Mango Tree
My hometown “Paradise by the Sea” of Delray Beach, Florida is not only blessed with miles of gorgeous sandy beaches… lined with dozens of casual, eclectic, and gourmet restaurants… and overflowing with hip clubs and art galleries… It’s also home to a huge number of… drum roll, please. Mango trees.…
READ MOREThe Ninja Turtle Marketing Strategy
About 15 years ago, traveling to California with K and Number Three Son, I met one of the originators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
He was sitting next to my son. We got to talking. My son was a big fan of the turtles back then. This guy, I forget his name, drew a turtle for him.
I asked him how he came up with such a creative idea.
“It wasn’t creative at all,” he said. “It was a calculated marketing strategy.”
READ MOREThey Pay You to Do What?
December 1988: I’ve got no job, no money, and seemingly no prospects. Maybe you’d rate digging around in an organic vegetable plot in western Ireland as a fantastic prospect, but not me. I can tell you that organic gardening is bloody hard work for little reward. Rain… mud… frostbitten toes. Slugs… snails… rabbits. The end result? Lettuces and cabbages that resemble lace curtains.
READ MOREA Checklist for Breakthrough Sales Copy
I have always seen myself as a kindly, helpful soul — but clearly my memory fails me.
Back in my Ogilvy & Mather Direct days, people quickly turned their computer screens blank whenever I materialized in the creative department. Seems I had the nasty habit of reading the sales copy they were writing out loud and making derisive comments.
READ MOREThe Only Business Start-Up Strategy I Recommend
When Mary Kay Ash retired from her job in 1963, she took her life savings, $5,000, and opened her own business. Boy, did it pay off! Mary Kay Cosmetics is now a billion-dollar company.
READ MOREThe Instant Business in WordPress
If you can write a letter in Microsoft Word, you can build your very own website.
With the WordPress publishing platform, there’s no need to hire an overpriced Web designer or graphics expert.
READ MOREOver-the-Hill “Dabbler” Discovers the M-P-N Formula for Success
For 22 years, I tried to crack the code for running my own successful business. One that would actually support my family and allow me to “thumb my nose” at The Man.
Ad sales, life insurance, soy candles, and software consulting are a few of my attempts at a home business during those years. None of them generated enough revenue for me to quit my corporate job.
READ MOREThe New Paradigm That Built a $290 Million Online Business
More than a decade ago, Agora Inc., ETR’s parent company, decided to test a theory — to see whether the direct-marketing methods they used to run a profitable publishing business offline could be adapted to run one online.
Did the test work?
READ MORE