The first day, our new restaurant was jam-packed. People queued up to sample the food, and we immediately made a profit. We had an incredible chef, and the waiters were efficient and always full of alacrity. The restaurant thrived that whole summer, and our reputation spread across town.

Forget that Wal-Mart employs 1.3 million people in the U.S. alone. Forget that it saves consumers billions of dollars each year on retail purchases. Forget that its employees, on average, earn about double the minimum wage. The word from some disgruntled employees is that Wal-Mart doesn’t treat its employees “fairly” – whatever that’s supposed to mean.

A big article about your business in a publication (online or offline) – or even a brief mention on television – can catapult you to a whole new level of success. That kind of exposure just can’t be bought at any price. As a result, there are hordes of businesses trying to attract the media – and that makes it difficult for you to stand out from the crowd. Difficult… but not impossible.

New copywriters write me all the time, asking how to get a high-paying gig. A desperate few just want to know how to get any assignment.

The vast majority of entrepreneurs I meet – even mom-and-pops and small-business owners who operate out of their homes – spend thousands of dollars on hiring so-called experts to advise them on how to make their businesses more successful.

You’ve got a great idea for a new product. And you’ve been reading ETR long enough to know that before you can even consider using that product to launch a business, you have to find out if people will buy it. One of our recommendations has been to try it out at a street fair.