How Baseball Games Are Won – And Fortunes Made
“Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona.” – George F. Will (“Men At Work”) It was an investment parable, in the form of a baseball game. I speak of the Oakland A’s game five loss to the Boston…
READ MOREImpress Your Boss by Keeping Him Informed
“I have made this [letter] longer, because I – have not had the time to make it shorter.” – Blaise Pascal If you want to impress your boss . . . whether you are new on the job or not . . . keep him periodically apprised of your progress…
READ MOREAn Honest Way to Make a Buck
“Honesty is the best image.” – Tom Wilson (in his “Ziggy” cartoon strip) Legendary adman James Webb Young, who started selling fruit by mail around the same time that Harry & David did, tells the story of an apple-growing season that nearly ruined him. Violent hailstorms bombarded his apple trees…
READ MORECan You Buy an Investment Property with No Money Down?
“A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it.” – Bob Hope Buying investment property with no money down is possible, though it s by no means common. Nor is it easy. Probably the most common type of “no-money-down” purchase…
READ MORE10 Reasons You Should Write a Book
“Believe one who has proved it. Believe an expert.” – Virgil (“The Aeneid”) When Internet marketing was becoming popular, Bob Bly, a specialist in writing direct mail and the editor of ETR’s Mailbox Millionaire program, worried that his lack of experience in this new field could harm his freelance copywriting…
READ MOREDon’t Waste Your Money on “Name Recognition”
“There is nothing worse than a sharp image of fuzzy concept.” – Ansel Adams Smart people do dumb things . . . and so do successful companies. Of all the foolish mistakes businesses make, the two that I see most often involve marketing. They are: 1. failing to develop and…
READ MOREHow to Use the New Tax Laws to Boost Your Net Worth, Part 3
“Let us consider the reason of the case. For nothing is law that is not reason.” – Sir John Powell If you’re ready to take profits in an investment real-estate deal, there’s an easy way you can boost your profits by 15% . . . or maybe even more .…
READ MOREUnderstanding Motives is Central to Successful Leadership
“When I’m inspired, I get excited because I can’t wait to see what I’ll come up with next.” – Dolly Parton People who are emotionally engaged in their work perform at higher levels than those who aren’t. When we bring emotional energy to our work, we increase commitment, creativity, productivity,…
READ MOREA Fundraising Tip that Can Help Direct-Mail Promotions
“Funny how the new things are the old things.” – Rudyard Kipling When I first got into direct marketing, I took a course in direct-mail copywriting with legendary copywriter Milt Pierce at New York University. One day, a student asked, “Professor Pierce, why is it that as soon as I…
READ MOREWhen to Kill Off a Business Idea
“What man knows is everywhere at war with what he wants.” – Joseph Wood Krutch Most people will spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars trying to keep a favorite business baby breathing. Yet studies say (and my experience confirms) that it’s almost never a good idea. After the…
READ MOREHow to Double Your Money Every Three Years
“No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.” – William Blake To double your money every three years, you need an average yearly profit of about 26%. Does that number seem low to you? If so, do the math. A hundred dollars becomes $126 after the…
READ MOREA Great Opportunity
Since agreeing to write a book on getting wealthy I’ve been thinking about how I – and the wealthy people I know – made their money. I’ve come up with four ways: · Saving more · Increasing your acumen · Investing in real estate · Creating a second stream of…
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