by tom spinks, kimberly spinks burleson and lindsay...

By Tom Spinks, Kimberly Spinks Burleson and Lindsay Spinks Shepherd

PRODUCT DETAILSHardcover: 392 pages Publisher: HCI (February 1, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 0757307140

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DIANE BINGHAMFromGlobalToYou.com

Provo, UTBingham transformed $20 into a million-dollar eBay business. Her know-how will help anyone seeking to start or improve a business on eBay.

TITUS BLAIRSword Sales Online

Bakersfield, CAStarting with only $100 and his computer skills, Blair grew one step at a time, reaching revenues of $3.25 million in 2004.

RYAN LEEPersonal Trainer University

New Canaan, CTIn an industry where many personal trainers have no idea how to market themselves, Lee has an innate ability for it and will share how he made it to the top.

JENNIFER NICHOLS My Wedding Favors

and Kate AspenBirmingham, AL and Atlanta, GA

After disappointing searches for a creative memento to give her guests at her upcoming wedding, she launched her own website with wedding favors. One month later, she received $10,000 in orders. The website now averages monthly sales of $350,000.

AMANDA RAAB Purepearls.com

Shiner, TXThe seed for Raab’s e-commerce business was planted when she stumbled across an article about pearls on the Internet.

YANIK SILVER Surefire Marketing, Inc.

Potomac, MDSilver launched a different take on Internet sales utilizing the most important commodity of all: information. He has built a multimillion-dollar Internet business himself, marketing everything from e-books to how-to packages and self-improvement courses.

JOSEPH TANTILLO GreekGear.com

Freeburg, ILTantillo formed a thriving online company selling T-shirts, sweatshirts, and just about anything else college kids might want that can be customized with their Greek organizations’ letters. He started in a spare bedroom, and now runs a 10,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility.

ROBERT G. ALLENBookWise™ & Company

San Diego, CAAllen is known for his popular realty books titled, Nothing Down: How to Buy Real Estate With Little or No Money Down that describe his experiences with real estate. After a devastating avalanche struck his home and wiped out his bank account, Allen began teaching seminars on financial success. Today, he is sought after for his advice and business tips across the country.



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KAREN NELSON BELLKaren Nelson Bell

Las Vegas, NVAfter a devastating job loss, Bell signed up as a “guinea pig” in a new protégé program where she learned how to use other people’s funding and credit to negotiate great deals and re-sell homes for a sizeable profit. Four months and nine days after starting the mentoring program, Bell became an equity millionaire.

LINDA COUGHLINMetro-Home NYC LLC

New York City, NYCoughlin rented a small portion of her townhouse out as a studio and one-bed-room unit to a B&B service, and often covered her entire month’s rent in just a few days. She then learned that as a rental agent, she could earn a finder’s fee equal to a month’s rent just by matching tenants with apartments. Then she began buying apartment leases and renting them on her own.

KIRK LANCASTERLancaster/Crowley

Investments LLCFort Worth, TX

Lancaster teaches how to find properties, how to purchase real estate notes, and how to become your own mortgage company for 23- to 30-percent returns.

STACEY SANTOSA Suite For You, Inc.

Albuquerque, NMSantos turned $9,000 into a million-dollar venture after discovering the niche in corporate housing and relocation. She learned that companies often used uncomfortable extended-stay hotels, so she decided to create fully-furnished apartments and homes with short-term leases where clients could spend their transition time.

GEORGE BOUDREAUX Boudreaux’s Butt Paste

Columbus, INBoudreaux, who is referred to as an icon of marketing, went from a simple pharmacist’s compound to a national multimillion-dollar phenomenon.

SHAWN DONEGAN Speed Rollers

Palm Harbor, FLWhile working in the coating and painting industry, Donegan searched for a faster way to paint. One sleepless night, he came up with the idea of using two paint rollers instead of one. And, with that idea, Speed Rollers® was born. His prototype was a hit at an annual industry convention in Las Vegas, and the orders poured in. He now sells the tools in Sherwin-Williams stores, on his website and through other stores.

PATRICK DORI Beach’n Billboard, Inc.

Leonia, NJDori’s idea of advertising in the sand started as a dream. His company is now making 3,000 to 5,000 imprints daily for advertisers on more than 600,000 square feet of each of its growing list of high-traffic beaches in the United States and abroad. His advertisers include Skippy, Snapple, 7-Up, Sobe, Yellow Book and Volvo.

REBECCA FINELL AND RYAN FERNANDEZ

Boon Inc.Tempe, AZ

Finell’s innovative Frog Pod, a scoop, drain and storage unit, had a prototype, a patent, and it was in demand. However, Finell encountered several manufacturing problems, and she lacked marketing experience. After a casual meeting with Fernandez, who had years of marketing experience, and who later became her partner, their company, Boon Inc., was soon putting products in stores across the country.



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J. J. MATISJ. J. Creations, Inc.Sherman Oaks, CA

After receiving many compliments on her custom-made Dodgers bag, she presented her business idea to the Dodgers and gained approval from Major League Baseball Properties. Starting with her own savings of $30,000, Matis has added more products to her line.

PETER VON DYCKZassi® Medical Evolutions, Inc.

Fernandina Beach, FLPeter von Dyck started by devouring medical textbooks and journals to gain enough knowledge to create his own medical product designs. His company has since developed a breakthrough device that is dramatically changing health care. After winning FDA clearance to commercialize the new technology in the U.S. market, he went on to sell it in more than twenty other countries.

TERRI BOWERSOCKTerri’s Consign & Design

Furnishings and Still N StyleTempe, AZ

Bowersock has dyslexia, and at age nineteen she drew up a business plan for a furniture consignment store with crayons and colored pencils. From an initial $2,000, Bowersock built sixteen stores across the country and made $36 million – without ever taking out a loan.

MARION BREMLove Chrysler, Inc.Corpus Christi, TX

No job, no résumé, no medical insurance, cancer and an ending marriage didn’t stop Brem from interviewing with several automobile dealers before one agreed to hire her. Along the way, she watched what worked, and what didn’t work, for herself and for others, and was soon named top salesperson at that dealership. These same techniques helped her find the $800,000 investor she needed to start her own car dealership.

ANDI BROWNHalo, Purely for Pets®

Palm Harbor, FLThe experience of using simple nutrition to nurse a cat with life-threatening problems back to health, put an idea in Brown’s head. She wanted to do the same for everyone else’s pet. After fifteen years of trials and tribulations, Brown’s company now sells thirty different products in 4,000 stores nationwide.

DOUG CANNINGDirtbag™ Clothing, Inc.

San Quentin, CAStarting in a modest apartment with $5,000, a couple of T-shirts and one simple logo, Canning launched his multimillion-dollar clothing empire with partner, John Alves.

AMANDA KENNEDYSassybax BrasLos Angeles, CA

After a glimpse in the mirror one evening, Kennedy was not happy when she noted that bulges in her back showed through a cashmere sweater. That led her to design a product that would create a smooth silhouette for any wearer. Her innovative thinking has generated $2.4 million in wholesale sales and growing.

KATHY PHILLIPSPrimitives By Kathy, Inc.

United States, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom

Phillips began with a single product, and sold $85,000 worth of it in four days during her first time at market. That first year, she grossed $1.4 million with the product. Today, she projects $13 million in earnings with a catalog of 2,800 products.



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CHRIS HAASAll Pro Freight Systems, Inc.

Cleveland, OHAfter spending time as a salesman in the freight business, Haas decided to start his own company. He began in his home, did paperwork in the morning, and made sales calls in the afternoon. Today, All Pro is a $40 million company, running 165 trucks out of four warehouses, with 250 trailers and over 100 employees.

BARBARA MARCUSParents in a Pinch

Brookline, MAMarcus never expected to be an entrepreneur, especially since she held good jobs all dealing with children. But when a pregnant friend wanted to sell half of her own company, Marcus jumped on this opportunity. Today, Parentsin a Pinch, a service providing backup in-home babysitting, is a million-dollar business operating out of most major U.S. cities, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

MATT MCINTYREPuritan Financial Group, Inc.

Addison, TXMcIntyre has seen the highs and lows of a career in insurance and financial planning. But a return to the core values of service, and a love for people, began to drive his business decisions in a new and better direction. The profits followed. His company’s mission is to help senior citizens create safe, workable plans for designing their retirement, with an approach that addresses health care, investments, and estate planning.

DAN NEWMANAeromedical Collections Service, Inc.

Shreveport, LAThis man who, at one time, couldn’t afford groceries, always worked hard, pushed hard and tried his hand at many business ventures. Newman met a man at church who was doing well in the collection business, so he asked a lot of questions and decided to give it a try. Today, that “small collection agency” has become the key source of Newman’s considerable fortune.

KEVIN SUMMERSPallet Supply of America

Dallas, TXSummers’ success goes to show that the simplest businesses are sometimes the best. Summers started out with no business plan or any specific goals, but he had an entrepreneur’s heart, a strong work ethic, and the dedication to give top-notch service to his customers. His pallet supply company grew step-by-step to annual revenues of more than $10 million.

WALLY AMOSFamous Amos Cookies,

Chip & Cookie™Los Angeles, CA, and

Oahu in Kailua, HIThough Amos endured tough experiences throughout his life in both business and in relationships, he kept pressing forward. His Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie business grew by leaps and bounds and became widely popular. But, with tough times ahead, he faced circumstances that would make most people give up. However, Amos isn’t like most people. He’s an expert at taking life’s lemons and making – chocolate chip cookies.

KEITH DANIELS SCHWARTZ Keith Daniels Designs, Divinity

Boutique and On Target PromotionsWarrensville Heights, OH

In Schwartz’s opinion, his business idea is nothing new. It’s simply a new take on tried-and-true products. His high-quality apparel including belts, ties, wallets and socks are sold for just dollars in grocery stores today, and he has built a multimillion-dollar business. His Keith Daniels Designs can be found in more than 6,000 stores in the United States, and his Divinity Boutique products are found in more than 1,000 stores worldwide.

DR. DANIEL T. DRUBIN4th Dimension

Tucson, AZAfter developing methods for optimizing efficiency and profitability in the chiropractic field, Drubin began teaching his colleagues the system, which helped them achieve the same success. The resulting practice management organization that Drubin and his colleague built encompassed five bases of operation, a thousand member doctors, thousands of assistants, and huge seminars every month. Drubin sold this company, moved to another city, and did the same thing all over again.



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PAULA LAMBERTThe Mozzarella Company

Dallas, TXAfter learning to make mozzarella by hand while visiting Italy, Lambert decided to open her own cheese factory in Dallas. Soon, the American cuisine scene began to embrace gourmet cooking and artisan-crafted products. The Mozzarella Company now makes 250,000 pounds of cheese annually, and is a multimillion-dollar business.

SAUL RUBIOLa Carreta Restaurant

Hammond, LARubio came to the sleepy college town of Hammond from the heart of Mexico. He opened one of the town’s first Mexican restaurants in Cajun country, where he now serves an average of 700 hungry guests every day. He duplicated his success by opening a sister eatery in Hammond, as well as two other La Carreta’s in surrounding areas. Rubio is happy to tell aspiring restaurant owners his secrets, and show his remarkable example of what it means to create the kind of service, quality, and atmosphere that keeps people coming back for more.

BILLY CUTHRELLProgressive Music Center

Raleigh, NCWhile sitting in the hallway, after being kicked out of class once again, Cuthrell was approached by the school’s band director, who introduced him to his first drum lesson. From that moment, the teen was transformed into a hardworking, focused young businessman who founded a successful band and an entire music school as well. He began with just a few students, but he worked his way up to several small locations. He used his combination of business and musical skills to expand and create the thriving school he runs today.

JACK FARRMotorSport Ranch

Cresson, TXFarr’s dream was barraged with roadblocks, overwhelming skepticism, negativity, and even ridicule. The question was, “Who would want to pay money to join a sports car country club?” But against, all naysayers, Farr started MotorSport Ranch, a 300-plus acre complex that includes two asphalt tracks, a two-story clubhouse, and 200 garages to house the members’ Ferraris, Porsches, Cobras, Vipers Corvettes, and Mustangs, and other high-speed weekend “hot wheels.”

BENJAMIN KNOXThe Benjamin Knox Gallery

College Station, TXKnox barely had enough funds to enroll in Texas A&M University, let alone finish college. But when he began drawing and selling pictures depicting his fellow military students, the idea caught on. Soon he was running a studio out of his dorm room. Today, his collective works include hundreds of paintings, and he owns his own gallery as well. He developed a remarkable home base, and became friends with such notables as Texas Governor Rick Perry and former President George H.W. Bush.

TITO BEVERIDGETito’s Handmade Vodka

Luling, TXThis hot, spicy spirit, served icy from the freezer, was such a hit with friends, that Beveridge had to explore its commercial possibilities. In his first year of business, his distillery produced 2,150 cases of vodka and sold it mostly by word of mouth. In 2004, Tito’s made, and sold, 57,000 cases to the tune of $5 million.

CURT JONESDippin’ DotsPaducah, KY

While working with Alltech Biotechnology, Jones helped start a feed division for growing special bacteria. One step in creating probiotics was to quick freeze bacteria cultures into a powder. The objective was to form the smallest ice crystals possible to preserve the bacteria in its freshest state. That’s when the idea of producing pelletized ice cream came to Jones. This ultimately led to an award-winning franchise system with thousands of locations around the globe.

NADJA PIATKANadja Foods

Edmonton, AlbertaWhen her twenty-year marriage ended, Piatka was “unemployed and unemployable,” with debt collectors knocking at her door. Piatka had an interest in baking, and had learned to keep her weight under control by what she called, “recipe makeovers.” Following a moment of humiliation with a debt collector, she baked low-fat muffins, put them in her car, drove to local, privately-owned coffee shops, and made deals with shop owners to be paid, only if the muffins sold. Her muffins flew off the shelves, and the business has since done more than $20 million in sales.



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LORIE LINELorie Line Music, Inc.

Wayzata, MNLine’s handwritten list of 500 people who had requested a CD that she had not yet made, has now grown to a database of over 125,000 ardent fans. She not only owns the company; she runs it. And she is in control of anything that touches her music, including set designs and musical arrangements, costume designs, distribution deals, recording, manufacturing, ticket sales, tour schedules, music publishing, and direct mail marketing. She has retained ownership to the rights to her music. She owns her sheet music, creates her catalog, and distributes her products from a small office building in her hometown.

TODD PLISSNew Look Products

Calabasas, CAPliss’ e-book, The Catabolic Diet, amassed over $2 million in sales via radio and television spots, most of which were paid for by the method known as “per-inquiry.” But he had a better idea. Armed with the knowledge from his book and contacts from his filmmaking, Pliss developed a program called the Catabolic Weight Loss System, produced a successful infomercial, and founded a direct-response marketing company.

TAMARA MONOSOFFMom Inventors, Inc.

Walnut Creek, CAAfter inventing the TP Saver, a solution designed to keep her ten-month-old daughter from pulling toilet paper off the roll and clogging the toilet, Monosoff launched a way to unite other mom inventors. Her new company was a Web-based collaborative resource for an entire community of moms and others who invent quality products dedicate to improving family life. This site also provides education on the process of transforming great ideas into marketable products.

by tom spinks, kimberly spinks burleson and lindsay...

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