e-Wealth Daily: Free Ways to Make Quick Money, Ways to Become Rich

Every day, I get a pile of mail that includes letters describing various ideas and inventions, and while I try to get through all of these letters, it's impossible for me to read every piece of mail.

However, sometimes I get to sit down for 10 minutes and read over a few letters. What I tend to get are handwritten notes touting a brand-new invention that is going to be a huge success. Many people also mention in their letters that while they can't tell me what the invention is, they would like me to invest $50,000 in it.

I sincerely hope this isn't how they are approaching all of their investors.

You see, creating a professional proposal is key to getting funding for your idea or invention. Handwritten notes — no matter how good your penmanship is — just won't cut it.

Plus, I've never heard of anyone investing in an invention without knowing the details of it first. It just doesn't happen.

But I don't want to focus on these negatives; I want to help you.

Here are some tips on how to create an invention proposal:

Use a computer. Because you're getting this e-mail, I'm assuming that you have access to a computer. So what's stopping you from typing up your proposal? Like I said, even if you have the clearest handwriting in the world, nothing can doom a proposal faster than a handwritten letter.
Start with just one simple letter outlining your invention. I understand why you wouldn't want to reveal your invention because you don't want someone else to steal it. However, asking someone to send you money without telling him what your idea is about won't get you results, either. So what do you do?
Send the potential investor a letter informing them of your invention. Tell them the market it will be offered to and how it could improve a specific industry. Then, instead of asking for money, ask if they would please follow up with you for more information. If they're interested, they'll call.
If they want more information, give it to them. So, let's say a prospective investor calls you and asks for more information.

The next thing you will want to do is ask them to sign a confidentiality agreement so they don't steal or sell your idea. Fax it to them and have them fax you back a signed copy.
If you don't have a fax, go to Kinko's. It's important. Once again, if they're serious, they'll sign. Once you have a signed agreement, you can then send them your proposal.
Make your proposal sparkle. I've received ideas drawn on cocktail napkins before. Seriously. While some ideas need to be written down as quickly as possible, even if it's on a cocktail napkin, when asking for funding, copy it onto paper.

Here's a note, while handwritten letters are a no-no, hand- drawn designs are okay. Just make the diagram appear as professional as possible. Use blank ink on high-quality white paper. Use rulers and other tools to make straight lines. Print clearly how the invention works and include its proper dimensions.
You will also need to include all your market research in this proposal. Do your homework and have a lot of information on the industry that this invention will augment. Add any media coverage of the industry that further cements the need for your invention. Finally, when asking for funding, be specific and outline exactly where the money will go. Research and development, manufacturing, and marketing are all good categories to include.

Remember: Investors get a lot of proposals every day and cannot look through all of them. You don't want to be disappointed if someone doesn't get back to you. The more you send out, the better your chances are of getting a response. Like I said, I can't possibly read all of the proposals I get. However, if I see yours and it's done professionally, I might just give you a call.

** Model Your Life After Someone Else's and Duplicate Success
By Doug D'Anna, the "Hundred-Million-Dollar Man"

People have heroes and they have role models. However, they very often choose them for the wrong reasons. Teenagers, for example, have the habit of choosing musicians, entertainers, and popular icons as their leaders. Most times, it is out of admiration for the wrong things: for beauty, for money, or for shock value.

There is a lack of constructive reasoning given to the person's attributes. What they admire is not constructive, and is more aligned with envy than wanting to emulate good behavior.

If you want to choose a true mentor -- one who will take you to your outer limits of potential — you should be looking for characteristics such as honesty, integrity, truthfulness, respectfulness, and insight. You want to choose someone who doesn't give up easily, who possesses a good work ethic, and who has the ability to achieve his goals.

A role model is not someone you should model your entire life after, but it's perfectly okay to use your imagination and choose qualities that you admire in that person and try to emulate and incorporate them into your own life.

You need to define your ideals of what an ideal role model is and align those ideals with the things that you are trying to achieve. Do you want to become a great musician? Then study the habits of the masters. Do you want to become a professional photographer? Learn a lesson from the greats.

Whatever you want to do in your life, find someone who has cleared a path for you and follow it. In my field of direct marketing, I would look at the great advertisements the masters have already written and use them as a template for my own work. I take their headlines and arguments, and then rebuild them in a new image. In the beginning, you could see similarities between their advertisement and mine. Today, I have internalized their techniques to the point that what you see is the execution of their methods — the rest is mine.

To be sure, your mentor doesn't have to be in the same industry as you -- you just need to take the tools that they have developed and adapt them to your own life. For example, not everybody wants to play professional football, but many people look to Jerry Rice as the epitome of a man who shows up at camp in better shape than virtually anyone else in the league.

Model Jerry's hard work, and I'm certain you will go far in any field that you choose.

You might choose to model a successful trait of a celebrity, an explorer, an inventor, a scientist, or an artist — someone who has developed a special tool to achieve success in his life.

You might find your role model from a quote you have come across. I own a Bartlett's Book of Quotations that inspires me.

I look up a particular attribute and read all the insightful writings of all the great men and women who have come and gone before me. I know they are leaders because there is strength and conviction in the words that they have used to describe their life experiences.

Your role model should be someone who you look up to, admire, and respect in all totality, not just because they have done one great thing, but because they are great people. They need to have a compilation of all the ideals, values, and virtues that you hold dear. This is why I said that celebrities don't work as good role models. While they often characterize success, it may be for the wrong reasons.

In all the years I've personally spent modeling the behaviors of successful people, I have recognized 10 common skills and talents that they possessed, which seemed to set them apart from others. Some displayed them more dominantly, while others were subtler about it. Whether they're apparent or you have to dig below the surface, they have all been proven to work. And when you put their skills to work for you, you will enjoy the same results.

Let me share them with you:

They plan. They have a specific purpose for everything that they do.
They dream. They have ambition. They seek to accomplish things. They go the extra mile and commit to the task at hand.
They are knowledgeable. They know how to apply that knowledge to get ahead. They turn to others if they are lacking in specific resources. They ask questions.
They are hardworking. They take great satisfaction when their ideas come to fruition.
They are persistent. They do not give up and they are not afraid of being committed.
They are focused. They stay on the path to their goals and they don't procrastinate.
They take responsibility. No excuses for failure. No finger pointing.
They recognize opportunity. They never overlook their potential or hesitate to take on a challenge.
They are decisive. They plot out their course and stick to it.
They constantly revise their plan to make sure it is feasible.
They are positive. They are excited by the prospect of success and they draw people to them through their enthusiasm.

If you possess any of these traits, or if you simply weave them through your own personal experiences from now on, you will go further in life than you ever imagined.

** Distancing Yourself from the Competition
By Michael Newman, the "Money Finder"

If you run a small or home-based business, then you probably already know just how easy it is to widen your reach to customers by using the Internet.

No matter where you are in the world, you can gain access to a seemingly unlimited number of potential customers. But the downfall is that so can your competitors.

Long gone are the days when customers living outside of major cities had to rely on just one or two stores for everything they needed. Today, if they have access to an Internet connection, they can browse through literally thousands of options and then point and click to get almost anything delivered right to their doors.

So, how can you stand out in this ever growing crowd?

You can start by becoming an absolute specialist in what you do. Know your product or service inside and out. Find your strengths and use them as a selling point. You don't have to know everything, but if you can learn a few things very well, you can create a niche for yourself.

For example, if you provide a computer repair service, you're competing against manufactures and online retailers who will usually provide solid customer service. So to set yourself apart, you could focus on the specific programs or devices that you know best. That way, you can create a reputation for being the best at a particular task rather than just being okay at a lot of them.

Next, you need to chose to become the best option out there — not just the cheaper one. Customers who tend to shop for the cheapest alternative are less likely to be repeat buyers, since they are always out looking for ways to save those extra few dollars. And odds are that they'll find a way to get that next big deal and forget all about the one you gave them.

Keep in mind that customers who want value and excellent service are typically open to paying a little bit more for it.

That's because they know they are paying for a specialty. By not cutting corners, you could attract more repeat customers.

Know that with customer loyalty comes greater financial success.

Speaking of loyalty, there are more ways to get customers to want to use your product or service over the competition's offerings. To attract even more repeat purchases you can set up a rewards program. Now that doesn't mean you have to give anything away for free. For instance, you can offer to send a letter or make a phone call that informs your loyal customers of upcoming sales and promotions before the general public finds out. Or, you can offer special discounts that can be used once a customer has taken advantage of your service a certain number of times.

A low-cost rewards system can really pay off over time and keep you in business longer. And, combined with a specialty service, you could create an unbeatable business that could attract customers right to you.