It used to be that a small business' best low-cost advertising bet was radio. Radio is still quite affordable in many communities, but ad rates have gone through roof in many others.

This leaves lots of small businesses with nowhere to go for local advertising. Fortunately, America's oldest form of mass media is coming to rescue. Many cities are seeing a big return of neighborhood newspapers.

Small neighborhood papers focus on a particular part of town. They carry news on events within a few mile radius of their readers. Neighborhood papers also work hard to appeal to businesses in their immediate area.

One consumer told me she pays closer attention to ads in her neighborhood paper. "I know they're all a very short drive away. The big daily paper is advertising stores that are an hour or more away," she said.

Neighborhood papers not only feature far lower rates than larger papers, they let you tightly focus on a particular part of town. Specific neighborhoods feature specific income levels and lifestyles. This helps you target your ads more than you can with other kinds of local advertising.

Direct Response TV is also a great place to find cheap advertising. Just like any other kind of direct response marketing, television's response rates can be low. But there are so many people watching TV that it doesn't take a very high response rate to keep you awash in sales.

Why?

* The world is your market. * You can work from comfort of your own home. * You can set your own hours. * You have no one to answer to.

The real online money-makers are those marketers who have their own product. They have a product or service they can produce at a very low cost and sell at a top price.

What are qualities of a solid money-maker?

1. It should have mass appeal.

2. It should be something that is not readily available except through you.

3. It should be something that can be stored easily.

4. It should be deliverable at little or no cost.

What sells well on-line?

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