Calling all Global Treasure Hunters!
Join us this July in the Land of Rum, Rocking Chairs, and Smoldering Volcanoes for...
Dear Nicaragua Alert Reader,
What was your worst shopping mistake of the past year?
Mine isn’t what I bought...it’s what I didn’t. Last February, in the Vietnamese town of Hoi An, I came across some marble chess sets priced between $13 and $21. I’m still kicking myself at letting the chance to buy go begging.
My excuse is that the suitcases were already loaded down with Indochine treasures. Must-haves like the hand-painted bamboo blinds ($12) and the large silken turquoise lantern ($10) from Hanoi...the crackle-glazed pink ceramic teapot, six cups and a bamboo tray to sit them on ($6.35) from Bat Trang...
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| See the world and satisfy your entrepreneurial ambitions with an Import-Export venture |
Not forgetting the four lacquer pictures of a unicorn, dragon, turtle, and phoenix, all inlaid with mother-of-pearl from a workshop near Ho Chi Minh City.
With more time to haggle, I suspect I could have got the lacquer art cheaper than $130 in total. But seeing prices on U.S. Internet stores, I still got a great bargain.
If you’re anything like me (it’s Steenie Harvey here), then you undoubtedly enjoy combining travel with treasure-hunting.
But wouldn’t you like to profit from your adventures, too?
For global wanderers who love to shop, it’s impossible to think of a better business opportunity than an Import-Export enterprise. Or, indeed, a more lucrative one.
From IL’s last Import-Export seminar: |
I’ve seen enough of the world and its workshops to assure you of this: it’s possible to buy just about anything under the sun for a fraction what people will pay for those same items in the States.
That big silken lantern from Vietnam that I bought for $10? Buy a number at wholesale rates and the price falls to just $2.90 apiece.
With an Import-Export business, one month you could be in Vietnam...the next in Thailand...the next in China. (Not for nothing is China called “the workshop of the world.”)
Alternatively, you could be exploring Central and South America, bringing back intricate fabric pictures called molas from Panama...leather goods, silver, and alpaca knits from Ecuador...hand-blown glass and folk art from Mexico...embroidered linens, soapstone carvings, and exquisite ceramics from Nicaragua.
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You'll think you've died and gone to ceramic heaven in Nicaragua |
One Nicaraguan village has been making pottery since pre-Columbian times. Its potters are truly talented and what’s more, their wares sell for prices you won’t believe--around 10 times cheaper than in the States.
Once I saw this pottery, I just had to make room in the carry-on bag to bring home a few more treasures....
There’s nothing to stop you going to Nicaragua or anywhere else on the globe and doing the same...and profiting from it, too.
If You've Ever Brought a Souvenir Back
Home
You Can Do This…
You Don't Need an MBA or Thousands in Start-Up Capital
My travels take me to many exotic places. Which is why our house is crammed with an eclectic array of bargain-priced curiosities: wooden carvings from Borneo, a gold-leafed icon painting from Bulgaria, and beaded shoes from Malaysia; molas from Panama and embroidered bedspreads from India; Baltic amber and Burmese jade. Even a spirit house from Thailand.
But you could also be enjoying such treasure-hunting expeditions whenever you get the urge to travel. And one of the great things about an Import-Export business is that you can spend as little or as much time at it as you choose.
Maybe you wish to turn your vacations into a lifetime of profits. Maybe you’re seeking a way to see more of the world and boost your retirement income at the same time. Maybe you want to cut loose, become your own boss, and start a business that offers freedom and adventure.
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Pretty beaded shoes from Malaysia can be your first step on the road to a lifetime of profits |
Import-Export is a perfect fit for all of them. And what’s really enticing…imagine writing off your trip as a business expense every time you travel....
These dreams don’t have to remain pipe-dreams. You're probably a lot closer to Import-Export reality than you think.
It's simply a matter of turning that instinct into an income-producing skill.
I want to help you do this...to gain those vital skills and get you started on the road to profit and adventure. And so this letter is my personal invitation to join us at our Import-Export Workshop this July in Nicaragua.
We have an impressive roll-call of expertise lined up for you. You’ll meet people who are already living the lifestyle that you dream of...and you’ll learn exactly how to make those dreams a reality.
More on the workshop in a moment, but Nicaragua has so many wonderful products, it’s an ideal testing-ground for purchasing items to resell back home. Nicaragua could easily be your very first profitable Import-Export adventure.
(Note: my promise to ‘‘help you do this’’ covers a lot...but does NOT extend to carrying all the irresistible artesania crafts you’ll uncover on our day-long field trip!)
1,000% mark-ups...yes, really!
IL subscriber Blue Abele has an undoubted knack for unearthing treasures...and until fairly recently, a tendency for gifting them to friends. But after attending IL’s Import-Export conference last summer, she’s now putting what she learnt into practice...and turning her finds into profits.
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Help bring a touch of color to your neighbors' gardens--hammocks from a Nicaraguan market may be the place to start |
Substantial profits. The mark-up on some of the items Blue now brings back from her travels is as much as 1,000%. (That’s no exaggeration--Blue forwarded me a list of her buys, where they come from...and also what she sells them for.)
I was marking up the things I bought back from Ecuador by 300%. Then, when I explored e-Bay, department stores and other craft shows, what I found out shocked me. Some of my items, I could mark up by over 1,000%! I didn’t really believe this, but when I tried it at my next craft show, I sold several items at the 1,000% mark-up price. -- Blue Abele |
In Nicaragua this July, Blue will explain how she turned from casual shopper to professional importer. To give a taster of the knowledge that you, too, will gain from our upcoming workshop, here’s an extract from another note she sent me at the very start of this year:
’’I arrived in Panama with some very small-scale ideas and thoughts along the lines that I just wanted to pay for my travels. By the end of the first day, my mind was reeling. By the end of the second day, I had BIG dreams.
Since June 2006, I have been to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Italy. I’ve started buying inventory and had a site designed for me. (It helps that my husband is a Graphic Artist). My site was up and running on Dec. 15. By Dec. 23 I had made $3,000, and these sales were only from my personal e-mail list. I am hooked.‘’
Three thousand dollars in just nine days...and by a novice trader, too! But what Blue is now doing (and since its December launch, her website has really taken off) isn’t hard at all. You just need to understand a few simple secrets…the tricks of the trade, as it were.
And that’s exactly what our accomplished panel of experts is gathering to explain this July 11-14 in Managua City, Nicaragua. I do hope you'll be there with us.
Over Three Fast-Paced, Power-Packed Days, You'll Learn…
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The truth of the matter is, there's no better way I can imagine to escape the 9-to-5 world…to trade in the drudgery of "work" for the freedom, travel, and incredible income potential that import-export offers.
As I’ve said, you don't need an MBA in finance. And you don't need a complicated "business plan" or lots of money up-front.
How One “Accidental” Entrepreneur Turned His Chase For Winter Sun Into a $100,000 a Year Business
Fact is, more than a few successful import-export entrepreneurs got into the business almost by accident.
I earlier mentioned Reece Guth who will be joining us this July. Something as simple as “wanting a tan in winter’’ was how he came to found Mayta Clay, a Maryland company importing ceramics from Nicaragua.
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Create your very own Silk Route--start with the silk lanterns of Vietnam |
Reece was offered a part-time job to photograph the progress of an art and education project on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast.
‘’I wanted a tan in winter; it was a perfect situation’’, he says. ‘’Only I didn't expect to fall in love with the country, its people, and its pottery! When my liaison found I had an interest in ceramics, she insisted on driving me two hours to a quiet little village, nestled in the hills between two sleeping volcanoes.’
The cobblestone streets and dirt paths lined with pastel-colored adobe houses made walking around the town feel like stepping through an unseen door into the past. Like a treasure hunter, I somehow felt that a determined look beyond the surface of this dusty pueblo would yield some hidden gems. I wasn’t disappointed: the pottery and talent I found was truly overwhelming.’’
Reece decided it would be great to be able to work with these artists and took the first steps to bring their pottery back to America. Now he runs a $100,000 a-year business and makes frequent travels back to Nicaragua sourcing new products. As a business expense, it’s a write-off on his taxes.
Wouldn’t you love to visit San Juan de Oriente village and meet some of these talented potters for yourself?
Join us in Nicaragua and you will. I’ll explain more about the fantastic field trip we have planned shortly....
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Club Nicaragua, worth $149
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A Traveler's Business Launched with
a Single Sweater Toted Home…
From IL’s last Import-Export seminar: |
It’s no exaggeration to say that a $100,000 business could be only the start. I know people who started with less than $2,000 and turned that seed capital into a business worth several hundred thousand dollars.
Not that you need $2,000 or even $1,000 to get started. That’s not the case at all. You can start small -- really small -- filling an extra suitcase with merchandise you buy at a bargain on your travels and sell back home at a profit.
Let me show you what I mean.
Take Annie. She was a graduate student at the University of Illinois, doing anthropological studies of Peru’s market women. At the marketplace in Cuzco, many Andean women make their living selling homemade tourist goods such as alpaca sweaters and ponchos.
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Experience some of the world's most diverse cultures while building up your new business |
Annie planned to fly home to Kansas City for her mother’s 50th birthday party -- and she needed a gift. She chose a fur-trimmed alpaca sweater-coat made by one of the market women.
Her mother and her friends all liked it so much that they suggested that Annie had stumbled upon a wonderful opportunity. The Peruvian Connection was born.
Annie continued her graduate studies, visiting Peru to do research and then returning home with all the handmade sweaters she could carry. Her mother ran the business end of the company from her farm in Tonganoxie, Kansas. Their first customer was a local store, which placed a wholesale order for 40 garments.
“When my mother told me we had an order for 40 sweaters, I almost panicked. I couldn’t even remember where I had bought the first one,” Annie remembers.
Freedom to Live and Travel Anywhere…
and Sales of Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars a Year
She began running small space ads in the New Yorker and, as she puts it, “schlepping” her sweaters across the country. She personally visited the owners of stores in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and California, asking if they’d like to carry her line.
By this time, Annie had created her own design, patterned after what she’d found in Peru. She’d made
In Thailand, for example, the import-export potential is extraordinary. Chiang Mai, in the north, is the center of the country's arts and crafts tradition. Here you can find hand-loomed fabrics, teak furniture, silver-smithing, metalwork, woodcarving, lacquer ware, paper-making, and ceramics. And these are products you can mark up for resale…by as much as 500%. -- Steenie Harvey |
the sweaters of the market women into a classic fashion product that appealed to upscale boutiques.
The business really took off when a reporter for the New York Times Style Section saw Annie’s sweaters at the Fashion and Boutique Show in New York. Annie and the Peruvian Connection received front-page billing -- which brought in thousands of requests for catalogues.
Annie has been running her import business since. Not only does her business bring in enough money to pay for her regular trips to South America -- but it has grown into a big-time mail order company.
She enjoys the freedom and flexibility of working for herself. She travels wherever and whenever she wants -- plus her trips are always a business expense.
What's more, her sales figures are "several hundred thousand dollars a year."
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The sweet smell of success... be your own boss, transform your lifestyle and explore the world |
Shave Years -- and Untold Dollars -- Off Your Learning Curve
and Be Up-and-Running in a Handful of Weeks
Sure, you could read books about how to start this sort of business. And you could just wing it on your own.
But this July in Nicaragua, we've designed a program with the sole purpose of shaving years -- and
Starting your own import business is a very attainable and accessible goal. Do you want expenses paid travel? You can do that. Do you want to earn a six-figure salary or do you just want to work part time? You can choose. I’ve done it and can show you how you can be ready to take advantage when an opportunity presents itself. OK, it’s not all fun and games. It’ll take some serious effort and diligence, but the fringe benefits are top notch. Tax deductible travel to your choice of exotic places -- check! Work your own schedule –- check that, too! Plus there’s a level of involvement with another culture that a tourist never sees, which I find especially rewarding. --- Reece Guth |
untold dollars -- off your learning curve.
You see, the cadre of experts we've invited to speak to you learned their stuff on the ground, in the real world. They'll be sharing practical, proven secrets that you can put to use immediately to have your business up-and-running in a handful of weeks.
Now, that might sound like an ambitious promise.
But I have no doubt that if you put into action the insider techniques, tricks of the trade, and real-world secrets you'll learn at this one-of-a-kind program… then you will effectively save yourself months -- if not years -- of costly trial-and-error.
And in just a matter of weeks -- certainly before the end of this year -- you could launch for yourself a whole new life…
…in a be-your-own-boss line of work that allows you the freedom to travel whenever you want at the taxman's expense… live anywhere in the world… and earn a healthy income while you're at it.
Hate Travel? No Problem...
I keep mentioning the travel benefits that come with the import-export lifestyle ...and that’s because I enjoy traveling so much myself.
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Want a job that's not so hands on? The Import-Export business is perfect for you |
But we’re not all the same. For some people, exploring the world isn’t top of their wish list.
So I want to point out that it isn’t necessary to constantly rake around the planet...not if you don’t wish to. Fact is, you don’t even need to leave home at all to run a successful import-export business. Thanks to the Internet, you can access the global marketplace with a mouse-click...and that’s how a number of people operate.
So, if you’re more of a stay-at-home person, be assured that you’ll also learn about the numerous options available to you.
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We've lined up an impressive collection of speakers to join us in Nicaragua. Among those you'll meet and hear from – Reece Guth. You’ve already heard something about Reece and his company, Mayta Clay. Reece will be on hand throughout our July program to talk about how you can set up a business that follows his incredibly profitable model… about the best ways to find and choose your products… how to identify markets for your wares… how to organize your business to maximize efficiency and profits…about product photography and more… John Paul Evanoff is an entrepreneur who is resident in Nicaragua. He brings to our July program a wealth of knowledge about the ins and outs of international business. Through his Corporation, Motombo Trading and Leisure, S.A., John Paul has first-hand experience of exporting 40-foot containers of hand-made furniture and crafts from the Catarina area. Along with furniture he also exports roasted and bagged coffee from Managua. (I wish I could include a scratch-and-sniff card here because Nicaragua’s aromatic coffee, ‘black gold,' is among the world’s very best.) Julio Mendez is a web developer/programmer and our SEO guru. From him, you’ll learn how to turn technology to your best advantage...not simply how to build and design the perfect website, but also how to position it at the very top of the search engines’ listings. Dividing his time between Dallas, Texas and the colonial city of Granada in Nicaragua, Julio has worked for major media concerns in the USA. Along with building and running two websites of his own (www.nicaraguatrip.com and www.finditgranada.com) he has also developed many of the corporate websites for Realtors and other businesses in Granada. Francisco Pineda of PROEXPORT exports arts, handicrafts, and tropical fruit and vegetables to the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He knows the entire process of shipping. You’ll learn how the logistics of shipping actually works -- what makes for certain efficiencies and good values. In short, the answers to all the sorts of questions you'll want to ask at whatever port might be shipping your goods, once you have your business launched. A specialist from the Managua Customs Office is joining us to "demystify" a lot of what intimidates people about import-export. They think, "Customs forms" and "regulations" and their palms start to sweat. But as you will learn, the truth of the matter is that none of those worries need undermine your determination to start a new business… and a new life. Terencio J. Garcia Montenegro is a Managing Partner/Director with Garcia & Bodan. Founded in 1990, Gracia & Bodan is a prestigious Nicaraguan law firm whose specializations include corporate law. Senor Garcia will explain all you need to know about topics such as ‘Starting a Corporation in Nicaragua’ and ‘the Legalities of Immigrating to Nicaragua.’ Blue Abele, an IL reader like you, made her Import-Export adventure happen within weeks of our last annual conference. Blue’s story will inspire you....and she will be on hand throughout the seminar to provide pointers about what you'll want to consider when deciding on your own product lines...and how best to market them. Juanita Bermudez is an arts expert and here to explain more about the wonderful arts and crafts treasures you will find throughout Nicaragua--and also about the skilled artists and artisans who produce them. Director and curator of the Galeria Codice in Los Robles, Managua, Ms Bermudez has been instrumental in exhibiting the work of many highly-regarded contemporary artists. Her gallery showcases paintings, sculptures, and artesania from all corners of Nicaragua. Steenie Harvey, (me!) is a name you may recognize from the pages of International Living. I’m their roving Euro editor who also roves around much of Asia ...in fact I’m just back from a scouting trip to Vietnam. I also authored IL’s Import/Export Kit and, this July, I’ll share with you my insights about the world’s best destinations for finding good-value products for resale back home. I’ll tell you how to arrange your travels so they're tax-deductible, and also teach you tricks to writing marketing copy that makes your products really stand out. And a few other things too.... And more. It’s a solid program already, but as I write this letter, our Events Team is still hard at work. So you can expect to hear from some other folks on the ground who are living the import-export life...and learn from them the benefits (and pitfalls) they've encountered. |
We'll Help You Chart a Course of Action So You Have
a Plan in Place Before You Leave Nicaragua
Because we only have seats for 80 participants at this workshop, you can be sure that, as an attendee, you'll get lots of attention from your faculty.
Our goal is to have you ready to launch your own business -- questions answered, plan in place -- before the workshop comes to a close.
Our expert panel will help flesh out your ideas and chart a course of action that makes sense for you -- and makes sound business sense, too. But it’s not all one-way traffic.
I’m willing to bet that another valuable source of information at this workshop will be the other like-minded individuals who have similar plans to start their own business.
During our coffee-breaks and other social get-togethers, ideas bounce back and forth. Time and again at seminars (and often in the bar at night), we‘ve seen those “light-bulbs” start to flash. Whether you only have a germ of an idea or a well-thought out plan, you can expect lots of feedback and animated discussion from both presenters and attendees.
I can't think of a better or more efficient way to jump-start a whole new life this year…
Plus, it won't be all "classroom time," either…
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We'll Hit the Streets, Head for the Hills, and
Put What We've Learned into Practice
Unlike typical conferences where you spend hours on end behind a desk taking notes, we've designed this program to have you putting what you learn into practice immediately.
You'll hear from our experts in a classroom setting, to be sure. But then we'll all head out on the town and into the hills in order to get a concrete, real-world sense for how, exactly, all of this works.
This is a perfect (and unprecedented) chance for you to "get your feet wet" and test-drive this lifestyle for yourself under the careful guidance of our experts.
You know how it is: It's one thing to hear and read about how you do something… it's another to roll up your sleeves and really do it. Inevitably, you think of questions that didn't occur to you before. You find yourself facing an obstacle that would never have crossed your mind. We know that's the way of the world.
Visit Markets and Artisan Villages for Practice...
Choosing Products… Haggling… and More…
And that's why we'll start by piling you, me, and our panel of experts into the field...or to be more exact, piling ourselves into the mercados (markets) and pueblos (villages) that showcase the best of Nicaragua’s traditional arts and crafts.
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Go from casual shopper to professional importer and put your haggling skills to the test in the world's craft markets |
You’ll get a feel for what sorts of products are on offer, how much they cost…to practice buying a few things, perhaps…and to really test-drive the many techniques you'll have picked up during our formal conference sessions.
In Managua itself, the massive Mercado Roberto Huembes has more local flavor than a “tourist only” market. It has tons of stuff ranging from toothpaste and coconuts to furniture, hand-embroidered linens, cotton hammocks, reptile-skin bags, rum, coffee, and cigars. Items like hammocks, rattan rocking chairs and wicker baskets aren’t solely for the export market -- they’re essential items in numerous Nicaraguan households, too.
Masaya is the center of Nicaragua’s hammock-making industry. Here, the National Handicrafts Market has an even wider range of crafts and collectibles. What you’ll see on sale represents most of what can be found, craft-wise, throughout the country. It’s a chance for you to see what’s available and where it comes from. (You may be tempted to make some purchases, but don’t go crazy. Serious importers cut out the middleman and buy directly from the artisan.)
That said, the market has lots to catch the eye. Soapstone figurines, chess sets, and nativity scenes from San Juan de Limay -- the delicate colors run the gamut from ivory to salmon pink. Hand-tooled leather belts, saddles, and cowboy boots from Esteli...straw-like pita hats woven from the fibers of the thick-leaved pita plant...distinctive black ceramics from the ‘black pottery’ towns of Jinotega and Matagalpa...and a whole lot more. Including more hammocks than you’ve undoubtedly ever seen in one place.
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Green with envy...visit the many exotic jade markets of the world |
But these two markets aren’t the only on-the-ground exposure we'll benefit from. Indeed, they’re only the start of what we’ll experience on our field trip. We’ll also discover the treasures of a string of settlements called the Pueblos Blancos...the White Villages.
If you’ve ever been away from home, seen something, and thought, “I could sell a million of those,” this workshop is for you. --- Reece Guth |
With pottery-making traditions dating back centuries, one such village is San Juan de Oriente. This is where Reece Guth sources many of his products. Sold from tiny front rooms or street-side stalls, there’s a fabulous array of vases, plates, urns, jars, and other ornamental ceramics. Many families have their own workshops as well as open wood furnaces where the pottery gets fired.
You’ll come across elegant black and white vases with pre-Columbian designs that you may have only ever seen before in museums...colorful vases decorated with stylized fish, birds, animals, iguanas, and flowers...high-end collectibles signed by the master potter.
Masatepe, a furniture-producing and carpentry center, is another village on our itinerary. Many of Nicaragua’s wicker and tropical hardwood rocking chairs come from this area.
Get up close and personal with a volcano...
Our purpose is serious -- we'll be on the ground to educate ourselves and investigate the opportunities for import-export entrepreneurs in Nicaragua and beyond.
In fact, you'll be "on assignment" while you're out shopping. We'll have time to compare what we've all picked up… brainstorm product ideas and markets… and share the lessons we'll have learned on our own during this excursion.
But while we're at it, we'll enjoy a memorable travel treat, too. If you’ve never peered into an active volcano, here’s where you get your chance. Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous and I promise that nothing strenuous is involved. You see, during my scouting trip to Nicaragua last fall, the Events team suggested that I should act as your volcano checker....
(Sometimes I wonder about their motives...did they hope to lose me in a river of molten lava?)
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I can promise you that Volcan Masaya is safe. What’s more, we can drive right up to the edge of its Santiago crater. With lava fields on each side, a paved road leads through the national park (keep a look out for iguanas and other wildlife) to the rim of what Spanish conquistadores declared was the very gateway to hell itself.
Plenty more stories about the volcano when we get there. And if we’re lucky, we may also catch a glimpse of the flock of green parakeets that nest in the crater walls.
Adventures always work up an appetite, so we’ll take time out to enjoy lunch. And we’ll cap off the day in impressive style -- at the Mirador (lookout) at Catarina.
This neat village of ornamental plant nurseries, flower-sellers, and basket-makers is at the upper rim of a volcanic caldera called the Laguna de Apoyo. Fresh breezes waft over its deep, blue stillness -- it’s a magical place to have a drink and reflect over all the day’s wonders.
Ample Time to Mingle with
Your Fellow Attendees and Speakers
Part of the reason we're hosting this program in Nicaragua is because it provides such fertile ground for trying out so much of what you'll learn during the conference.
To be sure, the secrets, techniques, and lessons you'll gain here will hold true no matter where your wanderlust takes you.
But here in Nicaragua — the Land of Rum, Rocking Chairs, and Volcanoes -- you'll find a wealth of examples to illustrate the many important points our speakers will make. Plus getting to its capital, Managua, is affordable, easy, and convenient.
You can count on this Import-Export Workshop being fast-paced and full of information you'd spend years tracking down on your own. Our experts are on hand to walk you step-by-step through what you need to know…the pitfalls to avoid…and the sort of things you want to make sure you consider.
But we wouldn't dream of having you come all the way without taking time out for some enjoyable hours spent relaxing and mingling with your fellow attendees.
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The silver markets of Tunisia can provide a wealth of ideas for your new livelihood |
You'll find -- as with all our live International Living programs -- that a certain portion of the real value of the experience comes not in the money-making and money-saving information you're gathering… but in the casual interactions you have with the speakers and your fellow attendees.
No doubt that in the off-the-cuff remarks, in the informal exchanges at the bar or around the table at lunch -- you learn things you wouldn't pick up any other way.
And we've chosen our speakers because we know them to be not only extremely knowledgeable, but also unendingly generous with their time and expertise. I feel certain you'll find the access you gain at this event truly invaluable.
In terms of import-export opportunities in China -- lacquered chopsticks and "Pet Fragrances." Jade carvings and toddlers' rocking horses for just $5.50. Radio-controlled dolls that zoom about on roller blades. Inflatable santas, inflatable penguins, and inflatable women. Practically anything that can be made (or copied) can be found in China. -- Steenie Harvey |
And as we're limiting our attendance to just 80 attendees -- you're guaranteed personalized attention and exactly the kind of hand-holding that's necessary if you're going to gain not just a passive understanding of what import-export is, but come away, instead, with a plan of action for yourself and your business.
This opportunity is one that really can open up for you a whole new chapter in your life -- give you the flexibility and freedom you crave (and the income you need) to live anywhere you want, travel whenever the urge strikes, and support a truly international lifestyle.
You're Assured an Elegant Room,
Excellent Service, and a Discounted Rate
Of course, we'll be based during our time in Nicaragua at a stupendous hotel. In the heart of Managua’s business and entertainment downtown, the Real InterContinental Metrocentro is a downright luxurious property -- complete with such high-end amenities as a swimming pool, 24-hour business center, fitness club, and massage services.
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You’ll be in distinguished company. The roll call of VIP guests who have been ushered through its doors includes former President Jimmy Carter, Queen Sofia of Spain, Kofi Annan, Colin Powell, Jeb Bush, Prince Masahito Hitachi and Princess Hanako Hitachi of Japan...and also a whole host of Latin American presidents. Minutes away from the hotel you can enjoy Managua’s nightlife, discover many fine restaurants and art galleries, and also the city’s most modern shopping mall. The guest rooms themselves are elegantly appointed and come with daily newspaper service, high-speed Internet access, and more… And, of course, we've arranged for our conference participants an excellent discount. Rooms here typically cost at least $169 per night or even more. But you'll pay just $110 per night for single occupancy, $120 per night for double occupancy, and $140 for the executive floor. Plus that fee includes buffet breakfast. |
(What's more, you can enjoy the special rate for five days before and after our event. So if you decide to extend your stay -- which I encourage you to do -- you can take advantage of the discount throughout your visit.)
Bring with You this July a Strong Desire
to Start Something New in Your Life
I want to say, again, that you don't need any special experience to launch and succeed with an import-export business of your own. It helps if you love to travel… crave adventure…enjoy meeting new people…like to shop…
But you don't need a business degree or years and years of international or retail experience.
In fact, take a look at many of the world's most successful import-export gurus – including Reece Guth, a key member of our panel of experts -- and you'll find they simply followed an itch to start something new…to work for themselves…to enjoy adventure…
Whatever your background, though, I urge you to bring with you this July an enthusiasm for discovering new places and a strong desire to start something new in your life…
We'll provide you the rest of the tools you need -- all the how-to information about dealing with customs…choosing your products…keeping your costs low and your profits high…
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All that glitters...can be gold with your own Import-Export business |
…the best ways and smartest places to advertise…how to turn a kitchen-table business into something larger…how to ensure your trips are tax-deductible…our picks for the world's best shopping destinations…and more…
As I've said, you won't just come away from these three days with guidelines on paper…we'll have gone out together to put what you've learned to the test. And you'll have under your belt some real-world practice, too.
In Nicaragua this July you'll be learning a proven money-making skill that, I'm willing to bet, will more than cover the cost of this conference. In fact, I predict that a year from now, your new business underway, you'll look back and say just that: It was the smartest investment in your future that you ever made.
When this program comes to a close, you'll be genuinely prepared to launch -- and succeed -- with your very own business this year. A business that can deliver to you the freedom you deserve and the income-power you need to live anywhere in the world and travel whenever you feel like it.
Your Own Copy of IL's Import/Export Kit ($299 Value)
FREE When You Join us in Nicaragua this July
In fact, because we feel so strongly about that promise, we'll provide you with resources that go well beyond what you'd normally expect from a typical conference.
First of all, you'll receive a free copy of International Living's Complete Guide to Import/Export -- a Business in a Box, really, that provides you nearly 300 pages of practical advice, delivered in straightforward, easy-to-digest terms.
This resource, which retails for $299, is yours at no charge when you sign on to join us in Nicaragua.
Your Day-by-Day Schedule IL's Import-Export Workshop
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Sign on Before May 12, 2007 and Save $200
If you like the idea of launching a whole new life this year…of escaping the drudgery of the 9-to-5 world and trading in the boss…the commute…even the desk…for a life that allows you to follow your bliss…
Then there's no better way to make it happen fast. I urge you to join us in Nicaragua this July 11-14, 2007 for what will be a truly life-changing experience.
And it's an extraordinary value as well…
The registration fee for this comprehensive import-export program includes --
- All the hands-on seminar sessions with our panel of experts
- Detailed handouts and course materials from the speakers
- A full day’s field trip
- Visits to artisan markets in Managua and Masaya
- Two lunches
- Two cocktail parties
- Two dinners
- Daily coffee breaks
- Your copy of IL's Import/Export Kit (a $299 value)
…all of that -- for just $1,995. But, if you sign on before May 12, 2007, you save a full $200, which means you pay just $1,795 to attend.
And you may be eligible for additional discounts as well…
If you're a Lifetime or Roundtable Member of International Living, or a subscriber to the print edition of International Living, you can save as much as an additional $350 off your registration fee, whenever you sign on. If you are a World Club Member you can save as much as $998 (You'll find discount details below.)
What's more, your spouse or guest is welcome to attend for a discounted $1,295. And when you both sign up before May 12, 2007, you pay just $1,795 and your spouse or guest pays just $1,095.
Turn 2007 into the Year You
Escape the Boss…the Commute…the Desk…
If you're looking for a way to escape…a way to turn your vacations into a lifetime of profits…I can't imagine a more enjoyable, efficient, or cost-effective way to do it.
This July, over three power-packed days, you'll gain all the skills you need to launch a business that can deliver the freedom you deserve and the income you need to live anywhere in the world…and travel whenever and wherever your heart desires.
Make 2007 the year you launch a whole new life.
We'd like to help you get started this July in Nicaragua. Space is strictly limited to 80 attendees, so I encourage you to reserve your place today.
Call our International Living Events Team: toll-free +1-866-381-8446 or direct +1-410-223-2688, e-mail: events@internationalliving.com, or click below now to reserve your place.
Sincerely,
Steenie Harvey
P.S. You already love to travel…you like adventure and enjoy shopping. If you're ready to journey to the destinations that most entice you… and do so at the taxman's expense while you turn your vacations into a lifetime of profits…then I urge you to act now.
We expect this workshop -- only the second such program we've ever offered -- to sell out quickly. Last year’s event sold out before we’d barely had the chance to promote it. And, since we'll be focusing on ways you can make your travels more than pay for themselves…ways to build a business that offers freedom and guarantees adventure…we expect another overwhelming response again.
So please lock in your seat at our Annual Import-Export Workshop in Managua City, Nicaragua this July 11-14, 2007 and save $200 when you sign on before May 12, 2007.
Simply call our International Living Events Team today: toll-free +1-866-381-8446 or direct +1-410-223-2688, e-mail: events@internationalliving.com, or click below now.
Pricing and What's Included
IL's Import-Export Workshop
July 11-14, 2007 in Managua City, Nicaragua
PRICE: $1,995 per person
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT:
SAVE $200 when you sign up before May 12, 2007. You pay just $1795.
SPECIAL SPOUSE OR GUEST DISCOUNT:
Your spouse or guest is welcome to attend for a discounted $1,295. When you both sign up before May 12, 2007, you each save $200, which means you pay just $1,795 and your spouse or guest pays just $1,095.
ADDITIONAL MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNTS:
Subscribers to the print edition of International Living save $50 whenever they register.
Lifetime Members of International Living save $250 whenever they register.
Roundtable Members of International Living save $350 whenever they register.
World Club Members may be eligible to receive this event free. You’ll simply need to mention that you’re a World Club Member when you register. Not only that, but as a World Club Member, you’ll get to attend all future Import/Export Seminars for free after you attend this one.
* Please note: We invite you to take advantage of the greatest membership discount for which you are eligible, based on your membership status. These membership discounts are good no matter when you sign on. But only one membership discount applies. And it can be applied to only one member of your party. In other words, your spouse or guest is not eligible for a membership discount.
CONFERENCE INCLUDES:
The registration fee for this comprehensive import-export program includes --
- All the hands-on seminar sessions with our panel of experts
- detailed handouts and course materials from the speakers
- A full day’s field trip
- Visits to Mercado Roberto Huembes in Managua and the National Handicrafts Market in Masaya
- Two lunches
- Two cocktail parties
- Two dinners
- Daily coffee breaks
- Your copy of IL's Import/Export Kit (a $299 value)
HOTEL DISCOUNT:
We will be hosting this event at the Hotel Real InterContinental Metrocentro Managua, where we have arranged a discounted room rate for participants. Rooms are $110 per night for singles and $120 per night for doubles. An executive floor room is $140 per night. Those rates include a full buffet breakfast daily, complimentary use of the fitness center and spa, and access to the business center.
Please contact the hotel directly to take advantage of these special rates. To do so, you'll need to mention that you are with the International Living group.
Please note, these discounted rates are good for five days before and five days after this event should you care to extend your stay.
HOTEL REAL INTERCONTINENTAL METROCENTRO MANAGUA Costado sur Centro Comercial Metrocentro Telephone: +505-278-4545 E-mail: ramiro.lorio@realhotelsandresorts.com.ni or reservaciones@realhotelsandresorts.com.ni Website: www.icmanagua.gruporeal.com |
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GROUND TRANSFERS:
If you'd like to arrange transportation from Managua airport to the InterContinental Hotel, please let them know when you reserve your accommodation. They operate an airport shuttle to hotel guests for a nominal cost of $5 each way.
You will need to send your flight details one week in advance to: ramiro.lorio@realhotelsandresorts.com.ni
TRAVEL ASSISTANCE:
For all your travel needs (including flight assistance and insurance) please contact your travel agency of choice.
You may also want to consider one of the many companies that specialize in online reservations and travel assistance, like: www.orbitz.com, www.travelocity.com, www.expedia.com; or www.kayak.com.
We also suggest you sign up for free e-mail alerts from your preferred airlines, via their websites. In addition, numerous websites -- including www.travelzoo.com, for example -- offer free e-mail alerts highlighting regular specials for a wide range of airlines. Many of these websites offer tips for getting the best flights, such as being flexible with travel dates and airports if possible.
To protect your travel investment, we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. Travel insurance protects you from all the unexpected events that can disrupt or cancel your travel plans.
REGISTRATION, PAYMENT, AND CANCELLATION POLICY:
Registration and Payment Details: In order to hold a reservation for the workshop, full payment is due when you register. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and money orders.
Cancellation Policy: If you cancel on or before June 12, 2007, you will receive a full refund, less a $150 penalty per person. From June 13, 2007 through June 28, 2007 a refund less a $350 penalty per person will be given. After June 28, 2007, the workshop fee is non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, please call, fax, or e-mail our offices immediately to avoid any unnecessary charges. In most cases we will be able to hold your full payment for you to apply toward a future live program.
Disclaimer: International Living and any of its agents and speakers do not provide any individual, personalized investment advice. This conference provides only information to the general public, and at no time should any person acting as an agent or speaker at the Import/Export Workshop be relied upon as rendering personalized investment advice. International Living may receive compensation from speakers and presenters selling their respective products at conferences. The compensation may be in the form of a sponsorship fee, flat fee or commission from sales. Advertising you may receive from their companies should not to be construed as originating from or connected in any way to International Living.
By registering for an International Living event you’ll automatically receive our free IL Events e-letter. (You can unsubscribe to this at any time).
Please realize that at times our tours are physically demanding and may require climbing stairs and extensive walking. Participants have the responsibility to select a tour appropriate to their abilities and interests. Participants are held responsible for being in sufficient good health to undertake the tour and are responsible for preparing for the tour by studying the itinerary and information packets sent by International Living. Likewise, International Living is not responsible for any bodily injury or property damage that may be sustained during a tour.
*Speakers and schedule are subject to change.