Today, I wanted to give anyone interested a heads up on a service that I think is not only important, but primed to make the smart entrepreneurial mind and marketer money.

If you’ve done any research at all in this arena, you should know that Mobile Marketing is on the way up. If you don’t know about Mobile Marketing – what it is – and how it’s poised as the next boom, do your own independent research on the subject and you’ll certainly see what I’m talking about.

The smart players certainly will, while the pretenders won’t bother.

One of the first things you can do concerning this research is hop on a free webinar tonight provided by my company, YTB International. There’s no question this company knows marketing. It’s one of the biggest powerhouses I’ve ever been a part of in my professional career. It’s made some serious money for the seasoned marketer, and it’s taught the not so seasoned marketer (like me before I hooked up with them) how it’s done.

A few weeks back, at their National Convention, the company announced the launch of a new product called Z Mobile. A week later, it was live and running. At this point, everyone is on the same level playing field in finding out what this service is all about and what it can do. The webinar tonight will cover the features, advantages and benefits of this service for both the end user and the Representative who wants to market the service.

Here’s the real kicker. If you see an opportunity to market this service, like I do, you can sign up as a Rep with YTB and sell this product for no money down, and no annual fee. It’s absolutely free. The company did the same thing 10 years ago when they broke into the Travel industry selling travel websites. Within 5 years of marketing this Travel Company, the Representatives who sold the sites amassed a massive amount of home based travel agents. As a result, it enabled the Travel Company to become one of the top fifty host agencies in the country. Some, (certainly not all) attained great wealth by joining the company as a free Rep and selling these turnkey Travel Stores.

There was one glaring flaw back then when the company took the travel industry by storm.

It ticked the existing travel agents in the industry off. (A few are still incessantly whining and crying about it to this day.) Some were simply stuck in their time warp or fantasy and wouldn’t adapt. While others never dreamed that a simple marketing system with no real travel experience to speak of would really work. Within time, they realized how wrong they were in underestimating the power of our marketing system, and resorted to pulling out every trick in the book to regain control – including lawsuits designed to destroy the company. Some to this day still lay claim that it’s an illegal pyramid scheme – stating incorrectly that the Reps who sold the sites had to pay to participate.

Fact is, it did work. And while some of the chapters in that story over the last ten years have been mired in bickering and fighting to regain control of their industry, YTB Travel Network is still around and still selling travel. (And still in the top 50) I’m a proud Travel Agent myself to this day.

Now here’s the beauty of this new product and service that YTB has just launched with Z Mobile. There’s no real player right now in this industry. You’re not going to hurt somebody’s feelings, or tick someone off for taking business away from them like we did to the Travel Agents. It’s all virgin territory and the market is wide open to blaze your own path and your own marketing story. The Rep position is still free, just like it always has, but you’ll be selling to an end user that’s a little more business minded. (Unlike the travel agents I’ve seen bickering on the internet.)

True, this product is for the “early adopters” at this point in the game. The way I look at it, it simply gives me a little more time to wrap my arms around this product and the potential it has to change the way we market and communicate with clients and customers.

Also, true that there is no guarantee that Mobile Marketing will be as big as some are predicting. It costs you nothing to take a look, and it costs you nothing to become a part of the company to find out. If it does take off – great. If not, well – nobody who signs up for free loses out.

If you want to change your financial picture, you have to change what you’re doing and thinking. If you’re not where you want to be right now financially, then you’re current form of thinking and doing simply isn’t working. (If it was, you’re circumstances would be different.)

I know that may sound a little in your face – but sometimes the truth happens to be just that – in your face.

I’m not here to mock you, or make fun of you. I’m here to help you. I’m here to give you a dose of reality. Which is a lot more than I can say for some of the “experts” I’ve seen on the Internet.

Hop on tonight’s webinar and at least check it out. There’s no high pressure and we’re not even going to ask for your name, nor have you subscribe for a link. It’s open to anyone who wants to take a look. The smart players (who are the actual people we’re looking for here) will find a way to contact either me or someone else who invited them to find out more and get started.

Oh, and if you miss any part of it, it will replay every hour on the hour all night. It all starts at 8:00 pm Eastern, 7:00 pm Central, 6:00 pm Mountain, 5:00 pm Pacific.

I sincerely hope you like what you see. Not only in the product but in the company and the way we market. It’s been a real game changer for me over the years – and it could be for you too.

But only if you take that first step and find out more.

See you tonight?

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My newsletter subscribers got a heads up this weekend about an 8K filed late last week to announce the possibility of selling the YTB International Home Office. As expected, YTB continues to be a “hot topic” and we’ve seen various Google Alerts from news publications and two alerts from a blog surrounding the deal.

As we’ve come to expect, when YTB sneezes, some loones still end up catching a cold. I was asked if I actually read any of the Google Alerts, and I did read one from an area paper, and another from a travel publication. Fairly standard stuff, much like the 8K that was filed to the SEC by YTB International.

I don’t want to overstate the obvious here. This is pretty good news for the company and the growing field of Agents for several reasons. The deal will provide YTB International with immediate cash in hand of $2.8 million. Second, YTB will be staying right where they are, and lease 40,000 square feet they currently use. Third, the entire deal could infuse between $6 million and $7.1 million overall when it’s all said and done.

While terms of the sale are now just coming to light, a filing back in January informed investors that YTB International this was a possibility. An agreement with FH Partners who held the mortgage at the time had been re-worked by the lender in November 2010, but deemed unacceptable by YTB. At that time YTB filed a statement that they considered the terms unacceptable, and decided to go into default with FH Partners. In addtion, the company announced they had another deal in the works, and were confident an optional deal would be in place within 60 days.

Again – pretty standard stuff – but some of the conspiracy theories I heard about were quite dramatic. All some could focus on was “default” because that signaled the end was near. Not sure if they didn’t realize or simply hid the fact another deal was in the works to further their cause. Either way, they not only jumped the gun, but were wrong yet again.

With the proposed deal now out in the open – it has driven any remaining critics into a frenzy. Don’t have to read their words per se – mere actions in this case speak far louder than any meaningless yack squeeze. The increase in activity shows how nervous and distracted they are over everyone finding out YTB will have cash in hand. Any loone would realize that the hopes or dreams of YTB’s demise has been dashed once again.

You’d think they’d figure out that the conspiracy theories and drama they come with are actual fantasy and not fact. Of course if they did that – it would mean admitting they have an actual problem.

We can always hope.

On top of the news about the pending sale last week, YTB International released it’s Annual Report early this morning. With the kids getting ready for school, and 86 pages to read – honestly, I’ve only had enough time to glance at the filing. We cut losses in half to $1.6 million compared to 2009, and as expected from Q3 monthly subscribers have stabilized.

Since the sale of the home office isn’t final, the infusion of cash to YTB is not reported in this filing. (That would be illegal.)

Still not out of the woods just yet – but things are looking better after a constant barrage of attacks the past three years. You can kick, you punch, you can poke, but you can’t break this company. It’s just not in the cards.

I’ll take a closer look at the Annual Report and most likely have something for everyone on Thursday if interested. I have a new car to purchase in the next couple days since yours truly plowed into a deer in the middle of I-85 and totaled the car. (I’m okay, but our 300M and Bambi are most certainly not.)

Until then…

Update: Doing a little reading before I head out this morning.

Not sure if the deal for the Home Office closed or not, but according to the Annual Report, the loan to FH Partners is paid in full as of yesterday. ($1.5 million)

Also, no new word as yet on the Illinois suit filed back in 2009. We find the standard statement announced third quarter on the bottom of page 10 of the Annual Report.

On May 14, 2009, a civil action was filed against the Company, three of its subsidiaries and certain executive officers of the Company in the Superior Court of Illinois, Champaign County, by the Illinois Attorney General. The complaint alleges that the defendants violated Illinois’ unfair competition and advertising laws. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the claims. The Illinois Attorney General has proposed resolving the suit short of litigation. The Company is in the process of exchanging information with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and exploring possible resolution alternatives.

Since that dog won’t hunt, look for some type of announcement this year that the company has the last remaining attack against it behind them.

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I’ve seen a ton of upgrades and website enhancements during my tenure with YTB. Quite honestly, I’ve lost count how many times our sites have been updated with new looks, technology features, and a wider array of product offerings.

Not to diminish anything the company has done in the past, because at the time it was released it was big. However, what I saw yesterday afternoon with a new look, technology improvements, social connectivity and user friendly design of this site tops anything the company has ever released.

Welcome to the new ZamZuu.

See, this is a result of what happens when companies pay attention to current trends and hot features of the day. Technology, especially on the Internet, is constantly changing and evolving. What’s really cool about a site like ZamZuu, is that you can implement certain features and redesigns like this on a regular basis to keep customers engaged.

There are many new features with the new site. The new look is much easier to navigate, by redesigning categories, keeping everything is what’s known in site design as “above the fold”. Let’s face it, people are lazy and scrolling down a long page just doesn’t cut it. Now, just about everything can be found without the need of scrolling down a single inch. (Trust me, it’s a very important feature – more important than you think.)

Another new addition is the shopping cart within ZamZuu.com. Now, customers can shop and purchase products within the same shopping experience. This in turn will increase the average amount of cash back for customers. (The more they buy – the more they save.)

On a promotional front as either a Free Agent or Site Owner with Zamzuu there’s a very cool feature that personally I’ve been waiting for.

Twitter and Facebook integration.

Now Free Agents and Site Owners can link directly to hundreds of stores with a simple click of a button. See a special sale at Macy’s? Tell your Facebook family about it with a link directly to Macy’s through your ZamZuu site. They get cash back, and you get a commission.

How easy is that?

I’ve got about 1000 friends on Facebook, and a portion of them are also partners in YTB and ZamZuu. They’ve already gotten the hang of this feature, and they understand what a real game changer this is.

There’s still a bit of cleanup to be done, and more stores to add over the coming weeks. While the links are correct in the Facebook integration, the API pulls a generic description for ZamTek for example. (Easily changed manually at this point however.)

There are a couple bugs to be fixed – which is inevitable when a release like this is offered to the general public. Then the company will focus on the next upgrade.

Another upgrade you ask? Yes, another upgrade for the YTB Travel Network sites with much of the same functionality as our new ZamZuu sites.

Can you imagine?! The travel site upgrade was supposed to be released in two weeks during Funshine. However, with all the work being done with the ZamZuu sites, and the new partnership with Orbitz, Funshine has been postponed until the travel upgrade is ready for launch. If it’s anything like this ZamZuu launch – I can pretty much promise it will be worth the wait.

And to the folks at the Home Office who worked on this ZamZuu upgrade. Hot damn! This is a nice upgrade!

Many thanks to you for your hard work – and especially for implementing the features the field wanted most.

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I appreciate quality customer service. I’ve run into what syndicated radio and television host Clark Howard calls “Customer NO Service” far too many times – and simply won’t do business with companies who don’t offer the support I feel I deserve or require.

In my opinion, one of the companies that tops the list of great customer service companies is YTB. In the 6 years I’ve been with the company, I’ve always had superior service and support from the team at the Home Office.

What really gets me jazzed is the opportunity to meet the people I communicate with via phone and support tickets. The ability to visit with this dynamic team in person during Red Carpet Days, National Conventions, and other corporate events is a real treat for me because it gives me an opportunity to thank them personally for all they do for me during the year.

Customer Service can be very rewarding – or it can be a real drag. Much of what determines that outcome begins from the very top of the organization. If the Corporate Heads are upbeat and positive, that’s going to trickle down to the rest of the organization. Everyone I speak with in the Home Office always have a smile on their face, (and you CAN tell even when speaking on the phone) they’re always willing to help, and always gratefully, thanking me for contacting them.

This week, the Home Office is taking the time to celebrate and honor the Customer Service representatives at YTB/ZamZuu. Customer Service Week is a national event devoted to recognizing the importance of customer service and to honoring the people who serve and support customers with the highest degree of care and professionalism. In 1992 the U.S. Congress proclaimed Customer Service Week a nationally recognized event, celebrated annually during the first full week in October. The Home Office TEAM will participate in activities throughout the week designed to boost morale, motivation and teamwork and to reaffirm their commitment to a valued YTB/ZamZuu field force.

Coach posted something on his Facebook wall, giving us an opportunity to thank the awesome Customer Service staff we have and show our appreciation. Problem for me was there are so many there that have helped me over the years, I’m afraid that I might leave out someone who deserves it. So, I decided to do the next best thing, thank them all openly and publicly for my gratitude and appreciation for what they’ve done to help, support and teach me over the years.

It’s an honor every time I come in contact with any of them – be it support tickets, e-mail, phone, or in person. A true pleasure.

As a side note: The YTB Home Office will close from 11:15 am – 2:30 pm Central Time Friday, October 8, 2010 so that the Home Office team members can participate in the closing activities of Customer Service Week. They certainly deserve this time and recognition.

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You had to have known this day was coming. Actually, in my opinion – it’s been long overdue. Sooner or later, people were going to figure out who’s right – and who’s been blowin’ a bunch of smoke up everyone’s skirt. (“Skirt” isn’t my first descriptive choice – but you get the idea.)

The longer this charade of ridiculous Internet bantering and meritless lawsuits about YTB being some sort of “pyramid scheme” or “scam” went on while YTB continued its operations – it was inevitable that things would start to turn around.

Zealots can only cry wolf for so long.

In a press release sent out late yesterday afternoon (that flooded my in-box with no less than a dozen “Google Alerts” from various sources) YTB International reported a 15% increase in the number of active Business/Store Owners in the month of August.

YTB is back on the upswing.

The increase follows the Company’s National Convention held in St. Louis, in late August, which provided a number of announcements and new initiatives.

This year’s Convention marked the two year anniversary of a what I’ve always considered a lame stunt by California’s Attorney General – who filed a $25 million lawsuit the day before the 2008 Convention proclaiming he would end the companies “gigantic pyramid scheme”.

I really can’t blame people for falling for the A.G. or the unfounded claims. After all, simple perception would indicate that an Attorney General would have some understanding of the law. After reading the suit however, it became evident that Jerry Brown wasn’t any smarter than the common critic hiding behind a keyboard and screen name who banters away on forums or blogs bashing MLM proclaiming everybody is “paying for the opportunity to recruit others.”

To add insult to injury over how ridiculous this whole thing went down – the $25 million was settled out of court for a mere $1 million. Even more amazing – the A.G. who claimed the suit was filed to “protect consumers” – a measly $125,000 ended up going to consumers with the remaining $875,000 going to the State for the trouble.

Things that make you go “hmmmmm”.

We also can’t forget the “Class Clowns” who simply can’t take no for an answer. You know – the Class Action with nine lives? That redundant joke has been beaten and bloodied to death by the Court system so many times, I’ve lost count. Typical of the anti-MLM crowd who can never actually learn from others who are much smarter (or even more powerful than they) – just keep doing and saying the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.

These people don’t need a Lawyer – what they need is straitjacket. (They truly are insane.)

Such is the life of “stoo-pid” critics who can never seem to read properly or learn anything new to ease their suffering and phobias. If you could ever catch one of them hiding out behind a screen name and keyboard they’d have the letters F.E.A.R. lambasted on their forehead.

And if you don’t know what FEAR means – it stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. These dumb clucks will fall for just about anything as long as it sounds negative.

I haven’t bothered to check into any of the bantering since Convention. While I’m not sure how anyone could argue with “Free” I’m sure there have been some pretty good stabs at creating drama – simply because they need that kind of fix to make themselves feel normal. Separate the word “dis – ease” and you’ve got a pretty good understanding of how these people tick.

The last time I checked in with the “chicken coop” they were in some tizzy about Coach, Scott, and Kim pumping up the stock before Convention. Oddly enough, no Form 4 was ever produced showing any of the three purchasing or selling a single share. The only documentation filed with the SEC pointing to any of the three also happened yesterday when Kim Sorensen transferred 4 million shares to a Limited Family Partnership for estate planning purposes.

Just another example in the mile long list of myths and rumors that have once again been sqashed with actual documentation – exposing how desperate and dumb zealots can be.

Can’t say that YTB is out of the woods just yet, even with this increase in Business Owners. It’s only one month – and we’ll need to string together a number of months before the heat really gets uncomfortable for the “chickens” peaking over the other side of the fence.

If you happen to spot them, just smile and wave. Then go out and find somebody who’s brighter and smarter than they are and willing to learn.

Not that hard to do considering. Just keep moving forward.

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Do you remember the outrage a year and a half ago when the CEOs of Ford, Chrysler, and GM flew to Washington, D.C. in private jets to ask for $25 billion in taxpayer money to avoid bankruptcy? Not that selling off private jets would have covered the $25 billion these guys were asking for – but it would have been a nice start.

It’s unfortunate that we see this kind of arrogance and greed in the Corporate world. Millions of people were laid off from thousands of companies while big wigs like these CEO’s live in the lap of luxury. You saw very little about any CEO taking a pay cut during the turmoil this country went through during the latter part of 2008 and 2009. Instead, they cut out the jobs of average American’s while keeping their pay and perks intact.

Most CEO’s have a lucrative bonus plan in place – including the Founders of YTB. The difference between our Founders and the CEO’s of other companies is that Coach, Scott, and Kim’s bonus is based in part on the performance of the company. Some based on pay or salary, while another chunk is based on stock options. Unlike other CEO’s or companies (like the Big Three in Detroit) our three founders forfeited 355,000 shares in options each of the last two years because the company didn’t meet the performance goals they wrote down to achieve that would trigger each bonus.

In case your wondering – that’s called accountability.

While there were some riffs about the forfeiture of options from critics, I would have loved to see the outrage over actual shares being awarded. It’s one of those “damned if you do – damned if you don’t” scenarios we enjoy from Zealots who flip flop depending on how it furthers their own agenda.

Regardless of which side of the fence you sit on, the fact is our Founders aren’t the type who take big pay days when the company isn’t performing as promised. The buck stops with them so to speak – which goes back to their AL Williams days as “Reps”. (Not to mention its just good business.)

To further illustrate our Founders desire to create a healthy, viable company they’ve restructured their compensation based on overall performance rather than acting like the fat and happy Executives we see in traditional corporate models. The company announced the new pay structure in a press release on Tuesday:

In order to ensure the Company continues its best practices related to executive compensation, YTB is transitioning to a performance-based incentive compensation program. Effective for the 2010 fiscal year, certain Company executives are entitled to incentive compensation if the Company achieves growth in the number of Business Owners at fiscal year end compared to the beginning of the fiscal year; if the Company meets or exceeds certain financial objectives established at the beginning of the fiscal year; or if the executives meet or exceed certain personal or departmental financial and budgetary objectives established at the beginning of each fiscal year.

Nothing like taking personal responsibility and holding yourself accountable for the overall health of your company now is there? If our Founders and Executives don’t perform to acceptable standards – they’re not paid that handsome bonus other CEO’s are paid. Instead they created an incentive to meet or exceed goals which could compensate them above and beyond their previous pay structure.

Because YTB is a public company obviously all this was filed with the SEC and you can find details of the new compensation package along with a breakdown of objectives that are now required from the Executive Team. Compensation now rides on and includes the growth of business owners (or IBC’s), cash flow and available cash on hand, bottom line earnings reported to stock holders, and other discretionary objectives for each department.

Based on the Press Release that was issued – and the terms of the new compensation that were filed with the SEC – simple logic would have you conclude that the Founders and Executives are at the very least willing to do their part for the overall health of the company.

That being said – not everyone who read the filing was able to comprehend or discern what went down. In a very comical and incredibly bizarre “Google Alert” – some jack ass laid claim that our Founders could be getting ready to resign after landing a sweetheart deal.

I’m not kidding – our self-proclaimed “YTB Expert” thinks you can quit (or resign) AND collect severance to boot. His focus – a two year deal that’s structured under the old compensation package that he claims will enable Coach, Scott and Kim to ride off into the sunset. While they haven’t resigned (yet) according to this dolt – we all need to be cautious of this severance stipulation.

Typical.

For the record, the clause he didn’t “copy and paste” on his blog stated otherwise:

Accordingly, a beneficiary under no circumstances would receive any payment under the Program if he left YTB without good reason or was terminated for cause.

It’s not that a clause like this is really necessary. Can you imagine walking into the Boss’s office sitting yourself down and stating “I’d like to resign – what kind of severance can you offer me?”

You’d either be thrown out and most likely fired “with cause” (for being stupid) or suffer the brunt of company jokes for years to come. (Again – for being stupid.)

You might be wondering if this idiot wrote this out of desperation or due to sheer stupidity. While I’m certainly not a mind reader and I hate having words put in my mouth (like he does with me) I’m pretty certain that this zealot thinks we’re the suckers due to the growing number of YTB’ers (including myself) that make it into his “Dumbass Den”.

In his own arrogant and self-righteous way, our lack of intelligence can’t possibly uncover the obvious error because those in MLM aren’t smart enough. We’re beneath the almighty professionals who pick – poke – and pry at anything and everything our company does.

On the other hand: If you think Coach, Scott and Kim have even the slimmest chance of quitting and having the Board of Directors approve a single dime of the two year severance package that was written – you DO belong in a “Dumbass Den”.

Likewise, for those who are reading up on the internet about ZamZuu or YTB at this time – go back to Tuesday’s article and the statement that John is helping us weed out those that aren’t intelligent or responsible enough to uncover fact or truth. Seriously – If a big old red flag doesn’t come up warning you that nobody gets a severance package when they resign – how could they even be considered a viable prospect?

See my point?

Are his statements ridiculous, absurd, bizarre? Sure they are – that’s what we’ve all come to know, but not quite love about John. But trust me, there’s no way you’re going to convince an arrogant pompous ass like John Frenaye that he’s wrong. His ego is just too big and overpowering to allow anyone to knock any logic or sense in that brain of his. (That – or there’s just not enough room down there.)

At this point, the best you can do is smirk (or laugh out loud like I did) and be thankful and grateful that you’re not as desperate (or stupid) – nor are you likely to run into anyone who is because John’s pretty much got a lock on weeding out any bottom feeders for us.

Instead, turn it around and be thankful. If for nothing else – for ability to read and comprehend the English language.

Then you can move on and be thankful that our Founders are willing to do what it takes to provide a viable, profitable, and respectable business opportunity for those of us who see things for what they really are.

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Sorry I didn’t post anything the latter part of the week. I had to go out of town and had limited access to the internet. I did have a layover in Charlotte each way and wish I could have spent more time there only because my CLEAR wireless card was burning up internet speeds at over 10 mbps.

I did pick up the 2009 Annual report late Wednesday night after I got settled in, which as financial reports often do, put me to sleep. I was able to get the basic outline of the previous year. After reading the outcome of the annual reports from companies like Orbtiz who lost $337 million in 2009, and another report from the ASTA that only one-third of all their agencies produced a profit in 2009, I was opening YTB’s Annual Report with a little apprehension.

The one thing I was looking for but couldn’t seem to find anywhere in the 2009 Annual Report was the “Going Concern” that was slapped on the company during the 2008 Annual Report. I documented last year at that time all the changes that the company had made in an effort to tighten its belt and reduce expenses in an effort to survive the lean year ahead. If you remember, YTB wasn’t just dealing with the doom and gloom of a depressed economy, but at that time California was poised to end the companies existence as some gigantic pyramid scheme and another Class Action suit was thrown on the company.

A year later, the economy is turning around, the California suit is behind us, and the Class Action was thrown out as redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter.

However, according to critics at the time, if you combine the lawsuits, the economy, and slap a “Going Concern” on top of that, there was just no way on earth that YTB would survive to produce another Annual Report for 2009.

At least that’s what we were told by the dwindling number of zealots who persist in spewing their opinions and perceptions all over the internet.

Speaking of that small group both in number and in mind – I did open the door a crack, and lifted the ban I have on reading anything they have to say for a brief moment on Saturday morning. It didn’t take long to slam the door shut again after reading just a few comments. It became abundantly clear that the anger and resentment towards YTB is still around – basically due to the fact that despite all their predictions to the contrary, YTB is still around. It’s got to be really frustrating and extremely uncomfortable at this point to be in their position. I mean – there was no way YTB would be able to make it – there was just too much to overcome with that long lists of negative obstacles the company had to hurdle over in order to survive.

For them, YTB is that small pebble that’s stuck in their shoe. The more they trample, the closer they think they are to removing it. And after all these miles, all this time, all the effort and energy, YTB just won’t go away.

Sucks to be them. Especially when they could just stop what they’re doing for like – a nanosecond, remove the shoe with the pebble, and dump it out – never to have it bother them again.

While I wasn’t willing to dive into everything that’s being spun on the internet right now, it’s apparent that they’re pretty upset. True, they have a $9.9 million loss and a reduction in IBC’s who are active in the company as of December 31st. That’s only going to last however for about another 30 days, and after all the years of doom and gloom, that’s a very short amount of time.

Thing is, they haven’t been willing to look at what our Auditors saw when looking at YTB’s business which prompted them to remove the “Going Concern” letter they slapped on the company one year ago.

“After the independent auditor’s report for the year ended December 31, 2008 raised doubt about YTB’s ability to continue as a going concern, the Company received positive news this week that the independent auditor’s report for fiscal year 2009 will not include the “Going Concern” uncertainty paragraph.

Robert Van Patten, YTB Chief Executive Officer commented on the 2009 results, stating, “We are absolutely thrilled with the audit firm removing the going concern. It justifies the significant sacrifices the home office and our Independent Marketing Representatives have made this past year. 2009 continued to be a challenging year for our entire industry as well as the general economy as a whole. Despite the challenges the economy faces, we remain focused on increasing our capital reserves, reducing corporate overhead and other administrative expenses in 2010. We are determined to solidify our business and grow the Company back to the level our management team and sales force believe is achievable.”

Are we surprise? Not really. While we’ve seen and heard our fair share of negativity and doom and gloom about our company over the years – fact is, we’re still in business. While that may upset others who can only justify with words and their own opinions, we have more tools than ever before, been given more income opportunities, attracting more suppliers and vendors, and we’re still getting paid to do what we love to do.

I didn’t spend a vast amount of time reading the opinions and findings of others this weekend for a couple of reasons. Not only does their increased anger and resentment speak volumes over how frustrated they are that we’re still around, but very little has changed in opinions and speculation that falls woefully short in coming to fruition.

Talk is cheap.

Fact is, I still have a business that I’m not only proud to own, but still get paid for the work that I do.

What a difference a year makes. From YTB being a “Going Concern” to YTB just “Keeps Going”.

Don’t you just love it?

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