I finally got online in Antigua (interestingly pronounced unlike it looks). So far we’ve been to San Juan, Puerto Rico (the ship left from there), Barbados, The Dominican Republic, and Grenada. Very fun so far.

Today, I think everyone is off the ship except for Jen and I — we’re sitting in the computer center doing email. Actually, the satellite connection on the ship is pretty good. We’ve just been trying to avoid email for a few days, but once we got online, it kind of sucks you in.

Jen’s highlight of the trip so far was seeing all the monkeys, and getting to play with one owned by a professional picture poser. For the bargain price of $2, you get to have his monkey jump on your shoulder and grab your ear while your spouse takes a picture.

I’ll upload some pictures before too long — great scenery here!

How’s this for a travel nightmare?

Thursday evening, Jen and I flew from Atlanta to San Antonio so I could speak at Joel “The Master List Builder” Christopher’s Double Birthday Bash today.

Or so I thought. Our plane had a connection in Las Vegas, but it was delayed out of Atlanta so we missed our connection. Turns out, a major convention just finished and Spring Break has started so there are very few flights out of here. So by the time we figured out our options (and missed getting on a flight back to Atlanta) it was 3:00 a.m.

We spent the night in the Vegas airport and tried to get on a 6:00 a.m. flight standby. We couldn’t, so now it’s 5:00 p.m., and we’ve been here for 19 hours. Fortunately, the end is in sight; we should be getting on a plane to Phoenix in an hour.

From there, we are flying to Houston where we will rent a car and drive three or four hours to San Antonio. Joel switched me so I’m speaking first thing Saturday morning instead of today. I was supposed to go on right before Joe Vitale, whom I’ve never met and am looking forward to meeting.

I hope the flights and drives go well from here. Jen and I are supposed to be flying to San Juan, Puerto Rico at noon Saturday to go on a 7 day Caribbean cruise on Celebrity’s Constellation. The ship leaves at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday and we have to be on it. Unfortunately, our record of being on boats when we’re supposed to is less than stellar. I hope we at least make the first day on this one.

Jen’s been working too hard selling wedding favors and needs a vacation! After the nightmare getting there, I’m sure we’ll appreciate it all the more.

The only problem is they charge $30 an hour for internet connections. Argh. On the other hand, it’s probably cheaper that than spending more time in the ship’s casino.

Photos coming soon . . . .

Recent cartoon from the L.A. Times. The text says, “The bloggers are at the gates, Sire.”

“Really? Have them go away at once.”

The little guy on the right says, “Too late, I fear.”

Someday you can tell your kids and grandkids that you remember when blogs were new and people watched the “evening news.”

Well, we made it back from China for the second time in five months. This time, we spent all of our time in Shanghai and actually got to see the city. If you haven’t been there, you really should visit Shanghai — even if you don’t want to import products at unbelievable prices and make a killing on eBay. Shanghai is twice the size of New York and has the most amazing modern skyscrapers and architecture.

I’ll post more pictures and commentary later, but here is a picture of our group outside the trade show, and a look inside just one of the many buildings of this show.

Day One, outside the East China Fair in Shanghai, China

A glimpse of the many factories and manufacturers that can’t wait for you to come buy their products direct from their factory to you — at a fraction of the price charged by American wholesalers.

If you sell anything online, you should come with us next month to the Canton Fair. It’s the largest trade show in China, and in one week you’ll barely have time to see all the manufacturers’ booths.

I think the best kept secret about products made in China is that normal people, not just big companies, can buy products directly from the actual factories. Some of the Americans who went with us on this trip found the exact same products they are already selling online every day at one tenth of the cost they are currently paying.

If you are selling physical products online, think about what that would do to your bottom line . . . .

When I have a chance, I’ll post some more information about the last trip (which was the first time I brought other people), including their video comments. I’m also trying to get the web site done for the next “Seminar in China Trip” which will be to Guangzhao the last week in April. For now, here is a link to the prior description of the last trip.

A couple of the people who commented on my last China post get the idea. They wrote the age old solid business advice that the money is not made when you sell, it’s made when you buy.

If you can get the same things you’re already selling for a third what you’re paying now (or less), your net profits will go up by at least the difference. Of course, they could go up by MORE because if you can sell the same products for less you might make a lot more sales.

Plus, you can easily become a wholesaler and make money selling to all of your top “competitors.” See the article I wrote on Coopetition earlier this year. For example, most all of the wedding favor sites on the first page of the major search engines are trading links with me and selling our line of wholesale products. We help each other while promoting the whole industry.

I figure there’s always going to be ten on the first page of Google. You hope that one is you, and the other nine are your friends.

If you are currently selling physical products online, look at the sticker on the bottom. If it says, “Made in China,” try to come with us on our next trip and slash your product costs by 50-90 percent. If you have any questions about visiting China with us, email me and I’ll give you my cell phone number (which really isn’t that hard to find anyway). You can always call me at our wholesale wedding favor company, Kate Aspen.

Jef Raskin, the main man behind the Macintosh and “one of the most important people in personal computers to this day” according to Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, died two weeks ago of pancreatic cancer.

Most people don’t know the extent to which Steve Jobs had tried to kill the entire Macintosh project. Thankfully, Raskin appealed to the Apple board of directors and saved the project. Not that the Apple I wasn’t the be all end all of personal computers, but the Mac made all the difference.

If you haven’t read it, you may want to check out Raskin’s latest book, The Human Experiment, which gives the background for a wholly new type of computer interface, named Archy, that we hope to see before too long. Perhaps this time, Microsoft will copy it sooner rather than later. Michael Robertson of Linspire (desktop Linux) fame, has a terrific review of Jef’s career here.

After teaching the SEO Pro Workshop in Atlanta all weekend, Monday morning (yesterday) I hopped a plane to Shanghai, China for my Seminar in China Trip. Seven people joined my Kate Aspen partners and I to attend the East China Fair.

The plane ride direct from Chicago to Shanghai is about 14 hours. Argh. Plus, I got stuck in the second to last row, and just missed the last row where the seats don’t go down by one. Close.

So far, we’re mostly just jet lagged and dealing with transportation and issues getting the interpretors for everyone. But it should be a great week. Look for pictures soon. (And if you are interested in importing products directly from Chinese factories to make a killing with eBay or your own eCommerce store, maybe you can come to China with us next month.) We’re doing it again the third or fourth week in April. Check here for the basic idea.

The first SEO Pro Seminar is in the can. Last weekend, serious SEO Pro’s came to Atlanta and spent the weekend learning to start their own SEO business. The seminar featured 5 speakers and cost $10,000. And most attendees felt they got their money’s worth by noon the first day.

Indeed, it was a great weekend filled with cutting-edge ideas for Stomping the Search Engines. If you’re looking for someone to help with outsourcing your own SEO work, try an SEO Pro. Just send me an email and I’ll hook you up with one of my personally trained SEO Pro’s. Just send an email to brad at bradfallon dot com.