As the number of self-made millionaires in the US increases at the rate of 1 every 14 minutes and with the average American having a net worth of less than $15,000, one is wise to consider the question: How can I capitalize on the wealth that's being created all around me? How can I position myself and take advantage of the Great Boom in which we are now engaged?

When your children and grandchildren ask about the great prosperity of the early 2000s, what will you tell them? Will you be explaining how you positioned yourself and benefited from the opportunity or will you be justifying how you missed it?

I believe that the predictions of the boom times ahead are accurate. I also want you and me to participate in it. What follows (in no order of importance) are my top ten strategies for exploiting the Roaring 2000s:

1. Get out of debt. The quicker the better. You can't take advantage of opportunities when you're mired in debt. You need an attitude and a confidence that comes from being on top of your finances. The chance to buy comes only when you have the resources (however small) to invest in those prospects. Reduce expenses, increase income, negotiate your interest rates, and cut your taxes.

2. Invest in the wave. Dent predicts a Dow of over 21,000 and possibly 35,000 by 2008. This is the time to take all cash resources available to get in on this explosion. Buy and buy consistently.

3. Be flexible. Things are moving at a rapid pace. This demands adaptability. Things will not remain the same nor will they go back to the way they used to be. Changes that used to evolve over decades or even centuries are happening in years--even months. Entire industries emerge and die within ten years. We must be willing to change directions quickly. It's dodge and weave time.

4. Become techno-savvy. As of January 2000, over half of all Americans use the Internet. This technology will become more a part of our lives than was ever thought possible. Take a course, get a coach, teach yourself. Whatever you do, get up to speed on using a computer and making the Net work for you.

5. Be inquisitive. Constantly ask yourself, "How does this affect me and my industry?" There's no time to sit by and watch things happen. We must be proactive. Talk with people about what's happening. Read. Study. Ask questions.

6. Think globally. No longer can we afford to think and act locally. We must have a broader vision. We must think about how our vocation, our business and our industry will operate in a global economy -- because it does, or soon will.

7. Be entrepreneurial. This is the age of the free agent. Even if we are and plan to continue working in a company or organization, we must at least THINK like an entrepreneur. We need to be in-trepreneurs. Seniority and experience does not have the value that it did. Producing results -- and profits, is what matters.

8. Learn how to learn. What we learned in high school and college will not support us over the next decade. Economist Paul Zane Pilzer, predicts that adult education will become the largest industry in North America by 2005. We must learn how to obtain and integrate information and skills quickly. Computer-based and web-based training will abound. What do you need to learn now? Where and how quickly can you gain the knowledge or skills?

9. Embrace change. Be open to the dramatic changes that are occurring. Saying it shouldn't be or making judgments about what's happening is counterproductive. Open yourself to enjoying change. As the Zen Buddhists say, "When you're falling off a cliff, jump."

10. Become a capitalist. Wealthy people own assets, other people own liabilities -- things that cost money to own and maintain. Capitalism is not a dirty word. A capitalist, by definition, is someone who owns assets--assets that produce income. Stock, equipment and businesses, are assets that generate profits. Eighty percent of all millionaires living in America are self-made. Be one of them.

copyright 2000 Michael E. Angier, used with permission..