Not long ago I met a colleague for coffee at a local Panera -- my favorite meeting place.

Rich Fein had been a business-to-business database marketer when I first met him back in 1999. He was one of the key people I hired to help build my first Internet business.

Rich is an example of a Baby Boomer entrepreneur. More than a year ago he started looking for a business to buy. He came close a couple of times, but just hadn't found the right thing.

So I was greatly surprised to learn that he is now the proud franchisee of a painting company. From database marketing to painting -- what a switch!

He acquired a franchise from a company called CertaPro Painters. Naturally I wanted to hear all about why he chose a painting company franchise, given his business-to-business marketing background.

Nothing that I knew about Rich suggested he would be interested in a painting business. After all, we're talking about someone whose nickname was "Data Hound."

He told me that he had looked at untold numbers of businesses and franchises. The thing that set CertaPro Painters apart was the systems, including:

• Central call center to book appointments and handle customer service issues;



• Direct mail marketing campaigns at the click of a mouse;



• Technology to operate the business efficiently and profitably.