Anyone
wanting or needing to build a fast source of income should
definitely
consider establishing a mailing list rental business.
All
it takes to get started is your time, and once you're
organised,
you can easily parlay this business into a $100,000 a
year
income.
The
first thing of course, is the compiling of names for your
mailing
list. This is done simply by noting or
listing of 3" x 5"
index
cards the names and addresses on all your incoming mail.
Arrange
these cards in alphabetical order, and you're almost ready
for
business. Or, of course, if you have a
computer with a label
programme,
your job is simple to the extreme - just enter them in!
To
build your list of names, simply run an advertisement in as
many
of the mail order publications as you can afford, offering a
free
list of 100 mail order buyers for a self addressed and
stamped
envelope. And again, as you get these
responses toy our
ad,
list their names and addresses in your card file system, and
file
them in alphabetical order, or enter them onto your computer
programme.
Another
way to build your list of names fast is to run a short
classified
type advertisement offering a free report on some sort
of
money making idea, in exchange for a self addresses and stamped
envelope. As you do with all your other incoming mail,
list the
names
and addresses.
When
you've got a thousand names in your card file or on your
computer
programme, the next thing is either to purchase a box of
self
adhesive labels and type these names and addresses onto the
sheets
of labels (or if you have a computer, simply print them
direct
onto labels). If you are typing them by
hand, the best way
is
to purchase the A4 sheets of labels, you can get usually 20 -
30
names and addresses on a sheet in label format, and then take
that
sheet of labels to your nearest photo copy shop, copy them
onto
plain paper masters and you're ready for business.
Meanwhile,
be sure to file your plain paper masters and hold
them/guard
them with your life. You can send out
the labels you
typed
on to your first customer.
Look
through all the publications offering advertising space for
mail
order operators - clip out and study those advertisements
offering
mailing lists - and from these, make up your own ad.
You
should be offering your lists for one-time use at $5 for 100
names,
$20 for 500 names, and $40 for 1,000 names.
Check
with your paper supply sources for the best wholesale prices
on
reams of plain paper, gummed labels, and the peel and stick
labels
(and computer labels if relevant). At
the same time,
explain
what you're about to do with the owner or operator of your
local
copy shop, and arrange a deal whereby you can copy your
names
at reduced prices, so long as you provide your own paper.
Then,
when your orders start coming in - you simply take your
"master
mailing list sheets" to the copy shop, copy them onto
plain
paper, gummed and peel or stick labels, and send them out to
your
customers. Basically, we suggest that
you do all your
copying
once a week, package all your orders for that week, and
drop
them off at the post office with just one trip.
Much
of the time, you can get free advertising and at the same
time
pull in a lot of new names of people who are interested in
mail
order, by writing and submitting articles to the various mail
order
publications. If you arrange such a deal
with a publisher,
run
your mailing list ad, and put at the bottom of your article,
something
like, For more information, or if you have a particular
question,
write to me at ...
It
would also be a good idea to check out your own capabilities of
producing
and mailing out a mail order ad sheet - just a one page
flyer
with 3 columns of ads on one side, and a full page
advertisement
of some programme or product you're promoting on the
other
side. Then, with such an ad sheet, you
contact all the mail
order
publishers, and offer to run their ad in your publication if
they'll
run yours in their publication.
Whenever
you're adding a new name and address to your system,
always
mark whether or not you've received any kind of order from
that
person. You should also number your
mailing lists - mark 01
on
the cards of the first 1,000 names you type up, 02 on the next
thousand,
and so on, until you retire or sell your business.
Finally,
when you've accumulated 5,000 or more names on your
lists,
you can begin contacting some of the national list brokers
and
setting up arrangements for them to broker or rent your list
for
you. Usually, they get 20% of the rental
fee each time they
rent
your list - a small price to pay when you understand these
people
can rent your list out 50 to 100 times a year.
They do all
the
advertising and selling for you, with your only responsibility
being
to work out arrangements to get the lists to the rental
customers.
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