by Marcus Kizzie
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 organized, 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 lists. This is done simply by noting or listing on 3 by 5 index cards the names/addresses on all incoming mail. Arrange these in zip code and alphabetical order, and you're almost ready for business.
To build your list of names simply run an advertisement in as many of the mail order publications as you can afford, offering free list of 100 mail order buyers for a self-addressed and stamped envelope. And again, as you get these responses to your ad, list their names/addresses in your card file system, and file them alphabetically with your other cards.
Another way to build your list of names fast is to run a short classified type advertisement offering a free report of some sort of money-making idea, in exchange for a self-addressed, and stamped envelope. As you do with all of your other incoming mail, list the names/addresses on your index cards and file them with the other cards.
When you've got a thousand names in your file, the next thing is to purchase a box of self-adhesive or peel and stick labels, and type your names/address onto these sheets of labels. Typing 31 sheets--33 labels to a sheet will give you 1,023 names on 31 sheets of labels. Take the sheets 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 thru all the publications offering advertising space for mail order operators--clip out and study those advertisements offering mailing lists--and from these, make up or have made up for you, a similar ad.
You should be offering your lists for a one-time a $5 per 100 names; $20 for 500 names; and $40 for 1,000 names.
Check with your paper sources for best wholesale prices on reams of plain paper, gummed labels, and the peel & stick kind. 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 where by 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 lists" to the copy shop, copy them unto plain paper, gummed or peel & 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 tag your articles with something such as: For more information or if you have a particular questions, write to met 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 program or product you're promoting on the other side. The, with such an ad sheet, you contact all the mail order publishers and offer to run their ad in your publication in they'll run yours in their publication.
Whenever you're selling a new name/address to your card file, always mark on the card whether or not you received any kind of orders from that person. You should also number your mailing lists--mark "01" on the cards of the first 1,000 names you type onto your masters, "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 in your card file. (incidentally, you can easily store your 3x5 cards in old number 6 envelope boxes or even shoe boxes. Whenever you're out shopping, simply ask the store manager or owners if they have any such boxes that they can give you.)
Anyway, as I was saying, once you've got 5,000 names on file, you can begin contacting some of the national list brokers and setting up arrangements for them to a 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 that these people can rent your list to 50 to 100 times per 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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