Anyone needing or wanting 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 list. 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. As you get responses to your ad, list their name and address in your file system. Another method of building your list of names fast is to run a short classified advertisement offering a free report on some sort of money-making idea in exchange for a stamped, self-addressed envelope. You are now building a list of names from which you will draw both to send out your free list to respondents, and to rent for income.

Your list can be managed one of two ways: by computer, or through a simple card filing system. With the advent of the inexpensive personal computer, youcan build a database of names and index those names by zip code easily with any one of a number of mailing list or database programs. You will simply create a file with separate fields for the name, street address, city, state, and zip or postal code of your mail order respondents. You may want to add a field for country on any foreign responses to your ad. Your computer and
dot matrix printer can easily call up any number of names and print out the information on plain paper or peel and stick labels. Nothing could be easier.

Another method of compiling names requires a little more work on your part, but can become just as lucrative as a computerized system. The second system requires the copying of the names and addresses of those responding to your ad onto a 3 by 5 inch index card. Arrange these cards in zip code and alphabetical order, and file them in an envelope or shoe box for later reference. You're almost ready for business.

When you've got a thousand names in your card file, purchase a box of self-adhesive or peel and stick labels and type the names and addresses onto these sheets of labels. Typing 31 sheets - 33 labels to a sheet - will give you 1,023 names. Take the sheets of labels to your nearest photocopy shop and copy them onto plain paper masters and you're ready for business. Be sure to file your plain paper masters and guard them from damage. These will serve for preparing future orders. The first set of labels you typed out can be sent
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. Using these ads as your guide, make up or have made up for you, a similar advertisement featuring your list. You should be offering your lists for one-time-use at $10 per 100 names, $25 for 500 names, and $45 for 1,000 names.

Check with your paper supply sources for best wholesale prices on reams of plain paper and 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of peel and stick labels. 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. If you live in a large city, many of the large, super discount office supply stores offer self-service photocopying for a little as 3 per page. Shop around for the best deal.

When your orders start coming in, simply take your master mailing list sheets to the copy shop, copy them onto plain paper or the sheets of peel and 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.

Many times 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 simply 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 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 program or product you're promoting on the other side. With such an ad sheet, you should contact all the mail order publishers and offer to run their ad in your publication if they'll run yours in their publication. This is known as co-publishing.

Whenever you're adding a new name and address to your card file, always mark on that card whether or not you've received any kind of order from the person. You should also number your mailing lists by marking "01" on the cards of the first 1,000 names you type up onto masters, "02" on the next thousand, and so on. When you have accumulated 5,000 or more names in your card file 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 receive 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 out 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.

Mailing list rentals are the easiest, most profitable method of building a spare-time income in the direct mail industry. If you are beginning small, you can gradually build your business, ultimately adding a personal computer to keep track of your names and print off the mailing lists simply, efficiently, and with a high profit margin for you. Best Wishes for Success!