Start your own mail order business : your step-by-step guide to success / Terry Adams, Rob Adams

Shows entrepreneurs how to enter the mail-order field, including tips on choosing the right products, setting pricing policies, and estimating start-up costs.

Preface	p. xi
Chapter 1 Mail Order Mania	p. 1
Wish Fulfillment	p. 2
Mail Order's Dad	p. 2
Off-Duty Shopping	p. 3
The Flip Side	p. 3
Brain Cell Application	p. 4
Mail Order Moonlighting	p. 5
The Top Contender	p. 5
Counting Your Coconuts	p. 6
Crank-Up Costs	p. 7
Rock of Gibraltar	p. 8
The Right Stuff	p. 9
Mix It Up	p. 11
Ah, Romance	p. 12
Getting the Message Out	p. 12
Hey, Sports Fans	p. 13
Filling a Need	p. 14
Midnight Brainstorm	p. 14
Be Your Own Boss	p. 15
Mail Order Passion	p. 15
Future Forecast	p. 16
Chapter 2 Mail Order 101	p. 17
Trade Secrets	p. 18
Mail Order Vehicles	p. 21
Follow the Rules	p. 29
Chapter 3 Planning Your Mail Route: Market Research	p. 33
Defining Your Market	p. 34
Researching Your Market	p. 43
Chapter 4 Packaging Your Business: Choosing a Name and a Structure	p. 55
Name that Business	p. 56
Laying Your Foundation	p. 59
Chapter 5 Into the Money Bag: Figuring Your Finances	p. 63
Start-Up Costs	p. 64
Figuring Profits	p. 74
Operating Expenses	p. 79
Romancing the Bank	p. 83
Chapter 6 Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Daily Operations	p. 87
Mailing Lists	p. 90
Thanks for Calling!	p. 94
The Game Plan	p. 97
Fulfillment	p. 99
Working with Suppliers	p. 104
Customer Service	p. 108
Chapter 7 Special Delivery: Inventory and Shipping	p. 111
Inventory	p. 112
Shipping and Handling	p. 114
Bulk Mail	p. 117
Chapter 8 Sorting through Business Equipment	p. 123
Chapter 9 Return Address: Your Business Location and Employees	p. 143
Choosing a Location	p. 144
Hiring Employees	p. 150
Your Helpmates	p. 152
Your Kind of People	p. 155
Chapter 10 Pushing the Envelope, Part 1: Direct-Mail Advertising	p. 159
Line Dancing	p. 160
Best Product in the Galaxy	p. 163
Reality List	p. 164
1,2,3, Testing	p. 167
Sales Letters	p. 170
Brochures	p. 176
Catalogs	p. 180
Sure-Fire Techniques	p. 185
Chapter 11 Pushing the Envelope, Part 2: Print, Radio, TV, and Internet Advertising	p. 189
Display Ads	p. 190
Classified Ads	p. 196
Web Sites	p. 199
Free Advertising	p. 203
Radio	p. 204
Television	p. 205
Public Relations	p. 206
Chapter 12 The Check's in the Mail: Money Management	p. 209
The Tax Man Cometh	p. 218
Chapter 13 Happy Mailings or Empty Envelopes?	p. 225
Appendix Mail Order Resources	p. 229
Glossary	p. 235
Index	p. 239

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Table of Contents