I love getting catalogs in the mail. I know most folks hate them, they consider them junk mail and then quickly throw them out. I however love seeing all of the funny and unique items. My boss and I had a good laugh not that long ago about an item I saw in a catalog that I brought in to work. It was a ‘boyfriend pillow’. It consisted of a full sized pillow with an attached cotton filled arm that could be wrapped around a person. The pillow even wore a fleece shirt. Not something I would ever purchase for myself but as a gag gift that would be pretty clever.Some of the most successful mail order catalogs today started in someone’s kitchen with a simple copy machine and four pages per catalog. The advantage of having a catalog over a website is that people cannot always access the internet. Websites also require knowledge especially knowledge of navigation. Some websites have hudnreds of thousands of products. A catalog is usually customized and has only the items that a person is interested in. Of course a website is a great marketing tool for any business but catalogs have their perks as well.

A catalog business can be as cheap as you can make it. The first step is obviously choosing a product to sell. Choose something with longevity. Be sure it is something that you can buy in wholesale and then distribute at retail price. The item should be something that can be photographed and not something that a person would need to touch or feel to buy.

I currently have four successful mail order catalogs in front of me. They each have their own specific category. The first is full of inspiration and how-to books. It is simple with only 28 low qulaity pages. The next is higher quality and full of collectibles and antiques. This specific catalog was for the holiday season so it has ornaments and Christmas decor items. The third is low quality with few pages full of party supplies. They offer party supplies in bulk at a discounted price. This is the kind of catalog that can be customized for the season and show only products for the holidays of that season. The last is very unique, it is full of puzzles. This catalog has every kind of puzzle and brain teazer you can think of. Everything from 3-d puzzles, sodoku, rubik’s cubes, to wooden puzzle boxes that need to be solved for the box to open.

 I do not think I could ever express how important the product is to any business. This is what the business thrives on. Of course I have also said beforer htat people don’t buy the product, they buy the what the product can do for them. So whatever you choose, sell it!

After choosing your category and getting a small inventory you are ready to make a catalog. This can be done by a professional or you can do it at home. The catalog can be simple. You may want to make it one tri-folded page that is more like a brochure than a catalog. This is up to you. Photograph your item, choose a layout (most word processors offer wizards to help you do this) write item descriptions, prices and item numbers. You will need to be sure to include a telephone number and mailing address for orders along with an order form. Toll free numbers and P.O. Boxes work best for privacy. Once you have a completed catalog make copies and hand them out to everyone you know and send them in the mail. These are like your business cards and you should give one to everyone you meet.

Develop a customer database. This should include the customers name, telephone # and address. Use the database to send out newsletters and new catalogs. Not all of your customers will want to recieve mail so if they don’t simply put the on an opt-out list. Communication is important because it shows that you genuinely care about the customer and their needs.

Once you start receiving orders start shipping them out. Deal with customer complaints quickly and efficiently. If you can, send out thank you cards to anyone who places an order. Grow your mail order business just like you would any other. With time and effort your mail order business could turn into a cash making machine!