Tips on starting a mail order business?
First and foremost, let us acknowledge the big elephant in the room: starting a business, any kind of business, is difficult in todays economy. People are wary, weary, and just all around sick of duds. So, the initial step is to make sure your product has a need to be meeting some need. According to entrepreneur.com, It's as basic as a sales principle gets. If no one wants what you are offering, you will not succeed in sales. You therefore, need to know if there is a market for your product(s) or services. Years ago, much of the mail order business was directed at getting products into the hands of people living in rural areas where such goods were not as readily available. 
Okay, so it needs to be meeting a need. You have to get to know the demographic your product is intended for. Who are they? What do they prefer in terms of contacting them? Is a mailing system enough for them or would they like something personalized for them? The wider the scope of your demographic, the harder the job becomes, of course, but it is also the more successful you are. The demand for your product or services, therefore, comes from a wider scope of the population, and you need to seek out whether there is such a market and where it can be found. This means finding not only fishermen who will like your new fishing products, but also fishermen who are not already receiving catalogs from three other such mail order businesses that have beaten you to the punch. Demand means areas or markets that are underserved. A glut of companies selling the same type of items will reduce or eliminate the demand. 
Next, you need to be careful with pricing. Pricing a product too high would make people less interested in it. If it is too cheap, they will suspect that something is wrong with the product, that it is faulty somehow. Entrepreneur.com explains, You need to focus on products or services that will be cost-effective. This means spending a reasonable amount to purchase (or manufacture) the product(s) and market/advertise them, leaving you with a decent profit. It's all about profit margin and punching numbers is crucial before you start any type of sales business. In the world of mail order, this also means factoring packaging and shipping costs into your equation  
And finally, remember that your customers are valuable assets. f you are in sales, you will soon learn that your steady customers are your bread and butter. It costs much more money to acquire new customers than it does to keep regular customers coming back. Therefore, you don't want to be the equivalent of the music industry's "one-hit wonder," debuting with one great product, after which you sink into mail order oblivion. Instead, you want to constantly present new offerings after your customers have purchased your initial product or service. So, you need to offer products that suit their needs and demands. 
