1. I
         worked *forever* to find a source of fairly inexpensive recycled paper
         products for my marketing efforts.
         I found and fell in love with Wizard Graphics,
         offering their full line of high-quality printed material on recycled
         paper. And they had a special on postcards, so I worked all night for
         three nights in a row to create a super-duper 4-color postcard that I
         could send out. Mistake One: I ordered 1000 postcards, and now they’re
         sitting in my living room, waiting for labels and stamps. Have you ever
         sat down and tried to stick labels and stamps on 1000 postcards? I did it
         with 67 letters for another mailing, and it took me forever!Learn From
         Me: If you’re a one-person shop, choose a mailhouse that will do the hard
         work for you.

  2. I
         designed the postcard myself, leaving what I thought was plenty of room
         for an address and a stamp. The Post Office’s Answer: WRONG. They’ve got
         specific guidelines for how much white space they need for automated
         mailings.Learn From Me: Research once, THEN print 1000 copies. Not the
         other way around.
        
        
  3. I
         thought I’d be really clever and use the library’s online business
         database to get a list of graphic design companies in San Diego for
         another mailing. I used the right template and had the USPS send them out
         for me directly. The problem? More than half of them came back as
         undeliverable. And I just thought that San Diego had a plethora of
         independent graphic design and marketing companies.Learn From Me: Free
         directories and mailing lists can cost you more money than they make you.