I had a great time working into the wee hours last night adding customers to our database at work. Part of our marketing includes sending out catalogs to people that subscribe to other magazines or publications. We approach owners of "lists" and purchase a one- (or many-) time use of their customers. We then mail out our spiffy catalog and include a postage-paid card with their name printed on it, enticing them to have the Veer catalog sent to them on a regular basis. When they send their card back to us, we now longer have to rent their name from the original list owner - they become a prospective customer of ours and we can get in touch with them (via postal service or e-mail) as we need to.

We usually get stacks and stacks of the postage-paid cards (known as Blow-in Request for Catalogs, or BRCs) that need to be manually entered into our database. I volunteered to enter some of these because these people are basically requesting to spend money with us. The faster we can respond to them, the better. Also, having a bigger name list of our own adds equity to the company. When I'm entering names I feel like I'm tangibly growing our business, instead of just keeping plates spinning on our network.

I'll be tired Friday, but what the heck.