So, you've been doing a great job of maintaining your database and periodically mailing to your list using postcards. Your list is not particularly large, about 200 names or so, but it's a good one and you have secured mortgage business from it.

Just the idea of organizing and putting together another mailing doesn't leave you with happy thoughts. There are always little problems to overcome. There's postcard stock to buy, ink cartridges to replace, addressing the cards, and stamps to purchase and adhere. Plus the fact that it always takes longer than you expected.

You keep thinking that in order to be successful with your direct mail program, you have to go through this process again in about three of four weeks when you mail to the list again. You do recognize the fact that if you're not following up with your prospects multiple times, you're just wasting your time.

You ask yourself this question...Isn't there a better way to do this?

If this sounds at all familiar to you, then keep reading. We are about to detail a little system that can change all of that. You'll be able to easily setup mailings, then sit back, and wait for them to go out on your scheduled date. For those of you that haven't yet experienced the pleasure of preparing your mailing campaigns by hand, feel free to do so. Just remember where you bookmarked or saved this article so you can get back to it, review it again, and then implement it.

Here's the answer to your question...Just go to usps.com/mailingonline and signup for their service. The benefits you'll experience from using this service are enormous and include the following:

1. There are no contracts to sign and no commitments to be made,
2. The postal service will save your postcard so you can use it for future mailings,
3. You can up-load your mailing list and the postal service will save it for you,
4. The post office will automatically check your list against official postal records for accuracy,
5. You will be notified of any address mistakes so you can decide to mail or eliminate the errors,
6. You can us their templates or you can up-load and use your own postcard template,
7. You will eliminate the printing, addressing, adding of postage, and delivery to the post office,
8. Your can up-load your list in various formats like MS Word or MS Excel,
9. You can mail a small quantity of postcards or thousands of them,
10. You can schedule a sequence of mailings to keep in touch with your list,
11. You can calculate your costs prior to setting up your mailing.

What does all of this cost you? Because there are multiple options available to you, let's pick one example: 100 black and white, two-sided postcards, including printing, mailing, and postage would amount to $31.88. This includes a processing fee for each postcard and a postage discount.

So...for less than 32 cents per card, everything is done for you and your entire mailing is taken care of. This gives you some additional prospecting and marketing time. You can also choose a single color to go with the black and white option at a small additional cost, or go with for a full color postcard mailing.

Remember, your time is just as precious as your cash flow and it should be leveraged just as carefully. Using efficient systems and automating your repetitive tasks is essential to your success as a Mortgage Professional. In this case, the United States Postal Service has done that for you. It's up to you to take advantage of it!

Home owners often make the mistake of creating a ROOM when what they really want is a collection of cozy corners. Rearranging a room full of furniture and creating a few simple corners to welcome activities and events into the lives of those who live there is often all that's needed to transform a house into a home.

Once the overall theme is determined for a room, look around for any nooks or crannies that need to become cherished corners. A room with a huge piano along one wall and a sofa along the facing wall might benefit from being split into two triangular corners. By focusing the sofa on a different element, you open up the option of positioning the piano in a corner with better lighting and a single chair for a more cozy arrangement. Perhaps another corner could be a reading corner with a chair, book shelves and a lamp table for a cup of tea?

Consider how the room will be used the most. Decorate for the predominant use of the room. If you rarely host gatherings of large numbers of people, you probably don't need a seating grouping with a border of chairs. Perhaps your room would be much better suited to smaller arrangements with cozy proportions.

When you determine the methods you will use the room, it becomes much easier to arrange a room. A room used predominantly by one or two people doesn't require the same seating arrangements and open spaces as a room used predominantly by a whole family. Other uses determine arrangement as well. Determining factors may include the purpose of the room, specific required furniture, or the amount of traffic a room receives.