Have you ever before accidentally misplaced an essential file on your computer? Maybe your computer crashed (once more) or your cat sauntered over a dooming sequence of keys. Keep in thoughts that small pang in your abdomen you felt when you recognized that file was gone for great?

Okay, now image dropping your entire e-zine subscriber checklist. Did that pang just get a bit more intense? (Ouch!)

A quantity of Web marketing gurus had been lately asked the question, “If your workplace was burning down and you could conserve one factor, what would it be?”

The unanimous solution among all of them was, “my checklist”!

Your checklist is your goldmine. It is your pool of warm prospects and clients with whom you have taken months to create a level of credibility and believe in. They’re your ticket to a steady stream of earnings.

It can consider many years to create a big collection of choose-in subscribers. But they can disappear in a flash if they are not protected.

So, are YOU backing up your checklist on a regular basis? (Be truthful!) If not, let’s get you began these days.

If Your Checklist Resides on Your Pc…

If you send out your e-zine or e-mail promotions from your own computer, you Should make backing-up your checklist a daily behavior. And by “backing-up,” I imply conserving your checklist to a disk or place other than your tough drive. For example, you can conserve your checklist to:

I currently use option 5 for my computer files. The provider I use is known as I-Backup, and there are numerous other individuals out there, beginning at as small as $3 per month. I select this option because I have so numerous big files on my computer that I’d have to backup my files to a quantity of separate disks or CDs. And because this technique is so Simple, I am more most likely to adhere to through and back-up my files on a regular basis!

I also like I-Backup for traveling, as I can upload files that I will need to entry on the road. This way I do not have to deliver a disk with me.

If you use a kind of checklist management software that resides on your computer or your own Web server, these kinds of as Broadc@st or MailLoop, it can most likely schedule automated backups for you. See the program’s help files or get in touch with their assistance center for help.

If You Use an On-line Checklist Company…

Even if you host your checklist on-line with a listserve (these kinds of as Topica) or an autoresponder provider (these kinds of as AWeber) that ought to make their own safe backups, you ought to nevertheless make your own backup duplicate on a regular basis! Just download or “export” a duplicate of your checklist each week for safekeeping. It ought to be fairly simple to do. This procedure varies depending on what program you use, so see its help files or get in touch with their assistance center for help.

Think about Buying a Battery Backup System

Southern California is known for its normal power outages, and they had been wreaking havoc on my computer. So I bought a battery backup unit. (I selected APC’s 650 design.) It is about the dimension of a breadbox and retains my computer heading for another hour or so in the occasion of a power outage. This provides me ample time to back up any files I am working on and shut down my computer correctly. It also capabilities as a surge-protector to maintain my computer safe from electrical surges. You can purchase designs like these at any big workplace supply shop, and they selection in price from $100 to $500.

Do not Put It Off Any Longer!

I know that backing-up your files seems like another irritating addition to your active schedule. But maintain in thoughts that you have worked tough to create your checklist … and your business. So consider just a couple of minutes each week to protect that investment.

Suggestion: Choose a particular day each week to back up your checklist. For example, my digital calendar immediately reminds me to do this each and every Friday.

(c) 2003 Alexandria K. Brown

ABOUT THE Writer

Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is writer of the award-winning manual, “Increase Business With Your Personal E-zine.” To learn more about her guide and signal up for more Totally free suggestions like these, visit her site at http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/