Junk mail. Piles of it. In your mailbox, every day. You don't want it. Most of the time, you didn't ask for it. But when it arrives, you have to "do" something with it: Shred it. Trash it. Recycle it.You'll probably never eliminate "all" the mail you don't want. But with a little effort, you can remove your name from enough mailing lists and databases to cut down some of the clutter.We've rounded up some of the best tips for opting out of the direct-mail deluge. Follow these steps and you're bound to lessen your mail carrier's load.Remember: You won't see results right away, because a lot of direct mail is prepared and addressed in advance. So wait at least two or three months before you throw up your hands in disgust.It's a painstaking process -- but so is handling all that junk mail, right?Credit card offersIf you're not shopping for a new credit card, opt out of those pre-approved offers.

Spam nuisance 'can be combated'

Consumers are becoming increasingly angry about rampant SMS and email spam, but what they do not know is that the law is on their side and that there are ways to stop and even prosecute persistent spammers. This was the message from Cape Town-based privacy lawyer Brendan Hughes, of Michalson and Associates, in a presentation on data privacy legislation to Durban businesses last week. Hughes, a member of the appeals panel that adjudicates complaints for the Wireless Application Service Providers' Association (Waspa), said that direct marketing using consumers' personal information was "big business". However, Hughes said businesses that continued to send marketing material or spam to consumers who had asked to be removed from mailing lists could be criminally prosecuted under Section 45 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act of 2002.

Guerrilla Marketing Guru Al Lautenslager Provides Small-Business Owners With Tips on How to Market Their Business

REDMOND, Wash. (Map) - What: Many small-business owners do not have enough money to promote themselves effectively. If budget is an issue, some proven nontraditional marketing methods such as guerilla marketing can help get the word out.

AlphaGraphics seeks investors to open stores in EP

Salt Lake City-based franchising company AlphaGraphics is in the midst of a major expansion effort and has its sights set on El Paso.

The company, which provides marketing and visual communications solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses, plans to open its first El Paso location in the next six months to a year, said Art Coley, senior director of franchise development.

The company hopes to have three to four El Paso stores, all of which will be franchises, within three years, he added.

"The shortest and simplest way (to describe us) is we are a solution provider," Coley said. "We provide marketing and visual communications for small- and medium-sized businesses. What does that mean? Everything from Web sites, e-mail campaigns, direct mailing, printing services for business cards and letterheads.

AlphaGraphics seeks investors to open stores in EP

Salt Lake City-based franchising company AlphaGraphics is in the midst of a major expansion effort and has its sights set on El Paso.

The company, which provides marketing and visual communications solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses, plans to open its first El Paso location in the next six months to a year, said Art Coley, senior director of franchise development.

The company hopes to have three to four El Paso stores, all of which will be franchises, within three years, he added.

"The shortest and simplest way (to describe us) is we are a solution provider," Coley said. "We provide marketing and visual communications for small- and medium-sized businesses. What does that mean? Everything from Web sites, e-mail campaigns, direct mailing, printing services for business cards and letterheads.

NextMark Awarded Patent for Its System for Generating Highly Responsive Mailing Lists

NextMark, Inc., a leading provider of tools and resources to buy mailing lists, sell mailing lists, and learn about mailing lists, announced today it has been awarded a patent for a new mailing list selection technique it has invented. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued NextMark patent number 7,246,077 for its Systems and Methods for Generating Highly Responsive Mailing Lists. .

The Saltire flies high, despite Brown's flag-waving plans

SCOTLAND will be exempt from Gordon Brown's plans to fly the Union flag from every public building, it was confirmed yesterday.

Restaurantpartner.com Provides Restaurants and Foodservice Professionals the Future to On-Demand Marketing Solutions

Restaurantpartner.com, a new membership based website launched June 25th, offers restaurants and foodservice professionals a one-of-a-kind, self serve marketing office and resource center.

The Restaurantpartner.com Marketing Office brings the power of a professional marketing department right to a member's computer. It allows members to create their own custom direct marketing campaigns through an online Direct Mail Center and Email Builder.