Spammers use "spider software" to crawl web and harvest email address, so if you have a personal or company website that has your email posted on it, sooner or later a spam spider is going to grab your address and add it to mill. Likewise when you sign up to take online surveys or receive email newsletters, you are potentially exposing yourself to spammers.

How can you reduce amount of spam you get? Many people think that you can't fight spam, so you should just accept it and move on. In other words, you can not fight Borg, so smile and be assimilated into fold. While spam is hard to eliminate, there are things you can do to lessen amount of spam you receive and it's impact on your daily business life.

First, stop clicking on "unsubscribe" links at bottom of spam emails. While some of links are valid and will get you removed from spammer's lists, other are actually there just to let spammer know that your address is valid. Click link to unsubscribe and you might actually see amount of spam you receive increase.

Second, it's a good idea to have at least two e-mail addresses. Use one for personal or business use, and other for surveys and online purchases.

Third, consider installing a spam blocking software on your computer or company network. There are a variety of spam blocking applications on market that range in price from free to a hundred bucks. Though none of them will completely eliminate spam, they can greatly reduce volume you receive. Search Web for "spam filter" and investigate ones that you feel are right for you.

Your Internet Service Provider should also offer an anti-spam application, but be careful how you use it. I have a client who recently increased sensitivity of their ISP spam blocker to point that nothing was getting delivered to their company email accounts, including their own company newsletter. They had effectively built an email brick wall that stopped spam and everything else. Not a good idea.

Before investing in a commercial spam blocker you might also try adjusting email filtering settings in your email software. Microsoft Outlook, for example, lets you set rules for handling incoming mail. The same is true with Outlook Express, Eudora, and Apple's Mail OSX. Each have built-in filtering features that can help eliminate unwanted email by parameters you set.

One thing to remember is that if spam didn't work, it would quickly go away. In other words, if spammers weren't profiting from sending unwanted emails they would go do something else.

Probably become a telemarketer or credit card debt collector.

Whether you use a commercial product or rely on your existing email software to filter out spam, just be careful that you don't batten down hatches so tight that you no longer receive any email at all.

Here's to your success!

Tim Knox tim@dropshipwholesale.net

Since you asked question, Norris, I feel obligated to give you an answer. What is dumbest business question I've ever been asked? I'll let you decide.

The following are real questions from real people that are running around loose among us. If you recognize your question please don't be offended. This is all in good fun and remember, ridicule is sincerest form of flattery. Or something like that.

Here's a question I get at least once a week: "I have never been in business before, but I think I'd be really good at it. Can you tell me what would be best business for me to start?"

Hmm, how about one that involves Psychic Hotline, since that's who I will have to consult to answer your question. I don't know anything about you, your background, your abilities, your talents, your experience, or anything else. How can I possibly tell you what would be best business for you? Who do I look like, Miss Cleo?

Here's one of my favorites: "I need to make a lot of money really fast. What business should I start?"

You need to make a lot of money fast, huh. No problem. I have one word for you, my friend: counterfeiting… Somebody hand me an umbrella. It's raining stupid in here.

Here's an oldie but a goodie: "I have a killer business idea, but I don't have any money. Do you ever invest in businesses or just give advice?" Unfortunately, I only invest in non-lethal business ideas, so I'll have to pass on your killer idea. Thanks for thinking of me, though. This window is now closed…

And my all-time favorite: "I have a great product that nobody wants to buy. How can I make customers buy my product."

How can you make a customer buy your product? Piece of cake, buddy boy. Try using same method I use to make my kids mind. Threaten to put your customer in time out if he doesn't buy something from you right this second! Don't make me get up and sell you something, young man…

I could go on, but I think point is made. Keep those cards and letters coming, boys and girls. It's readers like you that make this job so darn interesting.

Here's to your success.

Tim Knox tim@dropshipwholesale.net