Those issues aside, Emma's could save in overall labor costs versus trying to run your own mailings. An initial fee of $99 to $399 includes your customized template design. (This price varies with your business size and needs.) Plus Emma charges for each mail, starting at $30 for 1,000 messages a month. Costs go down in bulk, such as $70 for 5,000 message or $210 for 25,000.

By paying for services that are outside of your expertise, your businesses could end up saving money in labor and hassle. Do you have a team of designers and marketers in-house? If not, an e-mail campaign service could help your smaller business compete on a bigger level.

Zack Stern is building a new business from San Francisco, where he frequently contributes to PC World.