PDF Maker

Overview:

A program that uses Microsoft Access, Outlook and Word and automates the sending out of PDF newsletters.

Client's Problem:

The client wanted to create a electronic newsletter business -- more specifically, to send out different issues of different newsletters in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format so they could be printed but not edited, and at the same time, keep up with which issue someone should be receiving for a variety of categories and subscription options.

Our Solution:

The solution came in the form of a Visual Basic program that read information from an Access database and then "drove" Word and Outlook through automation. The program searched Outlook for any emails containing new subscribers, and then it opened a Word template for the next issue due each subscriber, merged their information, and then created a PDF from that Word document and saved out the PDF. Then it opened Outlook and created a custom email for that user, again using merge techniques and attached the PDF document to the email and sent it to that user. Each email and Word template was customized by individual issues, and each subscriber would get their issues in the proper order -- so on a given day, subscriber 1 might receive issue and email #4, and subscriber 2 might receive the Welcome issue, and subscriber 3 might receive issue and email #17 and so on. It was designed this was specifically so that the newsletters could be used to guide someone through a course rather than simply sending out the same information to everyone in the database at the same time.

Product Features:

Automated interaction with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Outlook
Fully tested and functional with Office 97 and Office 2000
Reads initial user data from Outlook email sent via a web form
No Adobe Acrobat required! (see next point)
Integration of a low-cost PDF solution, Jaws PDF Creator
Fully customizable templates for newsletters
Program can be used for a variety of newsletter subscriptions at the same time
Tracks payments, expired subscriptions and reseller payouts

This product was created for The Small Business Coach.

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