When you're looking to get your email list started, you have three options: create your own, buy, or rent. Creating your own list is always the best way to get started if you want to build a solid foundation and make sure that everything is running smoothly. It also helps if you want to avoid any spammy practices like buying lists of people who don't care about your business and just signed up for a freebie. Buying lists are usually easy and quick but may be more expensive than renting them. They also come with an added risk of being penalized by the law because the people on them may not even know they're on the list! Renting lists is the other option if you need something fast and don't want to worry about maintaining your own database. However, although cheaper than buying, renting an email list still comes with the same spam risk as a bought one. You'll need to make sure that all the subscribers have opted-in so there aren't any legal issues down the line! Creating your own email list is always going to take longer than buying one from a broker or list provider. But if you're serious about building an audience, it will be worth the extra effort. Owning a list that you created yourself is the best way to ensure its accuracy. Plus, no one can take it away from you! Not only will you be able to use it for any purpose you want, you can be confident that your subscribers are real, have given you permission, and are genuinely interested in what you're selling!