If you rely on email to conduct business, you'll want to do this today.

Create an email message in your email program, and send the message to your own email address.

When the message arrives, check it carefully.

You may discover that unbeknownst to you, your email contains attachments or advertisements - added by either your email program or your email host.

You may even discover that your email contains an incorrect signature file or an outdated return email address - making it impossible for people to reply to you.

Any of these problems can result in your email getting blocked, deleted, or ignored by recipients.

Send yourself an email message today. You might be surprised by what you find.