Image via Wikipedia
Postage Meters for Postal Savings – Small Business Office Equipment Tutorial
Learn how to save with the right office equipment
As a small business owner your time is spent managing and growing your business. Saving time, money and energy is essential. A small investment in the right type of office equipment can make a big difference.
In running a small business you are bound to send a lot of mail. Checks, invoices, brochures, holiday cards are all things that are mailed on a regular basis. Many companies take these costs for granted without realizing how much money they can save.
Savings
Using a postage meter can help save you both time and money in many ways. Most postage meters come with a scale, either separate or built in, that weighs your mail and then prints exact postage every time. This helps eliminate the risk of ???over-stamping??? your envelopes and packages. Over time you can save big when mailing regularly. A study conducted for Pitney Bowes by a third party showed that small businesses that use a meter can save up to 20% in postage costs annually.
Productivity
Having a postage meter in your office also frees up more of your time. The postage meter hooks up to a telephone line and you can dial in your request to add funds 24/7. That eliminates the need to go to the Post Office??? for stamps as you will be able to weigh your mail and print the postage right at your desk. Enjoy the added bonus of scheduling free picks ups from the USPS for your mail and packages right from your office (www.usps.com/pickup). Add up your savings by calculating how much employee time you will save by making fewer trips to the Post Office??? every week and then multiply this with the applicable hourly salary you pay. See how there is much time and money to be saved. A study of 8.5 million small businesses concluded that small businesses that use a meter are up to 20% more productive than those who don???t.
Cost management
With having a postage meter, you???ll also be managing your costs more efficiently as it will help you monitor exactly how much you spend on your mailings. You can even create different accounts for different departments, giving you a more detailed understanding of each department???s postage spending. If you send a lot of bulk mail you can apply for a bulk mail permit from the USPS??. Use this permit in conjunction with your postage meter to optimize your savings.
Deliverability
Metered mail helps the Post Office??? to process your mail which means that many times metered mail gets to its??? destination faster than stamped mail.
Branding
Metered mail helps send the message to the recipient that you run a stable and sturdy business, helping you build your brand while looking more professional.
Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes is a market leader in postage meters. They have a dedicated product line developed especially for small businesses. Each product is designed to fit the needs and tight budgets of small businesses in each stage of growth. They recognize that many small businesses want to try the products before making cost commitments and they give you the opportunity try a postage meter risk-free between 60 and 90 days, depending on the product and the offer. Click here to learn more or sign up for a free trial.
Why renting instead of buying?
According to applicable rules and regulations, postage meters cannot be owned by a business. Nonetheless, Pitney Bowes makes its easy to rent certain meters for a small monthly fee of between $15 – $20/month. Click her to learn more.
Testimonials: ???My meter has allowed me to not to have to worry about running out for postage, freeing up time to get done other important tasks in the office.???- Dr. Stephen Korbin, Metropolitan Chiropractic
When we need to get a message out to our patients, whether it be an invoice, a reminder, or a greeting during the holidays, Pitney Bowes makes it painless and allows us to do it quickly???we have had our mailing system for several years and we have been enjoying those benefits for as long??????-Ed Brubaker MS, PT-HRPT (Hand Rehab & Physical Therapy Group LLP)
Other ways to save money on mailings
Here are some other helpful tips on how your business can save money on their mailings:
Design with money in mind.
If you are doing a postcard, brochure etc, make sure to weigh the different alternatives before you decide on layout, paper etc. If the different weights impact the postage cost, it can save you money to choose a lighter version. Go with the standard. Whenever possible, try to use standard sized envelopes and postcards as odd sized ones may incur extra charges.
Send postcards.
If your message can be communicated just as well on a postcard, you will save $0.14 compared to sending a first class letter.
Fold your paper.
If the document that you???re mailing weighs less than an ounce, you can fold it to fit a regular business envelope. Rather than mailing it flat, you will save $0.17 each time by using a regular business envelope. (Postage for a 9x 12 envelope is $0.54).
Get a bulk permit.
If you find yourself doing regular bulk mailing, ask the Post Office??? for information on bulk mail permits
Clean your list. Try to clean up your mailing lists on a regular basis to keep them clear of duplicates or bad addresses. Just eyeing through a list every once in a while can help you save the cost of postage and mailing pieces. Use free boxes and mailing envelopes. If you send items by Priority Mail??, make sure to use the envelopes and boxes provided by the Post Office???, which are not only of good quality but some are also free.
USPS, Priority Mail and Post Office are trademarks owned by the United States postal Services.
Related articles
- Denmark introduces digital postage stamps (thenextweb.com)
