Do You Really Need a Postage Machine for Your Small Business?
There are nearly 28 million small businesses in the United States. Yours is one of them.
With mounting bills and costs to keep your business running, you might wonder if you really need a postage machine. Will it really save you money? Will it be more trouble than it’s worth?
In this article, we’ll go over some of the reasons having one might be a justifiable expense for your office. Then, you can decide if a postage meter is what your business needs.
It Makes Your Business Look More Professional
If you’re a small business just starting out, you might be looking at branding and all the different ways to make your enterprise stand out. A postage machine can actually make your business look more professional, as you don’t have to individually address the envelopes.
With a postage machine, you’ll get that professional look over handwritten addressing and sticking stamps on letters. Automatically, people receiving mail from you will see that your business means business.
A Postage Meter Makes Mass Mailing Easier
Does your business send out lots of letters to subscribers, ticket holders or potential customers?
If so, investing in a postage machine is a wise option. This is because, depending on the model, you can sort your mass mailing much easier. Even if you have a model where you have to feed each one by hand, it’s a lot easier than going to the post office and having to affix the correct postage.
Once you’ve had the postage printed on each mailing, you can send it out immediately. There’s no need for an extra trip to the post office, as the entire bag is ready to go.
You Can Keep Track of Your Budget Easier
Instead of having someone walk to the post office, purchase postage on the company card and having someone write it off each time you buy postage, you can keep track of it much easier with a postage machine.
With most models, you can refill the amount of money on the machine by either calling a hotline or doing so online.
Many modern postage machines also have accompanying software that allows you to see how much you’ve spent and how much you have left.
You can easily export these sheets to your accountants, who can then use them to keep track of your company’s fiscal spending.
This cuts out the middleman, and makes everything much easier.
You Can Keep Track of Your Mail
Some postage meters will give you programs to also keep track of your mail. This is great especially if you are mailing products often to people.
You can see where items have turned up undelivered or where they are on their journey.
Having a computer program to keep track of this allows for your office to keep track of not only your letter but those that are undeliverable. That way, you can strike people off of your mailing lists every so often so that you can keep everything as clean and neat as possible.
And you won’t waste any more postage on people who have moved or addresses that are no longer functional.
A Postage Machine Ensures Your Postage Stays Affixed to the Items
Your postage won’t always stay on your letters, no matter how much tape you use or how many times you lick the stamps. Sometimes, they fall off due to the way they’re carried or while being sorted through.
It’s no one’s fault, but this definitely happens.
If you’re mailing high volumes of letters, you want to make sure that every item of you mail gets to your customers on time. As postage machines print the postage on your letter or packages, you don’t run this risk.
The only reason they’ll turn up undeliverable is if no one is available to accept the letters.
You Get Discounts on Postage
While the discounts are small, if you send a high volume of mail, it seriously adds up. For example, 50 cent stamps are discounted to 47 cents for those who use postage meters.
That 3 cents can add up to a lot of money, especially if you’re sending our circulars or trying to contact thousands of people at once.
You’ll Never Overpay for Postage
If you send out large volumes of mail, it’s likely that you overpay for some of your stamps or postage. This is because you probably either buy books of stamps, some of which never get used, or you buy boxes with a prefixed shipping amount.
By using a postage machine, you’ll pay the exact amount the letter or parcel is worth.
In addition to saving that 3 cents off of a 50 cent stamp, you’ll also save by not having to purchase extra items in case of an emergency letter that needs to go out. Instead, you’ll be able to simply put it through your postage machine, and send it on its way.
Does My Office Need a Postage Machine?
If any of the above perks sound appealing to you, then it is a good idea to look into getting a postage machine.
Realistically, if your office never, or very rarely, sends out letters, there is no need for one. But any office that sends out regular mail would greatly benefit from having one in their office.
For those who would like to take the next steps in acquiring a postage machine for their small business, read our post on the subject. You may just find the very thing your business has been lacking.
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