Businesses of all sizes have found different ways and places to reduce expenses. However, postage and shipping fees are some of the highest costs that companies have little to no control over. Sending out packages or mail is an essential part of modern businesses and companies. However, the ever-increasing cost of postage has many businesses trying to find ways to cut costs and save money.
So how can your business reduce the costs incurred through postage? There are several options and below are some other tips businesses can utilize to save financial resources.
1. Lease a Postage Meter
Leasing a postage meter is an excellent option for businesses that spend more than $50 a month on postage. A postage meter prints the exact postage for priority, first-class, and express mail. The same applies to bulk mail and packages. The printed postage looks both neat and professional. It also saves time since you do not have to make fewer trips to the post office. You can easily refill your postage online or through a telephone line. Due to federal regulations, businesses cannot purchase postage meters, so you can only lease them. They come with different options, and you can rent one depending on the specific requirements of your business.
2. Get a Bulk Printing Permit
If you run or manage a business that mails out lots of brochures or flyers every year, you can qualify for a bulk mailing permit. All you have to do is apply for a bulk mailing permit from your postage service provider. For instance, USPS allows businesses that mail 500 pieces of first-class mail to apply for bulk mailing permits. Since you have to weigh postage and sort all correspondence by yourself, you qualify for an insignificant postage discount. After sorting the mail, you take it to the post office, where you have a mailing permit.
3. Use Email if Possible
You obviously need to avoid sending mail as much as possible. Businesses can resort to the use of email services whenever the possibility comes up. You do not have to mail coupons to customers that spend most of their time using the internet. Simply send them an email containing the coupon, and they can print it up whenever they want to use it. It saves you money since you do not have to pay for paper and printing services and postage.
4. Use a Franking Machine
Using a post office franking machine is an easy and affordable way for businesses to handle their own mail. By purchasing one for your business, you can weigh your mail and frank it for postage. It is a convenient way for companies to handle and pay for their own postage. With the franking machine, all you have to do is pay for the item you need to mail in your office and then post it in your business post box.
You can purchase one outright or rent a franking machine for a monthly or annual fee. Businesses can also trial refurbished franking machines before buying or leasing to ensure that it works effectively. If you have a business that mines more than 8-second class letters every day, you can save a good amount of money using a franking machine. It is also convenient for one-person companies and not just corporations and SMEs.
5. Avoid Overnight Shipping
Overnight shipping a single letter can cause your business as much as $20 or more. Sometimes, the letter is not highly urgent that it has to be delivered the following day. Unless you are under a tight deadline, it does not make sense to spend such an amount to cover the overnight shipping costs. If it is not urgent, there is no harm in waiting a few days to mail it using a first-class postage stamp that costs less than $1.
6. Use Forever Stamps
Seemingly, the cost of postage stamps increases every year. If you use USPS for your mailing needs, you can purchase today USPS forever stamps. They come at the regular postage rate. However, they can help you save a good amount of money if the postage rate increases since you do not have to pay the extra amount. As the name suggests, they are good forever, so you can make a bulk purchase and never have to worry about the increasing costs of postage stamps.
Businesses cannot entirely avoid mailing correspondence, but they can adopt various measures to reduce the postage costs they pay every year. By making the most out of the options provided above, you can save hundreds, maybe even thousands, of dollars annually.