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Direct Mail and Business Mail Center
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8 Ways To Cut Mailing and Shipping Costsby Janet Attard Ever increasing costs for postage and shipping are a thorn in the side of many small businesses. While a US first-class 44 cent stamp, by itself, isn't much of a hardship, if your business sends out hundreds of first class letters a month or ships hundreds of packages a month, the costs add up and nibble away at your bottom line. What can you do about the problem? Here are several ways to make your mailing and shipping dollars go further. 1 - Use free priority shipping cartons provided by the US Post Office and private shippers only when they won't push the cost of the shipment up into the next weight range. For instance, suppose you purchase shipping cartons for 75 cents each for shipments that when packaged up typically weigh 15 ounces. If the same item shipped in a free, slightly heavier box from the shipping company weighs 17 ounces, you may wind up paying several dollars extra in shipping costs each time you use the "free" box. 2 - Avoid sending documents by US mail altogether by putting them in email. If your customer agrees, consider sending invoices, proposals, presentations, contract terms and even signed documents via email. (Many office printers can scan documents and save to PDF format. So to send a signed document just print it, sign it scan it, save it to a PDF format and send it as an email attachment. 3 - While you're sending email to your customer, include a PS at the end of the email with a promo and link to your website. For example: "PS I thought you might want to know about the special we're running this week on green and blue widgets." 4 - When you do send invoices or ship merchandise to your customers, insert ads and promotions for other products and services you sell. The ads get to ride free as long as the weight of the paper they're printed on doesn't bump the cost of the mailing into the next rate range. 5 - Share mailings with non-competing companies who target the same customers. Split the cost of a single mailing, or send out separate mailings promoting your own product and including a coupon from your partner merchant as a special offer just for your customers. 6 - Send postcard mailings instead of a mailing in an envelope. Even if you opt for the large size postcards that have to be mailed at a letter-rate, you'll save since you won't have to pay for an envelope . 7 - Check addresses before you mail to your customer list. People move and change jobs frequently. If the addressee isn't at the address you mail to, there's a good chance your postage will be wasted. If you list is an old one, built up over time, you could be throwing away a third or more of your postage cost on undeliverable mail. 8 - If you sell informational products online, offer customers a choice of having the product shipped or buying a downloadable-only copy. If they opt to buy the download-only version of a book or manual, for instance, you save on the printing cost, the shipping cost and the cost of the time to assemble and pack the order. About the author
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