There are many components to running a successful business, but no matter what industry you are in properly communicating with your customers in a way that shows that you value them is essential. So is making sure you can conduct that communication efficiently. This is done through many types of interactions today, one of which is the mail. But mailing things by hand can be tedious tasks for your employees that take up too much of their valuable time. Fortunately, there are solutions in the form of mailing equipment that can make the process a lot smoother and efficient for your staff, whether they’re sending letters, large envelopes, or packages.

What Types of Devices Are Available Today?

Just because they call it “snail mail” doesn’t mean your business can afford to approach its mailing at a snail’s pace. Thankfully, there are many different types of mailing equipment that can help your business reach its highest level of efficiency, which will save your employees time and the company money. Here are some devices that can get your mailroom on the path to efficiency:

  • Address & Envelope Printers – Trying to feed envelopes into your office printer is annoying and backs up other print jobs. Having dedicated printers that will print addresses on your envelopes is a small thing that can save your employees large amounts of time.
  • Envelope Sealers – It’s one thing to moisten that birthday card for your Aunt, but it’s something entirely different to have to seal dozens or even hundreds of pieces of mail manually, whether you’re using your tongue or an envelope sealer. With an automated sealer, the gum flap is moistened automatically, and the flap closed and sealed, eliminating the need for any manual effort to seal your envelopes.
  • Stamp and Label Appliers – When adding postage to your envelopes and packages, you want that process to go efficiently and accurately as well. Many stamp sealers go beyond applying standard postage and will also apply labels and stickers that help reinforce your brand.
  • Folders and Inserters – Manually folding documents to be mailed can be time-consuming and a literal pain—no one enjoys a paper cut. Your employees can prepare mailings in a fraction of the time with a folder and inserter machine.
  • Mailing Systems – If your business processes and sends out large amounts of mail regularly and you aren’t taking advantage of a mailing system, surely, you’re thinking there has to be a better way. Mailing systems enable you to send and receive thousands of pieces of mail without repetitive, manual labor. Efficiency is a big part of business success, and mailing systems enable you to streamline this process and ensure maximum efficiency.
  • Mailing Software – Import your address lists, have them cleaned, remove undeliverable addresses, and get the lowest postage rates possible to save money and reduce returned mail all from a single program.

The Case for Mailing Equipment

Having mailing equipment in place for your business can make a big difference in your efficiency, reduce costs, and also put you in good graces with the post office. Using these devices leads to discounts on postage, as much as five cents per stamp, and up to 40 percent on priority labels that you print yourself. If you regularly send out large volumes of mail these costs can add up, and you and your employees will spend less time preparing mail as well. As they say, “time is money.”

In many cases, your mailing equipment will keep track of your mailings, making it easier for you to keep track of what has been sent out to know what should be coming in. You can also password protect your equipment, which adds another level of security to your business.

What to Look for

Once you decide to take advantage of mailing equipment, it is important to look at what you need so you are not getting too much or short-changing yourself in any way. Looking at projected usage levels can help you make the right decision. You will need to evaluate the service needs of your current and projected mail volumes, make sure you have the devices for your needs and are not over-buying, and that you have equipment that can handle your business’s level of productivity.

If you get low-end machines when your volume is mid-level or higher, you can wind us spending extra to service the machines. If there’s a lot of flux in your business needs, it is beneficial to work with a company that is flexible and will support upgrades as your needs change.
Some things to look at when choosing your mailing equipment include:

  • Postage use
  • Equipment speed
  • Manual or auto-feeding
  • Oversize item meter
  • Weighing capabilities
  • Other printing options
  • Space necessary for equipment
  • Ink costs
  • Lease price

Of course, just because you have access to mailing equipment doesn’t mean you should mail everything out to your customers. The mail you do send customers must be relevant, not excessive, and grammatically correct. You can also give your customers the option to opt for email communication as a default. Your customer connection is about the people you reach more than how you reach them.

With email inboxes so bogged down these days, the actual mailbox is making a comeback as a way to reach customers. Email, instant messaging, and various social media platforms get a lot of attention, but despite what some believe, physical mail is alive and well. It can serve as an outward reminder for products or services available and can be kept in prominent places, like bulletin boards or even a refrigerator to encourage more customers to use the products or services you offer.

Having access to the right mailing equipment can revolutionize your business’s efficiency levels when it comes to sending out direct mail to clients or customers. To learn more about the various options available, contact On Demand today. We’re here to discuss your Houston-area business’s needs and help you choose the most cost-effective mailing equipment available.