Your business’s printer, scanner, and other tech may get a lot of attention as star office tools. However, the mailing equipment you use or may soon upgrade can be just as vital for workflow and productivity. This is especially true if your company creates a lot of mail, from invoices to exciting sales offers.
Mailing equipment goes by many names, including mailing machines, postage meters, stamp machines, mail meters, etc. All of these have the same basic functionality. They calculate postage rates and print postage for your company’s mail.
You may also want to invest in a wide variety of mail prep accessories. These handle other aspects of creating mail, such as applying labels.
The Benefits of Adding Mailing Equipment to Your Technology Lineup
Not sure what mailing equipment can do for your company? They automate different areas of the sometimes tedious mail creation process. Let’s take a look at some of the most common pieces of mailing equipment:
- Envelope Printers. These apply addresses to your envelopes, often using inkjet technology.
- Conveyors and Dryers. This form of mailing equipment uses infrared to cure inks, preventing smudges.
- Folders and Inserters. These devices can neatly and accurately fold sheets of paper and insert them into an envelope.
- Sealers. These include envelope, wafer, tab, and pressure sealers. All of these accessories securely close an envelope once the paper has been inserted.
- Label and Stamp Appliers. These create and affix stamps or automatically place peel-and-stick address labels on your correspondence.
- Feeders. They feed a stack of material such as envelopes into a separate inserter, sealer, label applier, etc.
- Software. The right postal software or bulk mailer program can save you money by pre-sorting the mail, prepping USPS documents, and helping you compare post rates.
Why buy mailing equipment? They’re affordable and convenient time-savers that create professional products that enhance your business image.
A huge variety of mailing equipment is available, but you don’t need to invest in every piece to get an efficient setup. Postage meters are multifunctional and usually offer the best all-around benefits for small to medium businesses.
Of Mailing Equipment Options, Why Postage Meters Stand Out
Postage meters range from compact devices that easily fit on a counter to large, seriously sturdy machines that can handle everything from advertising postcards to 15-pound packages. Big or small, these devices pack in a lot of mailing functionality.
Mail preparation equipment increases productivity. Employees won’t have to devote hours to hand folding, stuffing, and sealing envelopes. Nobody will need to rush a package to the post office, trying to beat closing times. These processes are automated and can be done on your company premises.
These machines are affordable and can save you money. Mail postage meters give you a discount on first-class letters. They also accurately weigh packages with integrated scales. You’ll know the exact postage needed, with no accidental overcharges.
Mailing equipment contracts come at a variety of price points, depending on the machine and how long you’re renting one for.
Mailing equipment unlocks more marketing options. Is envelope prep time a limiting factor for your company’s marketing materials? Do you not have the man-hours to spare on bulk mailings and seasonal sales copy? These devices can take over that tedious process. Just set one up, hit a few buttons, and come back to a neat stack of prepped mail.
Mail machines create professional-looking letters. Hand-folded and labeled mail items may have a somewhat sloppy appearance. Even a well-meaning employee can struggle to make a consistent product when they spend hours working through a mountain of envelopes. Machines will fold paper perfectly every time. Each envelope is addressed clearly. The postage will be centered. The entire correspondence will look more professional. You can also take your branding up a notch by adding logos or semi-personalized messages to the mail.
The Top 5 Qualities You Should Expect from Your Vendor
No matter what mailing equipment your office needs, you’ll want to look for a technology provider with the right qualities. They need to be authorized, interact with customers honestly and transparently, be conveniently located, and respond promptly to questions and problems.
Authorization
Is the vendor you’re considering an authorized FP dealer? Since the USPS builds these meters, you’ll need to go through authorized vendors. Double-check the dealer’s credentials before signing anything.
Transparency
Is this vendor transparent about how long they’ve been in business? Are their contracts clear? Because US currency passes through mail postage machines, the US Postal Services will require you to operate under that contract as long as your company uses the device. Do you get a clear response from the vendor when you have any questions about the terms or the machine’s capabilities? If not, you may want to find another provider.
Location
Is this vendor based in your country? If not, you could end up wrestling with language barriers and long wait times for tech support. Providers with a network of vendors in major cities are a good fit for businesses with multiple branches.
Responsiveness
Automated bots are fine for very simple inquiries, but will the vendor respond to you with a live person on the phone? Does the representative have the ability to escalate your request if needed? You want a vendor that will respond to problems quickly instead of leaving you at loose ends for hours, days, or longer.
In the tightly competitive business world, every advantage counts. Mailing equipment helps your company create professional-looking mailed items. These devices efficiently handle the time-consuming aspects of prepping mail, from creating addresses to calculating postage fees. Mail postage meters leased from a reputable vendor are multifunctional, straightforward to operate, and can save your business money in the long run.
If you’d like to learn more about your mailing equipment options for your Houston business, contact the team at On Demand today. We are the city’s largest independent mailing equipment dealer.