NFIB

U.S. Postal Service Offers Small Businesses More Than Just Stamps
04/ 18/ 2003

by Tamara E. Holmes

Communication is key to a small business's success. Since some of that communication -- whether in the form of direct mail campaigns, printed invoices or bill payments -- is likely to involve the United States Postal Service, it may behoove you to brush up on some of the Postal Service's small business-friendly products and services. The importance of the small business owner to its own success is not lost on the Postal Service, as a section of its Web site is devoted to information for business owners. You can access the section from the main site at www.usps.com. Here you'll find articles on such topics as increasing your customer base, creating customer loyalty and keeping overseas customers happy.

But the Postal Service is not just a source of information. It offers products that can help your business grow, as well.

Post Office boxes not only allow home-based business owners to give clients and customers a way to contact them other than using their permanent address, but they also make it easy for small businesses to expand to multiple locations. If you're trying to appeal to local clientele in different parts of the country, simply purchase P.O. boxes in the various locations. Customers in that area will think your business has a local presence even if you're miles away.

Boxes come in various sizes. A small business that regularly receives small packages will want a bigger one than a firm that only receives letter-sized envelopes. They also vary in price; the bigger boxes cost up to $330 per year.

If your business depends on a lot of mass mailings, you may want to sign up for a bulk mail account. You'll need to pay an annual mailing fee of $150, and you'll have to sign up to get a special permit. Bulk mailers also must presort mail according to ZIP Codes and possibly take the mail to a specified postal facility. Why would you want to do all of this work? The Postal Service rewards customers for their effort with discounts that could be well worth the time if you send out multiple direct mail campaigns per year.

To qualify for bulk mailing status, you'll have to mail a minimum number of pieces, depending on the type of mail. For example, if you're mailing First-Class Mail, you must send off 500 pieces in order to qualify for the bulk mail discounts.

Even if you don't do a lot of mass mailings, you might want to invest in a Postage Meter for your business. Postage Meters are machines that weigh your mailings and stamp postage directly onto it, negating the need to stand in line at the Post Office. To pay for postage using a Postage Meter, you can use a credit card or transfer funds directly from a business account. Postage Meter services are provided by the Postal Service in conjunction with one of four companies: Francotyp-Postalia, Inc.; Hasler, Inc.; Neopost, and Pitney Bowes, Inc. These four companies set their own equipment-leasing or service fees.

The Internet has transformed many an industry, and the Postal Service is no different, as evidenced by its USPS NetPost Services. From any computer with Internet access, you can calculate postal rates along with delivery times. You can also create letters, cards, postcards and other mailings on your computer and have them automatically sent. You won't have to print them out, stuff envelopes or make a trip to the Post Office. Even direct mailing campaigns can be done through the USPS NetPost Services. The Postal Service has partner companies that will work with you so you can create a direct mail campaign on your computer, and they will take care of the rest.

Even if you have items to mail that are not on your computer, you can avoid taking a trip to the Post Office. For $12.50, the Postal Service will pick up as many pieces of mail as you have to give them as long as it is already stamped or metered. Whether you send out reams of correspondence per day or just a few letters a week, the Postal Service should not be overlooked as it may turn out to be a valuable resource, saving you money and time -- both commodities in the world of small business.

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