Postage Meters Save Dollars During this Recession

By Chris Ulrich

We're all feeling the pressure in this recession, and very few of us are getting stimulus money. To stay ahead, businesses need to make wise spending decisions and reduce costs wherever possible. The small business postage machine, around $19 per month, will help you do just this.

Years ago, only large companies with big mailings used postage meters. They were huge, expensive and needed someone to take the machine to the post office to refill with postage. Today, the biggest users of postage machines are small business-1 to 50 employees-for use with the everyday mailing.

First, you no longer have to drive your postage meter to the post office to be refilled. The Pitney Bowes postage machines, for example, have a phone jack built in. Just plug in any regular phone line, push the refill button, and it can dial in and refill itself with as much postage as you choose. The whole process takes literally 60 seconds and you never have to leave your building. This saves a trip to the post office, the time of the employee who has to make the trip as well as the cost of the fuel (which no one ever looked at previously) to make that drive.

Second, as people mail envelopes and packages of various sizes, they very often apply too much postage. When mailing a letter, the current cost for a first-class mailing is $.44 for a piece one ounce or less. If the piece is slightly heavier, for example 1.3 ounces, more postage is required. However, it is not another $.44 stamp. People using stamps very often apply too much postage, simply throwing away money needlessly.

With the postage machine, the scale is built-in. It not only ways the envelopes it also tells you how much postage needs to be applied. Once it shows that, simply insert the envelope or the label and it will print the stamp in the correct amount without wasting a penny.

Third, you never need to run out of postage. Invariably, the stamps, people run out of stamps at the wrong time. They may be halfway through a mailing, sending out important invoices, or simply sending holiday cards. When you run out of postage, you have no option but to drive to the post office to purchase more. If you had a postage meter, you could easily plug-in, push a button to refill, in 60 seconds later you could complete stamping your envelopes.

Fourth, using a postage machine is an inexpensive way of making your business appear more substantial and reputable. It may seem odd, but people have a different perception when they get a printed letter with a postage machine stamp as opposed to a handwritten envelope with thelove stamp. This little bit of added credibility is achieved without any expensive advertising, advertising strategies or campaigns. Your attention to detail is enough to set you apart. - 31410

About the Author:

Postage Machines: Vital Ways to Keep Your Small Business Postage Meter.

By Chris Ulrich

Often unknown is the fact that a postage meter can not be bought, but only leased from the manufacturer as they are strictly regulated by the United State Postal Service. Rentals typically last for either one or three years and most vendors choose you go with the longer term. If you are unsure of your needs it might be best to go with a one year rental until you get some experience.

Rental costs are based on either usage or fixed, and if based on usage your monthly rate is based on the average total monthly postage for year preceding. In this scenario, rates only increase and that should your usage drop you may not see a resulting reduction in rate. The alternative is fixed rates published by the rental company, which may rise upon short notice.

Some postage machine manufacturers just change their rates from one year to the next, with no concern to usage, more dependent on sophistication of the model rather than the yearly or monthly. When choosing a postage meter, be certain that you understand the pricing agreement.

While postage machine leasing costs do not vary widely, there are options for components such as bases and scales, which you can either buy or lease, unlike the meter itself. Varying according to available options, postage meter bases can cost you a few hundred dollars up to several thousand and scales go anywhere from forty dollars to several hundred.

When selecting a postage meter company your first concern is usually price. Because the US Postal Service highly monitors meters, systems do not vary substantially from one manufacturer to the next, and a good price is usually the deciding component. With more monthly mailing volume and thus costs, other considerations must be taken into account in making your conclusion.

Service rather than function can change greatly depending on the manufacturer chosen. Some manufacturers will work with you directly, and others work through a group of otherwise individual dealers. Both options offer excellent service and the crucial concern is often customer support. Questions to ask are: Do you make on site visits to troubleshoot issues or is support mostly telephone based, and what is the turnaround time on the average support call?

Payment options also might vary greatly. If you will be leasing your system, you likely retain an option to occassionally upgrade your equipment as your operation might grow. Some manufacturers give better and more varied rental choices. In addition, your postage costs can be taken care of in varies ways, either prepayment, mailing a check to the United States Postal Service to start an account, with postage purchases then deducted as you go automatically.

Lastly, a number of manufacturers allow you to "mail now, pay later," basically extending you credit to complete your monthly mailing requirements. Also possible is purchasing postage in advance from the manufacturer. Some manufacturers offer a situation where you get interest aquired as additional postage for prepaid agreements. - 31410

About the Author:

Postage Meters - Can They Help You Get Paid Faster?

By Christohper Ulrich

Every week, millions of companies send out invoices to their clients for services performed. Often, the bill sits for a couple days waiting for someone to make a trip to the post office to get stamps and send the bills.

With the postage meter, such as the Pitney Bowes small business postage machines, you may reduce this step completely. Simply take your invoices, run them through the postage meter, and in seconds you have postage affixed to each envelope. Simply give them to the mail carrier when he or she arrives and you are done.

Sending the invoices out quicker means you get paid sooner.

In addition to making the invoicing go out quicker, postage machines make daily mailing more convenient. Trips to the post office may become a thing of the past, saving the time effort and cost of mailing one to the post office. It doesn't sound like much, but with time, gas increases in our expense, a ride to the post office can easily cost $20-$35. In contrast, for $19.99 a month, you may have the postage machine in your office, saving manytrips at a typical cost of $55-$95 per month.

Postage machines also save you money on postage costs. All first-class envelopes are $.44 to mail. Being able to apply the exact postage every time may save you lots money.

First, numerous people simply hold envelopes in their hand and guess the weight. If they think it is more than an ounce and is not, they assign to much postage. If they assume wrong and think that it is just one ounce but it actually weighs more, they apply to little postage and envelopes will be returned weeks later for insufficient postage.

Even if you guess accurately, how much postage will you need to apply? Well, as of the writing of this article, a 1 1/2 ounce letter cost $.61 to send. If you apply stamps, at the cost of $.88, you're wasting $.17 on each piece you send out. This adds up fast.

How about big envelopes? Do you know the postage costs for those? The machines do and they will tell you how much postage needs to be applied. Maybe your mailing an oversized envelope that's 11 ounces. Did you know that costs $2.58? A postage machine can apply exactly $2.58. With stamps, you may end up sticking six or seven stamps along the top of the envelope, estimating the right postage, and leaving the envelope looking like a child's sticker wall.

Save everyone some time, effort and money, and look at a postage meter for your house, home based business or small business. - 31410

About the Author:

The Evolution Of Ink Stamps

By Gabriel Lozen

A frequent use of ink stamps is when there is a requirement to date documents. Receipt dates and dispatch dates are used for office documents everywhere. Both government and corporate departments have to use dates on their files and papers for legal procedures. This is a very important aspect of documentation of any kind.

As a lot of these documents are utilized as evidence during legal action, these dates are need to be accurate. This is the reason for dates being affixed with extreme care.

As for date stamps, the early inkpads and were absolutely useless without it. But nowadays we have a refined process that involves using a sleeker device. This device is basically a built in inking mechanism. It can also be called self inking.

Traditionally, date stamps were craved from wood. Nowadays the modern self inking stamps are made out of plastic or metal. A replaceable ink pad is present on which rests the stamp die. When pressed, this causes a spring mechanism to impress on the ink pad to release ink. In order to not let the ink from drying up, the stamp is sealed with a cap or plastic cover.

If you have used normal ink stamps before, then understanding the process of using date stamps is very easy. Date ink stamps consist of six to eight rubber bands which are flat and have single digit number from zero to nine.

These numbers are carved into them and the bands are preloaded into detached cylinders. These cylinders can be rotated to change the date. You can use different combinations of the provided numbers to select the right date, year and month.

In our day and age, ink stamps have evolved a great deal since the ancient times of wooden ink stamps. Now the rubber stamp imprint can produce a lot of unique shapes and designs and even numbers. As a result, the usage of stamps has become easier and more versatile. Workers in offices can benefit from self inking stamps. The self inking procedure is easier to use and it causes less mess.

Back in the ancient times, the use of stamp pad inking on rubber stamps was a mess waiting to happen! But with the invention of trendy new ink stamps with self inking devices, they are a whole lot easier to manage. At least you don't have to worry about cleaning up the office furniture! - 31410

About the Author:

Postage Meters Save Dollars During the Recession

By Chris Thompson

We're all feeling the pinch in this recession, and very littleof us are getting stimulus dollars. To stay afloat, businesses need to make wise spending decisions and reduce costs wherever possible. The small business postage machine, around $19 each month, can help you do just that.

Years ago, only big businesses with large mailings used postage meters. They were huge, expensive and required someone to take the machine to the post office to refill with postage. Today, the biggest users of postage machines are small business-1 to 50 employees-for use with their daily mailing.

First, you no longer have to drive your postage machine to the post office to be refilled. The Pitney Bowes postage meters, for example, have a phone jack built in. Just plug in any regular phone line, push the refill button, and it can dial in and refill itself with as much postage as you decide. The whole process takes literally 60 seconds and you never have to leave your office. This saves a drive to the post office, the time of the person who has to make the trip as well as the expense of the fuel (which no one ever reviewd at previously) to make that trip.

Second, as people mail envelopes and packages of different sizes, they very often apply too much postage. When mailing a letter, the current cost for a first-class mailing is $.44 for a piece 1 ounce or less. If the piece is somewhat heavier, for example 1.3 ounces, more postage is required. However, it is not another $.44 stamp. People using stamps very often apply too much postage, easily tossing away money needlessly.

With the postage machine, the scale is built-in. It not only ways the envelopes it also tells you how much postage needs to be applied. Once it shows that, simply put the envelope or the label and it will print the postage in the correct amount without wasting a penny.

Third, you never need to run out of postage. Invariably, the stamps, people run out of stamps at the wrong time. They may be halfway through a mailing, sending out important bills, or simply sending holiday cards. When you run out of postage, you have no option but to drive to the post office to buy more. If you had a postage machine, you would easily plug-in, push a button to refill, in 60 seconds later you could complete stamping your letters.

Fourth, utilizing a postage machine is an inexpensive way of making your business appear more substantial and reputable. It can seem odd, but people have a different perception when they get a printed envelope with a postage meter stamp as opposed to a handwritten letter with the flower stamp. This little bit of added credibility is achieved without any costly marketing, marketing strategies or campaigns. Your attention to detail is enough to set you apart. - 31410

About the Author:

21st Century Stamps

By Myer Thompson

There are a few intractable office supplies you cant run a business without. You've got your stapler, you've got your tape dispenser, and you've got your supply of stamps. I bet you thought I was going to say something else, like a hole-punch or paper clips. All these items are office essentials, but none of them are as customizable as stamps. And no, I don't mean postage stamps.

A brand-spanking new set of custom stamps can give your business that personal touch that makes it unique. Sure, it's odd to say a set of prefabricated stamps will set you apart, but really, how many people are using stamp anymore? You've got the DMV and maybe a credit bureau, but this stamping trend is on the rise.

Forget about the ubiquitous "Paid" stamp or the ominous "Standby." You can customize your stamps to say anything you want. How about "Thanks!" or "Well Done"? You could even have a set of stamps made up for your address or name. Lots of people hate their freehand writing. A stamp just looks cleaner and more professional.

You could even have a stamp made to mimic your signature. That's pretty classy. I mean, it could be construed as spammy, but if you have enough self-irony to pull it off, it could be something of a style coup. There are no limits to what stamps can do for you and your business. And if you don't like them, they're relatively inexpensive, so you don't have to seat the cost.

Customize your stamps to say anything you want. What's your favorite catch phrase? Stamp it! Sure, there is a kind of cheesiness to it, but these stamps can be fun and if you have enough of them, they can be rather versatile too. The key is getting stamps you like and will use, not just stamps that seem official. Hey, it's the 21st century and these aren't your grandfather's stamps. - 31410

About the Author:

Handcrafted Future: Rubber Stamps

By James Pynn

Though emails are ubiquitous these days, people still find the time and inclination to send snail mail. The postal service is still doing business for a reason, not to mention the likes of UPS and FedEx. It may seem quaint in our cloud-computing world, but nothing quite compares to getting a letter or card through the mail. It's a tactile sensation that is lacking with email cards and pop-up jingles.

Now, some people, this author included, can't stand their freehand. This tends to discourage writing letters. When you're fixated on drafting the perfect return address, the rest of the card-sending business seems insurmountable. Now, you could run the envelope and letter through your printer, but the price of printer ink hasn't fallen since 1987. No, a more cost-effective solution is the humble address rubber stamp.

Stamps, you say? Hear me out. A stamp is engineered perfection. You can order a customized address stamp and pound out the perfect return address time and time again. It's an obsessive-compulsive dream come true. When you couple this hardy piece of office supply engineering with a palate of ink pads, you're in stamping heaven.

The problem with our Web 3.0 culture is a lack of connection. For all the emails and instant messaging going on, it seems people are more and more hungry for personal, handcrafted goodies. How do you account for the incredible demand for handmade journals and writing pads? It may be the one recession-proof industry now: journal making. People want to feel what it mean to write -- not type.

We're wanting more and more to know real, live people. The future is a reclaiming of the past. Look through any sartorial blog or website and you'll see a hunger to get back to basics. The sports coat is now en vogue -- as are fedoras and wing tips. This is where the tried and true stamp can flourish once more. - 31410

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here