Postal mail is a critical part of the business world. There are many things to be aware of if you have a lot of postal mail being sent to your office or home, so here are 4 things that every businessman should know before mailing off any important documents.
1. Automating Processes
All businesses receive many envelopes every day, and when you factor in junk mail it can add up to a lot of paper. If your business does not have the time to read through all that mail then you should consider making use of automated processes offered by franking machine companies for handling postal mail so it doesn’t pile up. Getting such a machine will help automate the process of sending out your postal mail and it’s easier to use than you think. Many people think they have to be big businesses with an account manager from one of these mail companies to use franking machines but that isn’t true at all. There are many cases where individuals or even small business owners can apply for their machine through the post office by simply filling up a simple online form on their website.
Setting Up Reminders
Business owners are always very busy, so, understandably, you might forget about sending important documents through postal mail because there are just too many things to do each day. When this happens it opens up opportunities for your mail to get lost in the shuffle, so remember to take every opportunity you have to send out documents or correspondence through postal mail because it is often much more reliable than other forms of delivery like email or online file transfer services.
2. USPS vs UPS vs FedEx
USPS, UPS, and FedEx are the biggest 3 shipping companies in the world today. When choosing which one to use it is important to take note of their differences because each has different advantages in terms of delivery time, cost, tracking features, etc. For example, USPS offers discounted rates for bulk mailings while UPS sets high standards on when packages should be delivered by (UPS orders typically arrive within 2 days).
USPS and UPS
USPS is cheaper, offers tracking features, but takes much longer for deliveries.
USPS tends to be the cheapest option when sending large amounts of mail.
US Postal Service offers features like tracking that other companies do not offer.
USPS does not have a guaranteed date of delivery or package completion.
UPS is more expensive, but they are known to arrive within 2 days with their guaranteed service level agreement (SLA). UPS also allows you to easily track your package progress online at any given time during its journey.
Faster than USPS delivery times by 1 day on average (2 days max).
Easier to manage since it has an SLA which specifies when packages should arrive. The company responsible must specify a date and time by when packages should arrive.
More expensive than USPS, but still cheaper than FedEx.
Easier to manage because of the SLA. UPS offers an online tracking feature as well as a mobile app to track your package progress on the go.
FedEx
FedEx is more expensive, doesn’t offer features like tracking unless you pay extra for delivery confirmation, and does not have a guaranteed delivery date/time either. One good thing about them though is that they typically deliver packages within 1 business day or less (depending on location). Their overnight shipping option is also very cheap compared to other companies even if you have a smaller package being sent overnight.
3. Using Protection Envelopes
Due to the nature of postal mail, there is a chance that some documents might get lost during transit or even stolen since you don’t know who handles all your mail before it gets sent out. To protect sensitive material being shipped through postal mail using a protection envelope is highly recommended. Also, remember to include a return address on the envelope since that helps mail stay deliverable.
4. Organizing Mail
To avoid losing important documents, it is best to have a system of organizing your mail. Many people separate their mail into several stacks according to importance, then once or twice a day they sort through the stacks and distribute the mail accordingly. While this procedure might not be for everyone there are many other ways to keep track of what needs to be sent out and when that works well for business owners who just want something simple but effective.
Postal mail is a critical part of the business world. There are many things to be aware of if you have a lot of postal mail being sent to your office or home. Using these tips will help improve your efficiency when managing postal mail in your business.