Any small business owner that regularly sends things by mail knows that the price of postage adds up fast. Even though fulfilling orders and mailing invoices are necessary expenses, it’s easy to feel like you’re throwing money down the drain.
Thankfully, there are quite a few ways to avoid paying top dollar for shipping fees.
If you’re ready to start saving money and maximizing your profits, read on for five small business postage hacks you can implement today.
- Go Digital
Want our number-one tip for how to save on postage? Avoid paying for postage at all.
That flyer advertising your upcoming promotions? The same graphic could get sent out as an email newsletter and posted to your social media channels.
The ready-made pattern, handout, or activity? Sell it as a printable download instead of a shipped item. This can also save you a bundle on specialty paper and printer ink.
Before you send anything in the mail, ask yourself if it could come in a digital package instead. Chances are you’ll be able to eliminate a lot of your small business shipping costs. You can even advertise it as a way of going green by cutting down on paper and transportation emissions.
- Skip the Envelopes
Each letter envelope you send takes at least one stamp, so as of 2020, you’re paying a minimum of $0.55 each. In contrast, a postcard stamp is only $0.35.
If you’re sending out flyers or coupons, consider skipping the envelope and opting for a postcard to save money. Otherwise, combine multiple invoices, receipts, and other confidential documents for the same client in a single envelope. Not only will you save on postage, but your customers will find it convenient to have all their papers in the same place.
- Weigh Your Boxes
Do you often estimate your package weight and guess at how many stamps it needs? If so, it’s time to stop.
Stamps are great for letters, but if you’re sending anything other than a standard envelope, you’re probably overpaying on postage. Instead, invest in a digital scale to get accurate weights of your packaged boxes. Then, use custom shipping labels so you only pay exactly what’s needed.
- Ship Flat-Rate
Keeping your parcels as small as possible is a great way to save on postage for small businesses. Even so, shipping heavy items can be astronomically expensive no matter how tiny the box is.
Instead of using custom packages for these objects, buy flat-rate USPS boxes. Weigh your items and do the math ahead of time to ensure the flat-rate price is lower than the normal shipping rate.
- Rent a Postage Meter
If you send out a lot of parcels, you can avoid endless trips to the post office by renting a postage machine. These USPS meters can print shipping labels for you at home, often at a discounted rate.
Postage meters save you time and money by eliminating extra post office trips. And, because they’re rentals, you only need to pay for one during the seasons you need it most (hello, holiday shopping sprees).
Save Money on Small Business Postage
When you’re a small business, postage isn’t worth spending a fortune on. Instead of letting the price of stamps bleed you dry, follow these tips for how to save on shipping and watch your profit margins grow.
Looking for more business and finance advice like this? Visit the other articles on our site for practical tips you can put to work right away.
