In the UK, nearly 10 billion business letters were posted in 2012 alone.
If each of those letters was posted second class using a franking machine rather than stamps, the saving would have been a phenomenal 1.7 billion pounds.
It is clear that a franking machine can save you money. But that is one of a whole range of benefits that it can provide you with.
So read on to discover ten ways in which franking machines can help your business.
1. You Get Discounted Postage
The most obvious, and perhaps the most important benefit to your business is the money saved.
The cost for a first class stamp is currently 67p. The same postage using a franking machine can be as much as 10p less per letter. For second class postage, the savings are even more significant. With franking, your postage can be as much as 19p cheaper per item.
Think about how many items you post out. Now times that number by 19p. That’s how much franking machines could be saving you.
2. You Won’t Overpay with a Franking Machine
If you pay with stamps, you need to use the right combination of stamps to reach the value of the postage.
Often you don’t have enough of the right denominations to hand and end up having to use more than the actual price of the postage. Over the course of a year, these overpayments can really add up.
With franking, you will only ever pay the exact amount that you need to pay, and not a penny more.
3. You Won’t Underpay with a Franking Machine
At the opposite end of the spectrum, it is all too easy to miscalculate and end up underpaying for your postage.
If this happens, your recipient must visit the depot, pay the shortfall, and then pay an administration fee on top of that. This is a surefire way to give your recipient a very poor impression of your company. It’s not one that is likely to lead to repeat custom.
Using franking machines means that you will never underpay for postage again.
4. Your Business Is More Productive
If you’re still using stamps, that means someone is having to stick them all on.
Is it really a good use of your resources to be paying someone to stick stamps on envelopes, or sending them out to queue in the post office to buy some more? Couldn’t that staff member be better used on more productive tasks?
Using franked mail ensures that your postage payment is handled quickly and efficiently without any wasted resources.
5. You Can Pay When You Want
If you run out of stamps and it’s six o’clock, you’re out of luck.
Physical stamps can only be purchased when the post offices are open. If you want to buy them outside of these hours, there’s nothing you can do about it. When there are five minutes until the post goes, and that letter simply has to go out, the last thing you want to be doing is searching for stamps.
You can pay for postage on your franking machine any time, day or night and it can be done almost instantly.
6. You Can Track Your Spending
Most modern franking machines will sync directly with your accounts.
This is an enormous boon when it comes to bookkeeping. It means that you will always be able to claim exactly the right amount for your postage costs when it comes time to submit your tax return.
And it also means you can keep a close eye on how much you’re spending on postage.
7. It Makes Your Business Look More Professional
When you receive a piece of franked mail, you know it is from a professional business.
Sending out mail with stamps can make you look a little unprofessional. In addition, many franking machines allow you to add your own text and images to the franking, which can really help sell your brand. You can include your web address or details of your latest offers.
It turns each piece of mail into an opportunity for free advertising.
8. You Have More Security
Using company stamps for personal mail is all too easy.
With a franking machine, you can set a pin code to ensure that the only people that use your machine are those that should be. That means no more personal mail going out on the company’s money.
You might be surprised how much this could save you.
9. You Get Preferential Treatment
Franked mail will usually have its own separate section in post offices.
In addition, many business parks and industrial estates will have a dedicated post box specifically for franked mail, meaning you don’t even need to visit the post office. But you can still use normal post boxes if one of these is not available to you.
Or if you prefer, you can arrange for Royal Mail to collect your post directly from your place of business.
10. It’s More Convenient
Old-fashioned postage can be a real pain in the rear.
First, you have to weigh your letter or measure its size. Then you have to look up what the correct postage cost should be. Then find the right number of stamps to add up to the correct total. Then stick them all on the envelope.
Franking machines can do every single step of this for you. It will weigh your letter, calculate the exact postage at current prices and print the postage onto it.
It really couldn’t be much easier.
Are You Ready to Start Franking?
Franking machines are a great way to make your business more cost-effective and more professional. This list is just the tip of the iceberg.
Whether you’re a small business or a large one, you really should be reaping the benefits that a franking machine can offer. There is a lot more information on how franking machines work and how to use one for you to view here.
If you’d like to find out about more than just franking then check out our other helpful business resources.