Why a Franking Machine can help boost Productivity in Small Offices
When it comes to working for a small business it's normally all hands to the pumps with everyone taking on several other roles and responsibilities in addition to their main job in order to get the work done.
One of those ad-hoc roles normally includes being part-time postmaster or postmistress for the business, ensuring that all incoming and outgoing mail is processed. For many small businesses that involves weighing or measuring larger items to determine the correct postage and then to lick and append the relevant postage stamps to the letters and packets.
That can be a time-consuming and onerous exercise and takes that person performing post duties that day away from their main job. It can be even more inefficient for the productivity of the small business if the daily post person then has to visit the post office, as not only do they have to take time out of their main job they also leave the office understaffed for the period of their enforced absence.
However, productivity could be boosted by the simple introduction of a franking machine complete with integrated digital scale. The outgoing post item is placed on the scale and once the parameters are entered i.e. class of postage and destination, the machine immediately works out the correct cost of postage and prints a label for larger items or directly franks onto the envelope.
A by-product of using franking machines is that small businesses can obtain free advertising on their outgoing mail, with the company logo and/or slogan printed alongside the postage cost on the front of the envelope. It removes the poor image of hand-stamped mail which suggests that the small business is disorganised but instead presents an upscale professional image.
Additionally, the machine automatically keeps a record of your outgoing postage making it easier to account for the mail costs. For small businesses especially there is a large choice of franking machine available, capable of weighing and franking letters and packages. Many have digital scales that are limited to a capacity of 2.5 kg, but for most small businesses that maximum is easily enough to handle the majority of their outgoing mail. Such machines cost around 15 - 33 per month to rent, but that is easily and quickly recouped in efficiency savings within the office.
Especially in these tough economic times it may seem inappropriate to incur more monthly fixed costs, but by making the processing of outgoing mail streamlined you will make the chore less onerous and also increase the productivity of your staff.
One of those ad-hoc roles normally includes being part-time postmaster or postmistress for the business, ensuring that all incoming and outgoing mail is processed. For many small businesses that involves weighing or measuring larger items to determine the correct postage and then to lick and append the relevant postage stamps to the letters and packets.
That can be a time-consuming and onerous exercise and takes that person performing post duties that day away from their main job. It can be even more inefficient for the productivity of the small business if the daily post person then has to visit the post office, as not only do they have to take time out of their main job they also leave the office understaffed for the period of their enforced absence.
However, productivity could be boosted by the simple introduction of a franking machine complete with integrated digital scale. The outgoing post item is placed on the scale and once the parameters are entered i.e. class of postage and destination, the machine immediately works out the correct cost of postage and prints a label for larger items or directly franks onto the envelope.
A by-product of using franking machines is that small businesses can obtain free advertising on their outgoing mail, with the company logo and/or slogan printed alongside the postage cost on the front of the envelope. It removes the poor image of hand-stamped mail which suggests that the small business is disorganised but instead presents an upscale professional image.
Additionally, the machine automatically keeps a record of your outgoing postage making it easier to account for the mail costs. For small businesses especially there is a large choice of franking machine available, capable of weighing and franking letters and packages. Many have digital scales that are limited to a capacity of 2.5 kg, but for most small businesses that maximum is easily enough to handle the majority of their outgoing mail. Such machines cost around 15 - 33 per month to rent, but that is easily and quickly recouped in efficiency savings within the office.
Especially in these tough economic times it may seem inappropriate to incur more monthly fixed costs, but by making the processing of outgoing mail streamlined you will make the chore less onerous and also increase the productivity of your staff.
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