Postage is an expense that can erase your profits. Follow these guidelines to reduce your postage expense.

1. Never send a letter that weighs less than 30 gms. Five size
8-1/2x11 circulars can be mailed with a 1st class postage stamp. By using all 10 sides with a variety of offers you have a greater chance of receiving an order.

2. When you advertise, state the price of your product and add Plus Postage e.g. "A DOZEN AND ONE WAYS TO REDUCE POSTAGE" $1 plus stamp or SASE (self addressed stamped envelope). When inviting inquiries always say "For information send SASE".

3. Advertise that you will do paid mailing. Set a competitive price and recover some if not all of the costs involved in mailing your own offers.

4. Write a good plan or folio; then create a good ad to sell it. Or offer it to others on a "commission" or "all profit" basis and fill the orders for a SASE. Your offers can then go along for a free ride when you fill the orders.

5. Make up an interesting ad sheet. Use up some of the spaces for your own ads then sell enough ads to others to cover the cost of postage, printing, advertising etc.

6. Advertise a "Free Big Mail for Postage - the More Postage the More Mail". (Big mail consists of at least one mailorder publication plus a variety of circulars).

7. Do exchange mailing. You mail 100 of another dealer's circulars and they will mail 100 or yours.

8. Purchase an accurate postal scale. Then you will never add more postage than necessary OR you can use up the full value of the postage being used.

9. Reduce postage by using Bulk Mail. Inquire at the Post Office. This requires the mailer (U.S.) to sort their mail by state and zip code and mail at least 200 like pieces at one time.

10. Stamps that have not been canceled due to an error of the postal cancellation machine may be used again.

11. Accept stamps from another country. If you can't use them trade with a dealer from that country for stamps that you can use or buy something from them paying them with stamps of equal value.

12. Watch mailorder publications for dealers who have new stamps to sell at a reduced price.

Note: It is false economy to not send a SASE when making inquiries of other dealers. You are more likely to receive an answer much more quickly and it improves business relations. Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer This information may be freely distributed on the Internet as long as the resource box remains intact.

Are you content with your advertising budget?
Schedule a coaching session with Frugal Solutions Expert, DeAnna Spencer.
She will design an affordable online advertising plan for you.
Contact her by sending an email to deanna.spencer(at)gmail.com
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