It’s perceived that when producing something for your business, doing it in-house is more cost effective than outsourcing; however, this is not always the case. When it comes to printing and mailing, there is definitely a point where you will be streamlining your efforts and saving money by handing over your project to a Printer/Mail-house. Here are some pointers to take away when considering your next mailing:
How many pieces are you mailing?
There is a point where outsourcing becomes the better alternative – and that point (for personal mail) is usually at 500 pieces. Don’t get me wrong, if you are mailing out 100 letters then yes, doing it in house can be more cost effective. However, if you are sending out more than 500 addressed pieces, a mailing house will receive a huge discount on postage that they can then pass on to you. Not only that, the price per piece of printing and mailing shrinks as your quantity grows, therefore higher quantities will save you more money, time and labour than if you were to print and prepare your own job.
How much are you paying for postage?
This is by far the easiest way to cut your mailing cost. When mailing out at higher quantities, mailing houses always get a break when it comes to postage costs, as long as your quantities meet the minimum – even with oversized and overweight pieces.
How much time are you taking to prepare the mailing?
It’s important to consider how much labour you have designated towards preparing your own mailing. Outsourcing production to a mailing house covers the cost of inserting machines, variable overprinting and the use of data professionals to ensure your project goes off without a hitch. Is it worth paying your employees their hourly wage when it takes them far longer to do the same job?
What is the real cost of keeping the job in house?
Aside from the labour cost and time to prepare your mailing, it is important to also take into consideration the different components that go into preparing each mailing. Even though you have a printer in the office, you are still paying a price per piece. At higher quantities, the cost of paper, toner, labels and time rises tremendously. Not to mention the wear and tear on your machine. Is it really worth it?
Is your data list clean and accurate?
Having a clean and accurate data list is key to the success of your mailing. What is the point of paying for printing, mailing and postage if your piece does not even arrive to the proper recipient? By using a mailing house you can improve your ROI tremendously. Data Professionals will properly sort and clean your data files, ensuring that everything meets the Canada Post Standards and regulations. If your data doesn’t meet the requirements, a mailing house can help you improve address accuracy, ensuring that your package arrives safely at the proper address.
Before doing a mailing in house, it is vital to evaluate these 5 points, and ask yourself:
‘Is it really worth it to do our mailing in house?’
Still not sure? Check out our Direct Mail page and we’ll walk you through the process!
