Pennies add up. Nothing accurately represents the impact pennies can make quite like a bulk mail project. Over the course of a direct mail campaign, all of those pennies per piece can add up to a huge dollar amount. Savvy business professionals understand that cost savings of a few cents per piece of mail can translate to hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Deciding whether to continue your printing services in-house or seek out print and mail outsourcing can be a complex equation. Running the numbers and determining what is essential for a relationship with a printing company is crucial to the equation. Identifying what is important to you and getting a quote from print and mail companies that meet your high standards will be the first step in your decision.
Why Businesses Hesitate
One of the top reasons people decide to keep their mail services in-house is to ensure security over sensitive information and to maintain ultimate control. While these are valid concerns, it should be noted that many print and mail companies can guarantee the maximum security of your documents while providing true collaboration in developing and creating your project. Knowing you can maintain the privacy and control you value, imagine what you can do with the savings in time and money that outsourcing will provide.
How to Decide Between In-House and Outsourced Printing
When you factor in each piece of the equation, the answer is typically pretty easy. If you produce large quantities of bulk or direct mail, a cost analysis likely indicates outsourcing will save you money. When you identify a mail service that can meet your high standards in areas like security and project collaboration, it begins to become very clear that outsourcing almost always makes the most sense.
The interesting thing about outsourced printing is that there really is no downside. The expertise and efficiency a print-to-mail service can offer are tough to match in-house. Ultimately, there are many advantages to outsourcing your bulk mail that make it an obvious choice.
- Reduced Costs
When you factor in all the costs, you may be spending more than you thought on in-house printing. One of the biggest advantages of outsourcing your mail projects is that it almost always saves you money. Variables contributing to the cost of your mail projects include printer lease and maintenance costs, supplies, and labor.Professional printing and mailing companies can push mail out quickly and easily, buy supplies in bulk, and get volume discounts. Producing your mail in-house at a competitive price is very hard. The volume of mail they can produce, paired with employees who have mastered efficiency over every step of the process, means that you benefit from both bulk and volume discounts, all for less work.Outsourcing also allows you to recoup overhead tied up in your in-house printing and mailing operation. When you eliminate the costs and labor associated with managing machine leases and maintenance, printing supplies, and overseeing printing tasks, it suddenly opens up a world of possibilities for reallocating that overhead and re-engaging your employees in revenue-producing tasks. - Quality
Because mail companies do one thing, they can do it really well. Their entire focus is on print and mail, so they typically invest more in the latest technology and printing capabilities. Most businesses cannot compete with the quality a professional printer can provide. The quality of your documents is a direct reflection of your business and represents your professional image. Partnering with a professional will allow you to source the highest quality printing and let your brand shine. - Reallocate Your Resources
By allowing a printing and mailing service to do what they do best, you, in turn, can now focus on your own area of expertise. Outsourcing a mundane task such as mail allows you to return your employees to jobs that generate revenue. When you remove the burden of tasks associated with printing and upkeep of the machinery, imagine how you can reallocate these resources. Your employees can focus on more pertinent jobs, and you can invest the funds you allocate to printing equipment into more lucrative ventures. - Enhance Your Image
Outsourcing allows you and your team to focus more time and energy on refining your brand image. Your focus on developing a compelling brand and creating engaging marketing pieces will pay off exponentially when paired with the increased quality that a professional printer can provide. The result will be new and endless possibilities for your professional image.
While every company and scenario is different, chances are pretty great that you have nothing to do but benefit by outsourcing your print and mail services. A great place to start is by finding a reputable service that shares your values of quality production, customer privacy, and engaging design and getting a quote. Allow them to walk you through the process and give you confidence in outsourcing.
