subject: Why Are Franking Machines Expensive [print this page] Most of us believe the postal services and enveloped mails/packages are dated back to our grand parents' time. Nevertheless it really isn't true in today's world, where the Internet has taken over the world with madness, postal services remains to be the largest form of communication for many small businesses. As suggested by Hewlett Packard in a survey constituted by them about 76% of small businesses located in the Europe still practice paper-based communication. Apart from this 85% of communication conducted by these businesses with clients, customers and suppliers is in printed form.
Most of the communication introduced to us nowadays is being performed over the Internet. However, we cannot ignore the fact that some documents still need to be courier and customers or suppliers will require a solid proof of a transaction. They simply cannot be deleted by a mere click of the mouse which gives it real value. According to the Royal Mail, the use direct mail in marketing has jumped to 100% in 10 years and has taken about 12.3% share of the total marketing expenditure.
Examples such as product sample and company literature still require the traditional way. So rest assured, for several small businesses postal mailing is here to stay and will always be the most cost effective means of communicating with customers or suppliers. Many small businesses still find the Internet to be a great hassle and prefer the traditional method of communication. With advancements in technology and machines becoming smaller they can convert to meter mailing with a franking machine for an efficient and effective approach to postal mailing.
After deciding that purchasing a franking machine will provide many benefits to your company, you are now ready to set off on your journey to find a discounted machine. If you are interested in making an initial purchase, these diligent devices can range from 600 to as high as 16,000. Depending on your need and requirement you can determine which machine best suits your organization. Do keep in mind these machines are expensive pieces of kit but are guaranteed to quicken you operational activities. For many small businesses, they are most likely to spend no more than 3000 for franking machines.
If you cannot afford the initial purchase of franking machine, you can choose from renting or leasing the machine. For instance you choose to lease out the machine, you have the benefit of not paying a large amount initially. The downfall to leasing is that you might not be able to own the machine once the lease has ended. Many manufacturers may offer a cut price but it is wise for small businesses to reconsider their decision of ownership since the machine is largely devalued. Other benefits with renting and leasing include the ability to upgrade and downgrade whenever needed. If these options are being used than small businesses should be aware of the lengths of contracts along with the suggested duration for which they will be attached with the machine.
Whichever option you decide, don't forget to check whether other costs such as installation, training and warranty are also included. You also need to calculate the running costs of the machine. This would include inspection conducted by Royal Mail at least once a year. Most modern machines are checked occasionally but others have to be inspected on site by an authorized supplier, who is the manufacturer since there are no independent suppliers. If you fall into the second category, it is important that you know how much the inspection will cost.
Conclusively, long term expenditure will include, ink cartridges, rollers, labels, re-crediting transaction fees, insurance and charges related to altering the logo. Ink cartridges will cost up to 49 each along with 200 labels of 20, the running expenses will vary greatly amongst machines.
