When first starting up, many small businesses keep startup expenses low by outsourcing the creation of marketing materials and product labels to a printing service. When doing this to keep initial business expenses low, it's important to also consider ongoing expenses. If you're opening a business, here are some questions to help you find a printing service that will be affordable in the weeks, months and years to come.
Do You Offer Volume Discounts?
At first, your business might not have enough printing orders to take advantage of a printing service's volume discounts. You'll want to make sure the service you use offers such discounts, though, so your business can take advantage of them after the business grows. Even small volume discounts can add up to significant savings when placing large orders, and these types of discounts often greatly increase profitability by lowering costs.
What Shipping Method Do You Use?
Shipping charges for commercial orders can vary a lot and, in some cases, they can be quite large. Therefore, it's common for business-to-business companies to pass shipping feeds directly onto their customers. In many cases, shipping charges are calculated on a per-order basis and added directly onto estimates.
To get an idea of how much your business will pay to have printed materials shipped, find out what shipping methods a printing service uses. Once you know what service they use, you can check the shipping charges for sample orders that are similar to the orders your business will be placing. This will give you an accurate idea of how much you need to budget to have advertising materials and product labels shipped and is the best way to get customized shipping information.
How Quickly Can You Fulfill Orders?
A printing service's turnaround time won't necessarily increase your business' printing costs. A service's turnaround time may, however, influence your business' profitability in indirect ways. A printing service that provides fast turnaround times will make it easier to keep the printed materials your business needs in stock. You won't have to worry about losing sales because products can't be labeled or marketing collateral can't be replaced if damaged.
Do You Have Rush Fees?
When finding out how quickly a printing service can fulfill orders, clarify whether there are any rush fees for orders that need immediate fulfillment. Rush fees will directly impact how much your business has to pay for orders that are turned around quickly.
For more information, contact companies like Pittsburgh Mailing Inc.
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