Tis the season – for porch pirates

The holiday season is fast approaching and that means a huge increase in online shopping. This means an exponential increase in deliveries from UPS, FedEx, USPS, and now Amazon. Which, in turn, means a huge increase in the number of packages that are left on porches. This has given rise to an epidemic of a phenomenon called porch piracy. It’s estimated that 1 in 4 people have been a victim of a stolen package. 1 in 3 people know someone who has been victimized.

 

Unfortunately, even with doorbell cameras and gated communities, this issue has continued to grow. Often, porch pirates follow delivery vehicles, so even if a person is at home, ready to receive a package, the theft can happen quickly. Statistics show that only about 10% of cases are prosecuted and the average value of stolen packages is over $100.

So, what can the online shopper do to help prevent their packages from being stolen? Many have their items shipped to their work, but this isn’t always possible and more and more companies are frowning on employees using company resources to handle an employee’s personal packages. Package lockers are becoming more prevalent. The package is delivered to a secure locker and the recipient is given a one-time code to access the locker. However, these aren’t available everywhere and not all stores can deliver to a locker.

 

 

An inexpensive option is to find a parcel receiving company. For a small fee, they receive your package, sign for it if necessary and can notify you when the package arrives. Many of these companies also offer mailbox rentals with package receiving. It’s a commercial street address which means they can receive packages from all vendors, unlike a P.O. Box which is just limited to USPS postal deliveries.

Espresso Mail is happy to offer low-cost package-receiving for the occasional online shopper and mailbox rentals for those who shop more frequently. We want to make sure that porch pirates walk the plank and that you don’t have to face the problems associated with package theft. Feel free to stop by and call with any questions or to sign up for this increasingly valuable service.

 

Every Door Direct Mail

Technology is everywhere and affects every aspect of our lives and businesses. We’re also a short attention span society, so when you’re trying to market your business or service, you’ve only got a few seconds (or a fraction of one) to catch the attention of a prospect and make an impact to entice them to try you instead of one of your competitors. And your competitors and other businesses are all screaming in that space to make themselves heard. Maybe if you have a large budget or a sophisticated marketing department you can rise above the noise. But what if you have limited resources.

The more things change, the more they stay the same: which means a great way to differentiate yourself and your marketing is to go old school with mailing and print. The USPS created a program called Every Door Direct Mail which provides businesses the opportunity to reach every address in targeted routes, at reduced rates, without the need for additional permits or mailing lists.

 

 

 

 

 

Businesses can send anywhere from 200 to 5000 postcards, menus, or flyers daily to specific zip codes targeting the customers they are trying to reach. This is ideal for restaurants, realtors, businesses having a sale or offering a coupon, or one opening a new location. Multiple sizes are available depending on your needs and the best part is that the cost is less than 19 cents per piece. And using Census Bureau data, you can see the demographics of the routes you’re targeting, including income, age, and household size.

Espresso Mail is an expert at helping you utilize Every Door Direct Mail to help take your marketing to the next level. We use it ourselves when marketing a new product or service. The average turnover in residences in West Palm Beach is 5%, so each year you have the opportunity to reach new people. We can also help you design and print an engaging mail piece.

So cut through the electronic white noise and make your business stand out and be seen. Espresso Mail takes pride in helping businesses achieve their objectives.

Recharge, rejuvenate, and re-energize!

This is an article I wrote for our industry’s non-profit organization. While some of it is industry-specific, the concepts work for anyone, entrepreneur or not, when you start to feel trapped, in a rut, or unmotivated.

 

The dog days of summer are gone and soon we’ll be gearing up for another holiday shipping season. But often in this glamorous industry, we can get a little bedraggled, feel a little unmotivated, and just get plain weary. As entrepreneurs and small business owners, the ins and outs of managing our stores, employees, and customers can often seem a little much. So, what can we do when it feels like the riptide is pulling us under and the juggling of our many priorities has us wondering which ball we’re going to miss that’s going to hit us in the head?

First, take a deep breath. You’re human. And it’s normal to feel that way sometimes. But here are some suggestions that may help you get re-energized, catch your breath, and reset your mental mindset.

Conferences are a great way to get recharged, talk to fellow store owners, meet new vendors and generally get excited about the industry again. As I write this, we’re getting ready for the RS Expo in Dallas, and by the time this article is published, planning will be in high gear for the AMBC The Event in Phoenix in November. We promise to have a knock your socks off agenda that will give you energy and ideas not just for the upcoming peak season, but hopefully all year long.

Visit another store. When you’re on vacation, look up surrounding stores, and call or ask if you can stop by and visit. Or take an afternoon and drive thirty minutes to an hour to another store. That’s far enough away that they aren’t competitors but close enough to make it practical to visit. Every time I get the chance to visit another store, I learn something that I can take back to my store. I see the pluses and minuses of how they operate which knowledge helps me grow as a store owner. But more importantly, it enables you to talk to a colleague who understands the battles that you are fighting. This networking is the backbone of AMBC and #membershelpingmembers. And you never know when your visit may help the store you’re visiting. #giversgain.

Change up your store. We actually do this every few weeks, whether we’re feeling the blahs or on cloud nine. Move as much stuff as you can. Make it look different. Knock off the cobwebs and dust and you’ll be surprised how a fresh look (ever how minor), will breathe life into you and your customers. Inevitably, when we move something, we’ll have a customer question how long we’ve offered that product or service. We smile and say from the beginning. But it’s something they apparently didn’t realize, so it’s like gaining a new customer.

Actually, add a new product or service. Conferences are great for finding new things. But everyday life can provide opportunities if we are looking for it. Just last year, we saw a really cool handmade soap company that was really funny at a university bookstore. We contacted them and it has become a very popular line. We’ve expanded with several of their other products and are very happy to have made the discovery. Be willing to try something new. You’ll find that bringing a new product or service will force you out of your lethargy. Concentrating on marketing your new service will give you something positive to focus on. And that’s what we’re shooting for here. Positive energy.

Change up your routine. Take a brisk walk or jog or bike ride in the morning. Go to a gym. Exercise is a great way to help your physical energy which will, in turn, help your mental energy. Feel better and look better. Worst case, when things are a little slow do some squats or torso twists. Get the blood flowing during your workday. Listen to an audiobook on your commute. There are many great motivational authors or find a subject you want to learn about. I listen to several coffee roasting and social media podcasts instead of top 40 radio. Always be learning – it will keep your mind sharp and fresh. Set aside a time to unplug. Turn off all the voices and devices that compete for your attention. Maybe it’s on the walk you’ve started taking. Facebook will still be there when you get back. It’s important to find a way to just be and meditate without the glow of a TV or phone.

Lastly, find a way to take a vacation from your store. These are our babies and we all know that they won’t operate well or long without us at the helm. But find a few days and know that you can fix whatever goes wrong when you get back. As much as we are dedicated to our stores, we have to be equally dedicated to our families, and even more so to ourselves. I hope to see you in Phoenix and we can discuss this even further.

Promotional products work!

Every business is, knowingly or unknowingly, building their brand. But this extends beyond a logo. A strong brand reflects the customer service experience, uniforms, business cards, and marketing materials. Once you’ve established what your unique value proposition is (what makes you different than your competitors), it’s important to work on your brand. It creates recognition and trust. It also helps inspire your employees.

Once you’ve established your brand, a key element in supporting it is using promotional products as a cornerstone of your marketing. There are many reasons why promotional products should be in every small business’s marketing budget. First, it can be a low cost method of advertising and people love receiving free things.

But more importantly, people hold onto promotional items. Six out of ten people hold onto an item for up to two years. And 88% of people can remember the name of the company on an item they received. And 85% do business with the company after receiving a promotional product.

The beauty of this industry is that there are 1000’s of different products that you can put your logo and contact information on. And when someone has one of your logoed items, you have a walking billboard.

At Espresso Mail, we are committed to helping small businesses succeed. We offer a full catalog of promotional product items that will greatly enhance your brand and marketing efforts.

Print is not dead!

Why Printed Marketing is still so powerful for your business!

In this digital age of technology and instantaneous information overload, it’s easy to believe that traditional print is dead. But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, print is now being called the new digital. There are a few reasons for this resurgence:

Print = truth. In a recent study in Australia, 73% surveyed trusted traditional print sources for news rather than what was plastered on social media. Even millennials who don’t have a history with the media believed print sources over news on social media and what their friends had posted. Over one third surveyed had read something on social media that they later found to not be true.
Print is tangible. Our reactions and response to print are different than seeing things on a screen. And studies have shown that we process and retain information better through print.
Print is permanent. It is able to put a message out that is enduring and can cut through the clutter of the internet. Companies have discovered that print is not only alive but vital to make yourself heard over the usual media noise.

At Espresso Mail Print and Ship Center, we can help design and print high quality brochures, flyers, and business cards that can elevate your image. We offer mailing solutions to target your customers. We can bring your marketing and printing products to life.

Don’t be stale!

Unless we’re talking a red wine or an aged premium steak, fresh is always better. We stress that when serving our coffee customers that we use freshly roasted beans that are freshly ground in making your coffee drinks.

There is a big difference in the taste of fresh roasted coffee and coffee that’s been sitting on a shelf. Even if the coffee came from a name brand coffee shop, it was likely roasted at a plant halfway around the country and by the time it gets to you, it’s stale. Once you’ve tasted coffee that’s been fresh roasted, you’ll never want to settle for anything else ever again.

But why is having “fresh” better than something that’s been sitting on a shelf (or in a K cup) for a few months? First, there’s the chemistry involved. Once subjected to heat, the chemical structure of the bean changes. The natural aromas and flavors that we’ve come to love start to degrade. A big part of this is the buildup and release of carbon dioxide. The chemical structure of an unroasted green coffee bean (raw) usually prevents this from happening.

The three enemies of coffee beans are heat, moisture, and oxygen. Using freshly ground and freshly roasted coffee helps ward these off. Grinding the beans only shortens the optimum life of the coffee which is why we recommend only grinding before you brew. Another reason to avoid the notoriously convenient K cup or preground coffee.

We welcome you to come by and try one of our assorted coffee drinks. We think you’ll agree that fresh roasted coffee tastes so much better.

7 Benefits of Digital Fingerprinting

When people think about getting fingerprints done, they typically think about things like ink and paper. It wasn’t too many years ago when pressing your finger on an ink pad was the sole method of fingerprinting, but today things are much different. Digital fingerprinting is truly the next generation of fingerprint technology. Fingerprints are a very common part of the background check process for a wide variety of industries. But before you run to dip your finger in ink, it’s important to understand this new method.

Modern technology has laid the foundation to make our lives easier and more efficient. As such, digital fingerprints have become much more popular amongst a variety of industries. The following are some of the top benefits of digital fingerprinting:

1. More accurate than traditional fingerprinting
2. Ease of access compared to having to go to a law enforcement agency for traditional fingerprints
3. Less messy than ink
4. Save time due to accuracy and no need to redo fingerprints (which happens often with ink)
5. Shared easily via electronic transmitting
6. Cost-effective
7. Many state and federal agencies, as well as other industries, no longer accept ink-on-paper fingerprints

From healthcare to education, from government to banking, from real estate to accounting, and more, industries across the globe are relying heavily on digital fingerprinting. In fact, a lot of employers are now requiring digital fingerprints as the only acceptable method. At Espresso Mail, we have the most advanced equipment and software necessary for digital fingerprinting in West Palm Beach.

It’s time to catch up on the next generation of fingerprint technology. Stop by our store today for your digital fingerprints!