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As a kid, the postman’s arrival with a special package was cause for celebration. Sometimes it was a holiday gift or a long-awaited delivery from the Sears catalog. The excitement around the mail made the postman a personal friend.
As an owner of a mailing and shipping franchise, you play a similar role. You are a local professional serving your community with mailing and shipping services, especially as traditional mailboxes have disappeared. As your local patrons use your franchise services, you will get to know them. You’ll know where their kids attend university, the type of business they run with a postal box rental, and the types of related services that help them.
Each location provides a convenient and simple way to assist customers with the shipping of packages. And, of course, mail delivery and management services are common subscriptions, but there are other services you might also provide that add to your business value. Keep in mind, however, if not an already featured service of your franchise, providing one of the following will be subject to written approval by your franchisor.
1. Stamps. As a natural add-on to mailing services, selling stamps provides a quick and easy solution for busy clients, and it also gets other customers into the store who prefer to avoid the long lines at the post office.
2. Utility Bills. As a community service, mailing and service franchise locations often collect cash and pay utility bills for local residents whose bill is due and who no longer use bank checks. Converting cash to immediate payment is a quick and easy process and gets more foot traffic in the door.
3. Fax. Certain industries, especially those in the medical field, still require fax transmission to conform to patient privacy requirements. You provide a valuable and important service at a per-page fee—and it can be a lucrative side service for your franchise.
4. Key Duplications. Ever tried to find someone who knows how to operate the key machine at a large home DIY store? The simple process of key duplication is a handy and helpful service for local landlords and private owners who need to share keys. A mailing and shipping franchise usually offers this service to clients who can also become larger customers who utilize shipping and mailing services.
5. Printing & Notary. Some locations offer printing and binding services for smaller projects and business presentations. A notary can verify document signatures for business transactions. Even wedding invitations and the like may be ordered. What a great way to partner with local businesses and residents.
6. Greeting Cards. Sometimes, these may be offered as part of a larger line of goods, but local artists can also enhance your retail store’s offerings and increase average total sales. It’s a good way to support local artisans while increasing customers’ average purchase amounts.
Mailing and shipping franchises are popular and much needed local services for residents and small businesses alike. You’ll create great community involvement and improved revenue with value-added services for your local customers and businesses while increasing foot traffic and creating incremental revenue.
Anne Daniells is a co-owner of Enterprising Solutions, a professional services firm specializing in corporate communication and financial improvement for businesses where she shares decades of corporate and entrepreneurial experience—including franchise ownership—in her writings on business culture. She has authored hundreds of articles for publications including AllBusiness.com, TweakYourBiz.com, and MSN.com. Reach out via her website for more on where corporate culture, communication, and human architecture collide.