In the United States, we like to do things ourselves. After all, we are a nation built on a legacy of settlers and pioneers. (Little House on the Prairie, anyone?) That legacy also permeates our companies and organizations. In many cases, it's a good thing -- a very good thing even. But when it comes to printing and mailing, the do-it-yourself spirit is decidedly not good.
Why?
We thought you'd never ask.
When one of our clients came to us with severe budget constraints (they had been operating on half of their budget for about a year) and serious fundraising needs, we began to learn about their practices. To keep costs low, they had chosen to do everything in house. Not good.
Each mailing piece cost the organization upwards of $1 or more, not including labor. And they were limited in what types of pieces they could produce. By outsourcing their printing jobs, we were able to bring their costs down to about $0.64 a piece. You do the math.
A professional printer can produce a wide variety of pieces at a low cost because of the total volume they handle. And, they can do it faster and better than you can in your central office. Sad, but true.
So if you want to install a new hot water heater, lay bamboo floors, or rerun network cable, then have at it. The do-it-yourselfer in all of us couldn't be prouder. But when it comes to printing and mailing -- leave it to the experts.
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