Postage Rate Increase: First Class and Postcard Stamps Rising on January 22

[pkd09]

January 22....

First Class to 45 cents
Post Cards are raising 3 cents to 32 cents each

 

[ChefBevShu]

I send out my invitations, but may need to reconsider. Has anyone ever offered a hostess a "package deal" for their show...like "I'll mail your invitations and bring a treat for your guests for $5" (or $10). Since I encourage my hosts to give me 40 names and addresses, this would be a savings for them, plus help me with the cost of postage. What does everyone think?

 

[gaddischef]

geesh.....I spend ALOT of money in a post office, as I'm sure many of you do......this is getting a little ridiculous.

 

[doughmama]

really?? thank goodness they sell forever stamps...

 

[babywings76]

When is this supposed to go into effect? I think I'll stock up on forever stamps...

 

[esavvymom]

When are they going to figure it out? The more they raise the rates, the more business they lose because people stop using them? Raise the rates on JUNK/Bulk mail, not first-class.

 

[chefsteph07]

This stinks! I'm going to start asking my hosts for reimbursment for mailing their invites. Starting Jan 1. Just add it to their host order.

 

[esavvymom]

How many hosts will start saying they don't want to mail them, especially if we ask for the cost reimbursed (or they pay for it themselves)? Most will reason that email and FB are easier anyway....even though we all know it's not the most effective.It is still a tax deduction if you do pay for it. $0.01 per invitation- sending out 50 invitations is $0.50. Is that extra 50 cents worth the results from a show with the invitations guaranteed to have gone out the way we want them too? Personally, I'd say yes it would be worth it to me. So I'm not going change what I do. Perhaps you/we could ask the hosts for part of the cost? 40 invitations mailed will be $18. Ask for $5?? Don't know....just thinking out loud on that part.

 

[wadesgirl]

How many hosts will start saying they don't want to mail them, especially if we ask for the cost reimbursed (or they pay for it themselves)? Most will reason that email and FB are easier anyway....even though we all know it's not the most effective.

It is still a tax deduction if you do pay for it. $0.01 per invitation- sending out 50 invitations is $0.50. Is that extra 50 cents worth the results from a show with the invitations guaranteed to have gone out the way we want them too? Personally, I'd say yes it would be worth it to me. So I'm not going change what I do.

Perhaps you/we could ask the hosts for part of the cost? 40 invitations mailed will be $18. Ask for $5?? Don't know....just thinking out loud on that part.

Totally agree, in the end it is a tax write off for us! I would rather make sure the invites went out on time and how many went out than relying on my hosts.

 

[otisbg]

I totally agree with you both. I will contunue to send out the invites and know that folks are getting them - sure worth the extra $.50 to me!:thumbup:

 

[chefsteph07]

IDK- I"ve been debating discontinuing the invites for some time now. I know plenty of consultants who do not mail invites and do just fine. I have been doing this for the last 5 yrs and have gotten decent results, but I can't say for certain that it has increased my sales/attendance all that dramatically. I do between 8-12 shows a month and at $18 a show x 12 shows that's over $200 per mo in stamps alone. (not to mention the $4.95 flat rate envelope I use to mail the host packets) It just makes me question continuing it.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I don't send invitations for my hosts. I did for a while but didn't see any difference in attendance. I do however host coach big time on the importance of personal invitation and the last minute reminder calls. I do give them the post card invitation or the mini catalogs with labels and tell them to hand them out as reminder cards and to mail some to people they won't see. Works for me.And then I have a downline consultant who sends all invitations. Her show average is very close to mine...

 

[monsen0727]

What's the cost to mail 2 catalogs? Anyone know off the top of their head. What about cost for 3 catalogs??

 

[esavvymom]

IDK- I"ve been debating discontinuing the invites for some time now. I know plenty of consultants who do not mail invites and do just fine. I have been doing this for the last 5 yrs and have gotten decent results, but I can't say for certain that it has increased my sales/attendance all that dramatically. I do between 8-12 shows a month and at $18 a show x 12 shows that's over $200 per mo in stamps alone. (not to mention the $4.95 flat rate envelope I use to mail the host packets) It just makes me question continuing it.

So conduct your own research study. Try it for awhile without sending the invitations. Keep a simple log of which shows you mailed them for and which ones you didn't, so you can see if there are any results over time.

I'm sure that the Host Coaching is definitely the key. Maybe even doing half the work- getting the invitations printed/prepped, and then let the host finish. Give her a sheet or two of address labels even? But she finishes them off with the addresses and the stamps. If she's going to the trouble of getting the guest list together anyway, it's not a far stretch to finish the address labels and put on the stamps. As a host, as long as I didn't have to fill out the Show-info part for the invitation, I'd be tickled! So hand them the invitations with all of that already filled out. I bet that could do wonders and not cost you so much!

I can understand not wanting to spend the $200 a month, plus think of the time it would save you.

 

[Tracy99]

What's the cost to mail 2 catalogs? Anyone know off the top of their head. What about cost for 3 catalogs??

I just mailed two catalogs, the host flyer, guest special flyer, and 5 outside order forms in a manilla envelop first class and the postage was 2.88.

 

[PCJenni]

I don't send invitations for my hostess, never have... and average $6000 in a month in sales. VERY few of my hostesses even mail invitations. Most use some sort of electronic communication: FB, my website, email flyer, Evite

 

[NooraK]

I do between 8-12 shows a month and at $18 a show x 12 shows that's over $200 per mo in stamps alone. (not to mention the $4.95 flat rate envelope I use to mail the host packets) It just makes me question continuing it.

This is why I've resisted doing it in the first place. Yes, I know that I can deduct it in my taxes, but I would rather have that $200 to spend, and maybe pay $40-50 in taxes on it at the end of the year. In the end, I've still got an extra $150 more to add to my household budget each month.

Not that I'm doing 8-12 shows a month, but it's actually an even bigger chunk of the money I make when I'm doing fewer shows.

 

[chefsteph07]

This is why I've resisted doing it in the first place. Yes, I know that I can deduct it in my taxes, but I would rather have that $200 to spend, and maybe pay $40-50 in taxes on it at the end of the year. In the end, I've still got an extra $150 more to add to my household budget each month.

Not that I'm doing 8-12 shows a month, but it's actually an even bigger chunk of the money I make when I'm doing fewer shows.

I am starting to agree. The 8-12 shows for me has gone down since the summer due to a few unfortunate things that have happened in my life and PC has had to be less of a focus...so over the last few months I've done about 5 shows per mo and I know what you mean. I AM doing the invites for Novemeber and December, I want to send out the holiday minis with them, etc, but I really think I'm gong to refocus my efforts on more host coaching and alternate ways of inviting at the first of the year.

While it IS a tax write off and yes, we "may" be getting a little more attendance, why should "I" have to front all the expense of sending these out for my hosts if I don't want to? It's not like they are not getting something out of it by having more guests in attendance. If a consultant said to me "I will send out your invites for you (which is the biggest pain to most hosts anyway) but I do need you to contribute toward the cost of the postage" I don't think that's crossing the line. Remember, we are just talking POSTAGE. Take into account the ink, paper, envelopes, etc. that I buy to go toward it as well.

 

[babywings76]

I stopped sending out invites for a while due to cutting back on expenses, but you know what happened? Shows were falling through. Hosts procrastinated inviting people or lied about having invited people and there were cancellations or poor turn outs. So, I'm back to sending them out again.

 

[monsen0727]

Thanks for your reply!