For the most part, we forget about the post office because letter mail has been mostly replaced by e-mail. But there is still some things that small business needs from Canada Post. There is still a need for outbound marketing and product shipments.

Depending on what you are marketing and who your target audience is, Canada Post may have a direct-mailing solution for you. Last year, Telsec did a targeted mailing to the condo buildings nearby and got a good response from entrepreneurs in those condos who were looking for a virtual office address (that was not their home address). We had a number of calls from the flyer we put out.

Canada Post can take care of most of your small business shipping needs – everything from sending out letter mail and invoices, to sending out product shipments to customers. A large portion of our office space tenants receive and send via Canada Post every day. This includes the use of a Canada Post Neighbourhood Mail (formerly Unaddressed Admail ) campaign targeting multiple areas. They receive back information and orders using postage-paid envelopes that respondents are most likely to use.

The post office also offers some great discounts for your small business. The more you spend on parcels and Neighbourhood Mail, the better your discount rates. Your small business can save up to 28% on parcels shipped domestically, and up to 40% on parcels shipped outside Canada. You can also save up to 15% on Neighbourhood Mail.

If you are running an online store or selling products on a auction website, Canada Post can make it easy to sell online with integrated shipping features for your online store. They offer real-time pricing and delivery time estimates with automated order entry and label creation. They even allow your customers to have real-time parcel tracking with email updates. A real bonus is easy returns that give customers the confidence to buy.

Canada Post Solutions for Small Business is a full suite of products and services that offers more ways to help the country’s over one million small and medium-sized businesses succeed. The program offers small businesses more services and solutions and more options to access them.

This program includes:

  • Free exclusive membership with no contract needed.
  • Access to program benefits through multiple channels, including electronic shipping tools, retail, web and partners.
  • Daily competitive pricing and pricing incentives that reward loyalty, including up to 28% off shipping and up to 15% off direct mail.
  • In addition, members of the program have access to scheduled pick-ups and authorized parcel returns.

With Canada Post’s Epost service, your small business can offer customers and employees a convenient way to receive bills, payroll and statements. Millions of Canadians already use Epost to receive, store and manage their important documents in a single secure place that is even trusted by the big banks.

Basically, today’s Canada Post is not just about letter mail any more. It is a one-stop solution for many small businesses. While Canada Post offers many great services, the one service that we tell people to avoid is using a Post Office Box as the address for their small business. A virtual office address at a professional business centre keeps your business looking professional. And by the way, Telsec’s mail service utilizes Canada Post to receive and ship out mail to its clients.