Is Your Business Prepared for the Possible Closure of the Postal Service?

Is Your Business Prepared for the Possible Closure of the Postal Service?

By Sandra Emanuel

With the growing uncertainty of the continued function of our United States Postal Service, it has me thinking about how many small businesses out there have taken the time to prepare their businesses for a potential shut down or even modified delivery schedule of our mail system.

I do have a handful of small business clients currently using various electronic billing and payment services, but I have found most small businesses are just not willing to take the time to investigate and set up these services.  In the past I have always brought up these options to my clients for discussion however, never really “pushed”  hard on these services, until now that is.

 In this day and age, most of us use our email to communicate efficiently with our customers and clients; however, there are still a few of us out there who are not comfortable with interacting electronically.  Does this sound familiar? If so, here are a few things for you to consider.

·         How would change this affect your revenue stream?

·         How would you invoice or receive payments from your customers?

·         How would you pay your bills?

I tend to lean towards the other end of the spectrum; if I can invoice and receive payments electronically I am happy to do so and actually prefer it that way. However, I still have a few clients of my own that insist on sending checks via mail, and cringe every time I have to drive to the bank to make a deposit.

Hopefully, you are now considering what you would need to do in order to implement some online business solutions that would work for you, so what is your next step.

Call your bank, many banks offer online bill payment services and solutions some of which, may even integrate into your current accounting and bookkeeping software. You may want to consider setting up your business up to begin paying your vendors online and even encourage your customers to do the same.

Third Party Solutions, there are many companies out there who offer online business billing solutions.  For instance, Intuit offers a variety of such solutions for their highly popular QuickBooks accounting software package. These solutions are specifically designed to integrate seamlessly into their QuickBooks software. Additionally, they also offer web based solutions (some even work as standalone solutions) through their Intuit Payment Network, as well, as mobile payment options for receiving payment on the go via your mobile phone.

Accountant or Financial Advisor, call and speak to your CPA, bookkeeper or financial advisor. Most likely they may have either already implemented such solutions for themselves, or for other clients, or may also have suggestions or options for you to consider. Some may even be able to assist you with the implementation of the online solutions you choose.

Being prepared now for a possible closure or change in delivery schedule by the postal service, will not only keep you from scrambling later, but may also help you avoid any potential future disruption in your business.

Sandra Emanuel, is a Certified Bookkeeper and Advanced QuickBooks ProAdvisor , owner of Books With Integrity. Books With Integrity specializes in assisting small businesses with their bookkeeping needs.  You may contact Sandra at Sandra@bookswithintegrity.net or by visiting her website at www.bookswithintegrity.net