The U.S. Postal Service is making operational changes to select shipping services starting Sunday, July 28, 2013.  The changes being made include the following:

IMPORTANT! USPS postage rates are NOT INCREASING on Sunday, July 28, 2013 – these changes are operational only!!!

Express Mail Renamed to Priority Mail Express
Express Mail is being renamed Priority Mail Express and Express Mail International is being renamed Priority Mail Express International. USPS research shows that having two shipping product names is confusing to customers, and so the USPS will simplify everything under the Priority Mail brand name.

Example of the new Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Box

Delivery service for Priority Mail Express will remain the same (overnight for domestic, 3-5 day for international).  Also, older Express Mail boxes can still be used with the newly named Priority Mail Express through January 2014.

Estimated Delivery Date Included on Priority Mail Shipping Labels
The USPS will be printing the estimated delivery date on all Priority Mail shipping labels. The date will be displayed at the top of the shipping label in bold text and will contain either “Priority Mail 1-Day,” “Priority Mail 2-Day” or “Priority Mail 3-Day.”

This is only an estimated delivery date and package shippers will not be able to choose a date-specific delivery service for Priority Mail.  Delivery dates will be determined by where you’re shipping your package from and where you’re sending it.

Example of new Priority Mail shipping label. Note the "Priority Mail 1-Day" in the top section, and the Carrier Route Code next to the delivery address.

Additionally, Priority Mail labels will now include a four-digit Carrier Route Code to help speed up package delivery.  The four-digit code will be printed just to the right of the delivery address.

Electronic Delivery Confirmation Now Available to 14 Countries
Along with Canada (added in January 2013), the USPS will be adding Electronic Delivery Confirmation to 13 additional countries for First Class Package International Service, Priority Mail International Flat Rate Envelopes and Priority Mail International Small Flat Rate Boxes.  This service will be available for no additional cost.

New countries offering Electronic Delivery Confirmation include Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain and Switzerland.

Package Insurance is Being Added to Priority Mail
Priority Mail is now going to include $50 of insurance for FREE if you print postage online (Commercial Base Pricing).  If you are approved for Commercial Plus Pricing, you will receive $100 of insurance coverage. This insurance coverage is provided automatically by the USPS and claims will be to protect shippers against loss, damage or missing contents.

Stamps.com Will Automatically Update on July 28, 2013
As a Stamps.com customer, you will not need to do anything — the Stamps.com software and website will automatically be updated with all necessary changes for this USPS update.

Did you know the U.S. Postal Service has 29 different Priority Mail box and envelope sizes that they provide to shippers for FREE?   Whether it is for regular Priority Mail, Priority Mail Flat Rate or Priority Mail Regional Rates, the USPS provides the best deal in shipping by providing FREE shipping supplies directly to your home or office.

To help organize the different box and envelope sizes, Stamps.com has released a FREE USPS Priority Mail Box Size Guide (downloadable PDF) that displays box sizes and weight limits for every Priority Mail box and envelope the USPS provides.

The USPS Priority Mail Box Size Guide includes:

• Dimensions of every box and envelope including length, width and height
• Weight limits for each box and envelope
• Shipping prices for each box and envelope
• Package quantities for shipment
• U.S. Postal SKUs for quicker order processing

Simplify your choices and order the best sized box for your products using Priority Mail.

The USPS Priority Mail Box Size Guide is FREE and can be downloaded at:
http://www.stamps.com/whitepapers/priority-mail-box-guide.pdf

If you have a specific, marketable skill, you can build a business by doing freelance work for businesses and individuals. Getting your freelance business off the ground takes a lot of networking, personal marketing, and chutzpah. You can increase your credibility to potential clients by adding these professional elements to your business communications.

#1 Upgrade Your Phone System

Your clients need several different ways to get in contact with you. Even if you complete your work entirely online, clients will want to contact you by telephone. Instead of directing them to your home phone line, install a separate line specifically for your business. Having a business phone number that differs from your mobile and home phone lines gives your business an air of professionalism that can be difficult to attain as a freelance worker.

• VoIP small business phone systems can be very affordable while offering you big-business features like caller ID and directories, conference and multiparty calls, and call parking, transfer, forwarding, and hold.

#2 Hire a Virtual Assistant

Companies may outsource projects to your consulting business – and you, in turn, can outsource some of your own administrative functions. Hire a virtual assistant to handle your business calls, take messages, and divert calls to your mobile phone as needed.

• Since your virtual assistant may work for several clients at once, you only pay for the work they do for you – a much cheaper option than having an in-house receptionist to handle your low volume of incoming calls.

#3 Use Your Website Email Address

Are you emailing your customers and business associates from a free email client? Don’t. For just a few dollars, purchase a domain for your business and set up an email address and website. Not only is this more professional, but it also is good preparation for the future, as many free email clients begin to shut down their services.

If you run your freelance business from home, consider renting a PO Box for your business  instead of using your residential address. Or, you can take advantage of new mail services that enable you to use an actual street address (“105 Main Street,” for example) in place of a PO Box number.

#4 Change How You Send Your Postal Mail

Speaking of mail – how many pieces of mail do you send out per day, week, or month? If you find yourself repeatedly running to the post office, hand-addressing envelopes until you get a cramp, or using the latest novelty stamps plastered with images of characters from “The Simpsons,” you may benefit from using custom online postage instead.

• Print your postage online or order custom stamps to be delivered straight to your door.

#5 Your Website & Social Profiles

The first thing a potential client or customer will do when looking for your business is search for your online presence. Fill your website and social media profiles with relevant content, company information, and, most importantly, contact information. They don’t have to be fancy – but they have to be current, functional, and informative.

When you run a freelance business, the most important thing you do is communicate. If your communications – online, over the phone, and through the mail – are unprofessional, that will have a negative effect on your ability to attract and keep clients. Make your communications more professional, and watch your business grow.

Megan Webb-Morgan is a business blogger, focusing on a variety of topics ranging from social technology to online marketing. She writes for ResourceNation.com, a B2B lead generation company. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook, too.

Image: Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Recently, the U.S. Postal Service officially changed the name of Delivery Confirmation to USPS Tracking. With the goal of providing end-to-end tracking info including confirmation of delivery, the USPS feels the new name more accurately describes the scanning info provided about packages as they move to their final destination.

Important Facts about USPS Tracking

• As of January 2013, the USPS has changed the name of Delivery Confirmation to USPS Tracking
• USPS Tracking is included for FREE when you ship with Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select or First Class Package Service using Stamps.com.
• If purchasing postage at the Post Office, USPS Tracking is included for free when you use Express Mail, Priority Mail or Standard Post (formerly known as Parcel Post).
• USPS Tracking can be added to Media Mail packages for $0.20 when using Stamps.com. At the Post Office, USPS tracking can be purchased for Media Mail as well as First Class Package service for a cost of $0.90 (tracking is included for free for First Class Package Service when you print postage online, but a charge is required for First Class Package Service at the Post Office).

USPS Tracking name change – Do I need to do anything?

• If you print postage online via Stamps.com, you will not need to do anything! Stamps.com has already changed the name on the shipping label from Delivery Confirmation to USPS Tracking.
• If you buy postage at the Post Office, you will no longer see the familiar green Delivery Confirmation labels as they are being phased out. Replacing those labels is a new white label titled USPS Tracking. The tracking number will be printed right on your receipt and you can track your package on the USPS.com website.

Stamps.com has been named a Finalist in the “Electronic Commerce Solution” category in the 2013 American Business Awards.

The American Business Awards, also known as the Stevie Awards, are the nation’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations — public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small.

Stamps.com was nominated in the Best New Product or Service – Software – Electronic Commerce Solution category for its PC Postage Version 10.1. Highlighted features of Version 10.1 include direct database integrations and a complete web services API that allows online retailers the ability to significantly increase their order fulfillment process.

More than 3,200 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories.

This is the fourth year in a row that Stamps.com has reached the finals of the American Business Awards.  Details and the list of finalists in all categories are available at http://www.stevieawards.com/ABA.