Postmaster to present direct mail strategies at SBDC seminar
Small business owners and managers are invited to a free seminar Wednesday to learn about a new marketing tool from the U.S. Postal Service.
The University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center is holding the seminar to raise awareness about how to market in bulk to potential customers by mail. Victoria Postmaster Ken Epley and bulk mail technician David Uresti will lead the discussion.
“Every Door Direct Mail” will be from 10 a.m. to noon at the SBDC office, 3402 N. Ben Wilson St. The seminar is co-sponsored by the UHV Business Services and Training and Development offices.
The U.S. Postal Service offers the option of sending mail to every household in a given area without having to know specific addresses. By using direct mail, businesses can target entire neighborhoods, cities or regions. Postage is as low as 14.5 cents per piece.
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| Joe Humphreys |
“Direct mail can be a great tool for small or midsized businesses,” SBDC Director Joe Humphreys said. “Reaching new audiences in a key geographic market segment is important. Mr. Epley and Mr. Urestil have a wealth of experience. They will explain why this can be an effective marketing channel and answer questions about how it works.”
Epley has served as Victoria’s postmaster for a dozen years. He oversees the delivery of 52 routes to nearly 38,000 addresses. Urestil has worked as a postal employee for 34 years, including the last 19 leading the bulk mail division, which has been recognized as an exemplary unit for service and financial standards.
The UHV SBDC offers assistance on starting, growing and financing a business; contracting opportunities; and recovering from disaster. It also helps new businesses start and existing businesses expand through a combination of consulting and training in areas like market identification, raising capital and developing a business plan. Most of its services are free to area small business owners. The center serves Aransas, Bee, Calhoun, DeWitt, Gonzales, Goliad, Jackson, Karnes, Lavaca, Refugio and Victoria counties.
To register for the seminar, call 361-485-4485, email sbdc@uhv.edu or visit www.uhv.edu/sbdc.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
