Going The Distance

Besides a glossy catalog and unique product line, the right mail order management software can also position your business for success. Dydacomp Development's new 5E version of DOS-based Mail Order Manager lets you look up a customer or order by name, phone or customer number, ZIP code, or company name; print invoices, packing slips and box labels; and create complete inventory reports showing quantities in stock, low-level items and back-order products.

New features handle accounts payable functions, including paying vendors, printing checks and running accounts payable reports. Plus, Dydacomp also offers a List Management Module for Windows upgrade ($595) to create and maintain address lists. Cost: starting at $1,195.

Many of the newest mail order products are custom-made for small companies-and the Thin-Paper Tolerant 7735 Desktop Folder Inserter from Neopost is no exception. Ideal for small mail order businesses with low volume, this new product folds and inserts up to 1,100 pieces per hour. Its feeder accommodates documents on 12.5-pound to 25-pound paper, so it can be used for a variety of tasks-from processing invoices and order forms printed on NCR paper to folding and inserting paychecks and documents printed on computer paper. The 7735 Folder Inserter also offers nine job presets and a 100-envelope-capacity tray. Cost: $5,295. -Heather Page

This article was originally published in the February 1996 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Going The Distance.