November 12, 2021
Shop stories: Explore MBE (Mail Boxes Etc.) in Elsternwick Village
For businesses seeking valuable printing, shipping and mailbox services, MBE Elsternwick is a go-to solution.
Owners Lyn and Steve Murphy have been running MBE Elsternwick since June 2016, when they took the reins from the previous owner, and have become a key player in the Elsternwick business community.
Prior to taking over the Elsternwick business, the husband-and-wife team have operated an MBE site in the Melbourne CBD since 2001, which they continue to run today in conjunction with their Elsternwick location.
The pair are passionate about helping fellow small and medium business operators, as well as their growing cohort of sole traders working from home, to give them solutions across printing, shipping, mailing and other complementary business services.
A range of services to support businesses
MBE Elsternwick offers wide variety of services that can assist businesses, big and small, across printing, mailing, logistics, and more.
When it comes to printing, the business offers printing of items like posters, flyers, brochures and business cards, and they offer large and short print runs.
With more and more people relying on the postal service to send documents, products and other items to run a business or sort out personal affairs, MBE Elsternwick offers shipping services to domestic and international locations. The business is an agent for FedEx, DHL, Toll and TNT, and has expedited delivery options including a same-day courier service and overnight shipping.
Their biggest point of difference, though, is the fact that they offer mailboxes. This gives business owners the opportunity to have a physical suite address through which they can accept mail, parcels and courier-delivered goods.
“Having a mailbox or physical address is quite valuable for a small business or those running a business from home who want to keep their personal address separate from their professional address,” Ms Murphy said.
The mailbox option at MBE Elsternwick gives mailbox owners 24/7 access to the premises via a security swipe-card, making operating this aspect of their business convenient and flexible.
Additional services offered at MBE Elsternwick include a comprehensive mail house system where bulk mailings can be done on behalf of clients, including mass mail and letterbox drops.
Ms Murphy said this service has been particularly valuable for clients who need to send out information packs, training manuals, and other regular communications to a large database of members.
“We have one client that sends out 4000 letters once a week and we merge the details, barcode them, print them, and get them in the mail,” she said.
To complement their printing and mailing services, MBE Elsternwick also has the ability to offer graphic design, such as the design of business and marketing collateral, as well as document finishing including binding and lamination.
Over the past two years, with many people shifting to working from home during the pandemic, Ms Murphy said she has noticed an increase in people requesting courier services and printing options.
“Not everybody has a printer or an ability to scan, so we have seen an increase through the lockdown of people coming in to get their stuff printed or scanned or sent off. It has been a unique support service for those who have been stuck in isolation or working from home,” she said.
Adding that personalised touch
MBE Elsternwick prides itself on offering personalised customer service, where entire projects are taken care of from start to finish.
“We are a small business so we get to know our customers very well, and we can manage what their printing and shipping needs are,” Ms Murphy said.
“One example is a client we deal with that is a training provider. They will email me to ask to ship a particular manual to a person. And we’ve got on hand all the training information to make up that particular manual and then we courier it out. We do everything – the printed tabs, the folder, cover and spine, then pack it up and ship it out so that is with that client the next day. They can then manage their online courses and everyone has got their training material in front of them in time,” she said.
By offering a complete range of end-to-end services, it gives customers peace of mind, Ms Murphy said.
“They trust that we know what we’re doing because we demonstrate an understanding of what they’re about. We’re not just printing a training manual – we like to understand how that manual is used and why it has to be there by a certain time,” she said.
Part of the local community
MBE Elsternwick is proud to be part of the Elsternwick Village community, and have had the opportunity to get to know and work with fellow traders in the precinct.
Ms Murphy said it was great to be able to support local businesses in the local area.
“We produce a lot of take-away menus, flyers, posters, and newsletters. We love to work with the fellow traders and help support them with their business needs,” she said.
