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Business Wire
01-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Stamps.com Launches $25,000 Grant to Support Small Businesses
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ®, a leading provider of office mailing and shipping solutions, is proud to announce the launch of its $25,000 'Small Business Flexibility Grant.' The call for applications is open through the end of May, in celebration of Small Business Month. Our goal with this grant is to help relieve some of the pressure small businesses face and provide resources to support their operations. Share The grant seeks to empower service-based small businesses in the U.S. to tackle their operational challenges. Some of these challenges are often related to manual processes that can be easily automated, such as mailing and shipping. In the spirit of flexibility, there are no restrictions on how the winning business can use the grant funds. Applications will be accepted beginning May 1, 2025, and will remain open until May 31, 2025. A winner will be chosen and contacted in June. Eligible applicants must be U.S. service-based small businesses, with at least three employees, that have been operating for at least two years. Applicants will have to answer questions related to their business operations and how they would plan to use the grant money to address flexibility challenges. 'Small businesses are at the heart of our economy, and we understand how crucial flexibility is to their success. Flexibility can mean the ability to work on their own schedule, 24/7 access to carrier services, or the ability to mail and ship items any way they need to,' said Nick Spitzman, General Manager of 'Our goal with this grant is to help relieve some of the pressure small businesses face and provide resources to support their operations.' Since launching in the United States in 1996, has remained dedicated to delivering on the flexibility, efficiency, and simplicity businesses need. has served over a million business customers, from law firms sending court orders to accountants filing taxes. Hundreds of millions of stamps and shipping labels are printed annually through 'We help businesses save time and money, automate manual tasks, and find a simpler way to mail and ship,' said Spitzman. 'We're proud to offer this additional form of support to help businesses stay resilient and focused on the future.' To learn more about the Small Business Flexibility Grant or to submit an application, visit: About is a leading provider of Internet-based postage and shipping software. online postage and label service enables businesses and individuals to print discounted postage and shipping labels, right from their computer or mobile device. is a member of the Auctane family of companies and is headquartered in Austin, TX.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
Mystery seed packets: Frisco resident's address fraudulently used as return address on packages
The Brief A North Texas resident's address was used fraudulently as the return address on packages containing mystery seeds. The sender reportedly used to disguise the packages' source. The resident has received multiple packages daily and has several more boxes that have been collected. FRISCO, Texas - A North Texas resident's address was fraudulently used as the return address on boxes containing mystery seed packets, says Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. What we know Miller says that the Texas Department of Agriculture learned that a Frisco resident's address was fraudulently used as the return address on boxes containing several unidentified seed packages. The sender reportedly used to disguise the packages' source, resulting in recipients sending the unwanted packages back to the return address and the resident being inundated with returned boxes they did not pack or ship, says Miller. Mystery seed packets from China are back, Texas Ag Commissioner warns More mystery seed packages from China found in Texas The resident initially received and returned 10 such boxes to their local post office. The resident has received 5-10 seed packages daily and has several more boxes that have been collected for inspection and disposal. The actual sender of these boxes is currently unknown. What they're saying "If you receive a package of seeds that you did not order, do not send it back to the listed return address," said Commissioner Miller. "Instead, please report those packages to TDA immediately and hold onto them until we can pick them up. Even if the sender appears to be from Texas, the true source could be from China or anywhere. This serious issue could have severe consequences for your health and the biosecurity of Texas agriculture. We need everyone's cooperation to catch and report these incidents." The backstory Commissioner Miller said earlier this month that the mystery seed packets were back. On Feb. 5, Miller said the Texas Department of Agriculture recently was alerted to a mystery package containing unidentified seeds and a liquid container sent unsolicited from China to Clute, Texas, in Brazoria County. Miller later told FOX 7 Austin on Feb. 12 that the TDA had picked up almost 20 packages from Texas residents. Miller said initial testing has determined some of the seeds are water lilies, an aggressive invasive plant which can quickly cover a small lake or pond. Mystery seed packets from China first showed up in 2020, with Miller warning about them being mailed to multiple states and falsely labeled as jewelry or toys. The packages popped up in more than 30 states, including Texas. Mystery seeds also showed up in Virginia about the same time, with officials saying the packages were sent by mail, possibly with Chinese writing on them. A Georgia resident spoke to FOX 5 Atlanta saying she got a package as well. Agriculture experts voiced concerns about the seeds, in particular about them being for invasive plant species. An initial test in Florida determined some of those seeds in 2020 were just water lilies, but Dr. Kevin Ong, plant pathologist with Texas A&M AgriLife, told FOX 7 Austin's Rudy Koski in 2020 that planting them is something you should not do. "If it's something exotic or have something we don't even find in the United States to take over an area, and potentially choke out our native plants or, worst case scenario, choke out our agricultural fields and create additional problems in term of managing for those types of weeds," said Dr. Ong. Dig deeper This seed-delivery mystery is similar to what happened back in 2020, but a little different. In 2020, the mystery seed packages were sent to distribution companies in the U.S. and then to home addresses. The new cases, 17 in Texas as of Wednesday, are now more direct because of online buying habits by consumers. "We think they have ordered from Temu. It's how they got their address. They all seem to have a link that they've ordered something from China, but they didn't order these seeds. They're coming in a completely different shipment," said Miller. What you can do State officials are stressing the point that the seeds should not be thrown in the garbage. "The problem just going into the landfill without destroying the seeds is they may actually sprout and get away from us. We don't need that," said Miller. The seeds will be destroyed through steam sterilization at no cost to the recipients, according to a statement from Miller. Those who receive a package can contact the Texas Department of Agriculture by calling the TDA toll-free at (800) TELL-TDA. The Texas Department of Agriculture is working with the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and U.S. Customs. The Source Information in this report comes from Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller and previous reporting by FOX 7 Austin.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
Mystery seed packets: Texas resident's address fraudulently used as return address on packages
The Brief A North Texas resident's address was used fraudulently as the return address on packages containing mystery seeds. The sender reportedly used to disguise the packages' source. The resident has received multiple packages daily and has several more boxes that have been collected. AUSTIN, Texas - A North Texas resident's address was fraudulently used as the return address on boxes containing mystery seed packets, says Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. What we know Miller says that the Texas Department of Agriculture learned that a Frisco resident's address was fraudulently used as the return address on boxes containing several unidentified seed packages. The sender reportedly used to disguise the packages' source, resulting in recipients sending the unwanted packages back to the return address and the resident being inundated with returned boxes they did not pack or ship, says Miller. Mystery seed packets from China are back, Texas Ag Commissioner warns More mystery seed packages from China found in Texas The resident initially received and returned 10 such boxes to their local post office. The resident has received 5-10 seed packages daily and has several more boxes that have been collected for inspection and disposal. The actual sender of these boxes is currently unknown. What they're saying "If you receive a package of seeds that you did not order, do not send it back to the listed return address," said Commissioner Miller. "Instead, please report those packages to TDA immediately and hold onto them until we can pick them up. Even if the sender appears to be from Texas, the true source could be from China or anywhere. This serious issue could have severe consequences for your health and the biosecurity of Texas agriculture. We need everyone's cooperation to catch and report these incidents." The backstory Commissioner Miller said earlier this month that the mystery seed packets were back. On Feb. 5, Miller said the Texas Department of Agriculture recently was alerted to a mystery package containing unidentified seeds and a liquid container sent unsolicited from China to Clute, Texas, in Brazoria County. Miller later told FOX 7 Austin on Feb. 12 that the TDA had picked up almost 20 packages from Texas residents. Miller said initial testing has determined some of the seeds are water lilies, an aggressive invasive plant which can quickly cover a small lake or pond. Mystery seed packets from China first showed up in 2020, with Miller warning about them being mailed to multiple states and falsely labeled as jewelry or toys. The packages popped up in more than 30 states, including Texas. Mystery seeds also showed up in Virginia about the same time, with officials saying the packages were sent by mail, possibly with Chinese writing on them. A Georgia resident spoke to FOX 5 Atlanta saying she got a package as well. Agriculture experts voiced concerns about the seeds, in particular about them being for invasive plant species. An initial test in Florida determined some of those seeds in 2020 were just water lilies, but Dr. Kevin Ong, plant pathologist with Texas A&M AgriLife, told FOX 7 Austin's Rudy Koski in 2020 that planting them is something you should not do. "If it's something exotic or have something we don't even find in the United States to take over an area, and potentially choke out our native plants or, worst case scenario, choke out our agricultural fields and create additional problems in term of managing for those types of weeds," said Dr. Ong. Dig deeper This seed-delivery mystery is similar to what happened back in 2020, but a little different. In 2020, the mystery seed packages were sent to distribution companies in the U.S. and then to home addresses. The new cases, 17 in Texas as of Wednesday, are now more direct because of online buying habits by consumers. "We think they have ordered from Temu. It's how they got their address. They all seem to have a link that they've ordered something from China, but they didn't order these seeds. They're coming in a completely different shipment," said Miller. What you can do State officials are stressing the point that the seeds should not be thrown in the garbage. "The problem just going into the landfill without destroying the seeds is they may actually sprout and get away from us. We don't need that," said Miller. The seeds will be destroyed through steam sterilization at no cost to the recipients, according to a statement from Miller. Those who receive a package can contact the Texas Department of Agriculture by calling the TDA toll-free at (800) TELL-TDA. The Texas Department of Agriculture is working with the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and U.S. Customs. The Source Information in this report comes from Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller and previous reporting by FOX 7 Austin.
