Think of being able to run a successful business from literally anywhere.
The truth is that now more than ever, 35.1 million Americans are working remotely at least part-time. Which means that every single one of them has had to answer the question:
“How do I receive physical mail if my business doesn’t have a physical address?”
The Problem
Our traditional mailing systems were not designed for this new era of remote work. Lost or delayed documents, packages sitting on doorsteps for days on end and having no professional business address to give out to customers is detrimental to a company’s success.
Remote based businesses are leaving money on the table by not having an effective mail management system in place.
Key Takeaways:
- Discover why every remote based business needs virtual mailbox services for mail management.
- Learn how virtual mailbox services actually work with a step-by-step process.
- The real benefits that nobody talks about when it comes to virtual mailboxes.
- Getting started with a virtual mailbox today.
Why Remote Based Businesses Need Virtual Mailbox Services
Remote work is here to stay. With 36% of new positions being hybrid or remote work, companies are struggling to keep up with the logistics of even receiving business mail. Let me paint you a picture:
Your customer or client wants you to sign a contract, and needs an address to send the documents to. You owe the IRS a tax form, which they require to be sent to a real physical street address. Your vendor won’t ship supplies to a PO box address. You get the picture.
This is where virtual mailbox services come in. Instead of juggling multiple P.O. boxes, or even worse using your home address publicly, you get an iPostal1 virtual mailbox that provides you with a real street address for your business, complete with full mail management and routing capabilities.
This is brilliant.
The best part is you are not tied down to any single physical location. Whether you are working from the local coffee shop, your parents’ basement in Cincinnati, or a beach in Bali, your mail is being professionally handled on your behalf. No more getting in your car to go pick up packages or losing sleep over missed deliveries.
How Virtual Mail Services Work Step-By-Step
Enough talk. I will show you point by point exactly how a virtual mailbox works.
First of all, you sign up for a service and select a real physical street address of your choosing. This is your official business mailing address that you can put on everything from business cards to official legal documents.
And here is what happens from there:
Mail gets delivered to your chosen address as normal. When it arrives at the virtual location, the staff there scans the outside of each mailpiece and envelope. You then receive a notification with a photo of the envelope attached. Then it is up to you to decide what to do with each piece of mail:
- Scan it and view its contents online
- Forward it to any address in the world
- Shred it securely
- File and store it for later
It’s that simple. All of this happens either in an app on your phone or through a website. You’re in control of your mail from your mobile device, while the actual physical handling is taking place at a secure offsite location.
Oh, and here’s another kicker…you can even remotely deposit checks. Many virtual mailbox services now offer check scanning and mobile deposit features, so you never have to physically visit a bank, even for your payroll checks.
The Benefits You Don’t Hear About (Often)
Okay so the time and aggravation savings aspect is a no brainer. But what about some of these BIG advantages that most people tend to overlook?
Business Credibility Is Instantly Elevated
When you have a high end business address in New York City, Los Angeles, or Miami, your perceived legitimacy as a business increases dramatically. Even if you are actually operating your business from your basement or from another country.
Clients have no need to know where you are physically based. The real address that you can now associate with your brand is all that matters to them. This is particularly important for startups that are trying to gain an edge over the competition.
Mail Management Becomes Ridiculously Easy
Remember the days when you would have to coordinate your entire day around when UPS was expected to deliver a package, and then literally be waiting by the door for it to arrive. Well, those days are long gone my friend.
With a virtual mailbox, no matter where you are in the world, all packages get received. Rain or shine, you’re sleeping or not. You no longer have to live in fear that an important piece of mail got missed. Tax forms, legal notices, contracts from new customers…all of it gets captured and digitized automatically for you.
Privacy Is Built Right In
Ok so this is a really big deal. Sharing your home address for business opens you up to all sorts of risks. Your address is out there for anyone to find on the internet. A virtual mailbox service provides complete separation between your personal life and your professional life.
Privacy concerns, identity theft and all sorts of other risks vanish when you know your real home address is kept private and protected from the public.
Expanding To Multiple Cities Is Easy
Want to open a virtual business in a major city in the US, but not rent a brick and mortar office space? What about in multiple different cities around the world? Virtual mailboxes make it all possible.
You can have addresses in different states, or even different countries, to quickly tap into new markets.
This is particularly a big deal for ecommerce sellers, consultants, and service providers who need to establish their authority in specific markets.
Market Is Booming
Business owners are already catching on.
The virtual mailbox market was worth 1.7 billion dollars in 2023 and it’s expected to balloon up to 3 billion by 2032. This is actual business demand for a solution to their mail management needs.
Remote work is no longer a trend. It is the new standard.
Setting Up Your Virtual Mailbox Takes 10 Minutes
Ok so where do you start?
Signing up with a virtual mailbox service is actually incredibly easy. Most providers have an online process that takes less than 10 minutes to complete. You will need some form of ID for verification purposes – this is a legal requirement for mail forwarding services.
You then just choose your preferred physical mailing address based on the area where you want your business to be located. An address in a major city commands more respect and recognition, but for regional businesses, it makes more sense to go with a local address.
After that, it’s just some preference settings:
- How frequently you would like notifications
- Which types of mail you want to automatically scan
- Forwarding rules you may want for packages
- Check deposit enablement if you need it
And that is literally it. After around a week of transition, you can now start using your new business address everywhere. So start updating your marketing materials today.
After that point? Sit back and relax while you are able to work from anywhere at all. While your mail gets handled on your behalf, like clockwork.
Conclusion
Virtual mailbox services are not a “nice to have”. They are now a vital part of any successful business operation. They solve tangible pain points that remote working and distributed based businesses face on a daily basis.
Professional image, peace of mind over mail security and location flexibility are all reasons why millions of workers now operate remotely, and hybrid work models are becoming more common than not.
Virtual mailbox services are now table stakes for a successful and thriving business.
The best time to set one up was yesterday. The second best time is now.
Stop letting your mail management prevent your business from succeeding. Sort out your virtual address today and start focusing on what actually matters in growing your business.
