Every entrepreneur needs to keep up with information, whether they have a business at home or they are traveling. In this modern era, checks, legal documents, and bills still come through the mail. You will want to have your business mail address to receive these documents.
A good mailing system is convenient and saves you money while trying to reduce the hassle of handling papers every day. If you are interested in running a business smoothly and increasing productivity, then you need a virtual mailbox.
There has been a rapid rise in modern technology over the years, which has given rise to digital nomadism. There are currently about 4.8 million of them around the world. If you are thinking of joining them, then you will want to have a virtual mailbox to keep all your emails close to you so that you do not miss out on anything.
Not only do virtual mailboxes serve the digital nomads, but you will be of great help to you if you have a home-based business. Now, let's find out more about virtual mailboxes.
In this article, we are going to cover the following topics
What is a virtual mailbox service?
Why you should use a virtual mailbox service
Benefits of a virtual mailbox service
Best virtual mailboxes in the USA
So let's dive right in...
What is a Virtual Mailbox Service?
It is a service that collects physical mail on your behalf. You will get a physical address from this service, which you can set as your business's physical address. In the case of packages, there is a person on standby who will sign up for them.
You will receive a notification through email when your mail arrives, and then on opening the email, you will view the sent copy. When your mail arrives, you can request mail service providers to do the following;
Open the letter to scan it, and then ask them to email the contents to you
Forward the mail or package to your current living address
Shred or recycle the mail
Most of them offer the option of mail forwarding, which is especially useful when you are receiving packages, important government correspondence, or a credit card. They also have extra packs, at a fee, like fax services, and depositing checks for you at the bank, among others.
Virtual mailbox services are used to assign PO boxes to their clients. However, many courier services, government bodies, and financial institutions do not deliver mail to PO boxes, which makes it impractical to have an office address. Virtual mailboxes will give you a physical address instead. Mails offered by virtual mailbox services vary with country.
Related: Benefits of mail forwarding
Why Should You Use a Virtual Mailbox Service?
If you are traveling or living abroad
You probably might be having a friend or a family member who picks up your mail and sorts them for you in such a case. However, if you do not wish to burden with this anymore, or they probably move too often, which makes sorting your mail a problem, for convenience you should opt for a virtual mailbox.
If you want to show an image of a physical address
You might be running an online business, and you need to show your clients a physical address for them to trust the validity of your business. You should use a virtual mailbox in such a case, which comes with full office services such as a dedicated phone number with a receptionist on call, and meeting spaces, among others.
Benefits of a Virtual Mailbox
Avoids Cluttering of Mail
The NYU School of Law estimates that 5.6 million junk mail in the United States ends up in landfills. This means that most of the emails that you receive are junk mail. Instead of wasting time dealing with useless mail, you can use this time to better your business.
Virtual mailbox services will handle all of your mails so that you do not have to get bothered by them. Just take a little time to log into your mailbox account, scan through all the items you received, and choose whether to shred them or save them. This method allows you to keep copies of your correspondence, and you do not have to deal with what is left over.
There are hundreds if not thousands of letters that these virtual mailbox services shred every day, thus making the recycling process streamlined
It Saves Time and It Is Secure
There are many ways virtual mail service can help you save time. Here are some of them:
Many virtual mailbox services will receive incoming paper checks and then forward them to the bank for deposit
They will scan and read your correspondence and then they will either send it to you or shred it with your permission
You do not have to go to the post office to collect your mail, you can check it online
When you want to send gifts to someone, the mail service will forward them immediately without your involvement
You can check the mail that comes to your office when you are on vacation
Related: Mail Forwarding FAQ
Boosts Your Personal Security
Thieves will not be able to access your credit card numbers like they may do when you receive physical mail
Private investigators won't look for your information in your mailbox since the virtual mail service will already have collected them
With Virtual mailbox services, you do not leave trash behind, so your sensitive information cannot be recovered by thieves going through your trash
The address of your correspondence remains yours to share with at your own choice
You Don't Have to Change Your Address When You Move
It's a hassle to change your address through the USPS. The postal service will offer mail forwarding for only 12 months when you launch your Change of Address. This means that within this period, you have to ensure that all the companies that you are associated with are aware of your new address. It is easier if you do not move often, but if you do because your job demands it, then this could be a real pain.
Virtual mail services will deliver your mail to you anywhere. Just decide on your home state, after which the mail service will give you a physical address, which will remain yours no matter where you move.
Easy Online Access to Your Mail
Virtual mailbox services give you an easy time because you view scanned mail sent to you via email on your phone, or computer. If you are working overseas, or you travel often and need a physical, commercial address for your business or your personal use, then a virtual mailbox is for you.
Unlike the post office, you'll be able to access your mail anywhere and at any time, provided you have an internet connection. Once you access the mail, you can remotely decide to:
Have the mail opened and scanned, then sent to you, if it is an agent matter
Forward it in case it is a sensitive matter
Or just shred it if it is junk
You do not have to receive unwanted mail anymore. Also, with a scanned copy, you get a digital copy that you can archive.
Portraying a Professional Image for Your Business
Virtual mailbox services own commercial locations. The mail address that you get from the mail service is an actual commercial street address. A business address is important for a home-based business, startups, or small businesses because it creates trust and confidence among customers associated with this business. It also looks great on a card. With this address, the customers will find it easier to contact and find your business locally.
Receiving Mail Packages From All Couriers
The problem with having a PO Box is that you only receive mail through the USPS. You cannot use a PO Box as your commercial business address if you are an LLC. If you want to learn more about the advantages of having a commercial business address for an LLC visit here.
Courier services deliver to mailboxes that have street addresses, meaning that with virtual mail services, you can get packages from all couriers. Also, there will be someone to receive your packages. You will feel better than the post office did not deliver the package to your door, which may attract thieves.
Package and Mail Forwarding
It is expensive to forward packages and mail them through the post office. The USPS charges extra for this service. The postal service will forward all the mail that you receive, including junk mail, and mail from previous owners of the mailbox. With a virtual mailbox, you do not have to worry about such occurrences.
This mail service ensures that your packages are safe until you forward them. The rates of forwarding are favorable, and you do not need to deal with junk mail, you only forward what you need.
Commercial Business Address
Virtual mailbox services have their own commercial offices with real business street addresses. This is important for home-based and online businesses with no physical address. It is also a requirement for LLCs and corporations.
Same-Day Processing
When a virtual mailbox company receives mail, they process it the same day. They will complete requests like scanning within one business day. To ensure that the mail is available to you immediately, they will process the document at the location where they have collected it. They also store and process your packages and mail them to the area where you signed up.
Check Deposit Services
Virtual mail services' check deposit services processes check quickly to improve your cash flow. You can deposit the checks that you receive to your bank no matter where you are. The advantage of check deposits by virtual mail companies is that it is easy, fast, and cost-effective. Also, they accept international payments, and you can deposit from anywhere in the world as long as you have a US bank account.
Free Registered Agent Service
Virtual mailbox services offer registered agent services within their locations. You can designate a registered agent to receive and process legal documents. With this service, you do not need your correspondents to ship served documents. You can access the legal papers on the same day so that you review them and send a response immediately.
Save Time with Mail and Document Scanning
Since virtual mailboxes are digital, they save you time on tedious tasks and streamline the workflow of your documents. The mailbox services do the scanning professionally and review them thoroughly for quality work. They use high-resolution scanners to perform this and deliver PDFs that have full-text searches. That means that scans are done fast so that you receive your mails within the promised time just like emails.
Manage Mail Anywhere
You only need an internet connection to access mail anywhere from around the world. You do not need additional software to install on your device. Also, the mail can be forwarded to you from anywhere around the world at your request.
You can run the business and manage it from anywhere. Additionally, you can get notifications from emails received, and you can preview your postal mail in the email sent without having to log into your account.
Customer Support
Virtual mailbox services have great customer service. The support teams are always ready to assist with high efficiency.
Best Virtual Mailboxes
221 building
If you are located in the Hallandale and Aventura area then the 221 Building is your best bet. Service that this virtual mail service offer are:
You get a street address with this service
You will receive packages from all couriers to ensure that you never miss deliveries
You get notifications via text or mail about the arrival of your mail
They forward mail to you from anywhere around the world
You can call ahead to find out about your mail to save on time
The mail rental service offers three plans; forward mail package with fees of $49 a month, mail plus package with a fee of $149 a month, and mail platinum package with $279 per month. Their other services include executive office rental and virtual offices so if you also need the flexibility of office space as well as mail forwarding services then 221 Building is for you.
221 Building is located in Hallandale, Florida.
US Global Mail
US Global is a well-established virtual mailbox service within the United States. It is most popular with expats. The services that they offer are;
You get a US physical address but not a PO Box
They do scanning for all the envelopes they collect
They offer open mail scanning
They do forwarding of mail
Their shipping fees are fair
US Global offers both family and individual plans for month-to-month, 24-month period, and 12-month periods. The US global charges fees between $10 and $20 a month.
iPostal 1
The rate of this postal service is almost the same as what US Global offers. However, this depends on the number of items you get each month. The services offered are:
They have more than 500 street addresses within the US
You can check your mail through a mobile app that is free and available for both Android and iPhone
They do scanning of packages received and give you an additional 2GB of cloud storage
Faxing is also available
They also offer check depositing services, provided that the bank
Their charges are $9.99 a month for the green level, $14.99 a month for the blue level, $24.99 for the silver level, and $39.99 for the gold level.
Anytime Mailbox
With this virtual mailbox, you can choose from among 140 street addresses within the US. It also has 465 locations worldwide in Canada, India, Europe, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The rates are some of the lowest, half of what other services offer. The services that Anytime Mailbox offers include:
Scanning of your opened documents
Free and unlimited cloud storage
You can access your mailbox from several devices
Forwarding of mail and packages
Check deposit services
They offer a range of plans. It is the best virtual mailbox service for digital nomads and has a user-friendly online interface. The fees for an anytime mailbox range from $6.99 to $49.99 per month.
Postscan Mail
Postcan Mail offer similar services to the other postal addresses. Their physical addresses are fewer than most other services. Most of the addresses are for major cities. The rates are higher than other similar services, and it depends on the number of items you receive every month. The services that anytime offer are:
You can access mail using a variety of devices
Scanning of opened mail
Forwarding of mail and packages
Free storage of items and packaging for 30 days
Offer management filters to help you organize your scans
They have 66 US addresses. Charges for this mail service are $9.95 to $24.95 per month depending on the volume of mail, or the services you would like.
Travelling Mailbox
This mail service is one of the expensive ones, but it has more items that can you can receive compared to others. Also, while other plans only allow one user, you can use this with up to three users. There is also a junk filtering option where junk mail is not part of your plan. They offer services such as;
Opening your mail, scanning them, and sending you a PDF copy of the contents
Their services integrate with bills.com, Evernote, and Dropbox.
Cloud storage is unlimited
You can access them through Android or iPhone
Check deposit through snail mail
Travelling Mailbox has five plans to choose from. These plans are available for personal, enterprise, and small businesses. They have more than 30 addresses in the US. You pay extra for services such as check deposits. They also charge you extra when you exceed your monthly limit. They charge between $15 and $159 per month.
Conclusion
Due to the affordable pricing rates, owning a virtual mailbox is useful to anyone whether you are a traveler or not. Despite the rise in technology, snail mail is still holding on. Not only does the mail service bring convenience to you, but you also have a record that you can use or compare later.
If you are looking for a virtual mailbox service and you are located in the Hallandale and Aventura area then contact 221 Building today for more information.
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