There is a better way. Let us set up your Virtual Office today!
In decades past, the Virtual Office didn't exist, so the humble Post Office Box was the only solution for individuals and businesses who wanted a secure place to receive mail without revealing their residential address. This setup was also ideal for people who move a lot, travel out of the country, or need a place to receive mass quantities of mail that would otherwise invite the kind of curiosity that only nosy neighbors can conjure.
To be sure, the PO Box still has its place. There are certain instances in which it is the only logical solution. That said, sometimes a PO Box can give the wrong impression of your business. For instance, having PO Box can give the impression you have something to hide, or don't want to be found. Because of that, most states don't allow you to register your business with a PO Box, and many banks no longer accept such an address. In general, PO Boxes are just random and anonymous, and we all know the post office doesn't have the time or personnel to provide much beyond basic customer service.
If you'd prefer a more bespoke mail solution, you should consider a Virtual Office.
Following are some scenarios where this might be the best option.
You want an address far away from your actual home
You need your mail forwarded
You can't wait for forwarding, and instead need immediate access to your mail
You need a mailbox someplace less public than the post office
You’d sometimes like a place to work that’s not the coffee shop or the library
Let’s discuss!
There are many reasons you may want your business or even personal mailing address to be far away from your home. If this is the case, a Virtual Office allows you to choose an address in all 50 states, or even internationally. This lets you give the impression that you are someplace you are not, which if not used for nefarious purposes, can be very helpful. However, if you choose this option, you will obviously need your mail sent to your actual location some way.
This leads us to No. 2. You need to have your mail forwarded. Generally, when you set up your virtual office, you will be asked how frequently you’d like your mail sent to you. Weekly, 2x/month, monthly, or even daily, if you receive a lot of mail. You can even stipulate that your virtual office staff discard anything marked presorted, or that looks like junk or a solicitation. Then, whatever is left is put in an envelope and sent USPS Priority Mail, or even FedEx, and you’ll have it in a couple of days, max.
But let’s say you still want to see your mail immediately, even if it’s being sent to an address on another continent. This is No. 3 on our list: you can’t wait for standard forwarding. In this case, your Virtual Office provider will scan and email your items to you using a secure 3rd party platform. It works like this - when you receive mail, your VO provider enters each item into the system, and you receive an email immediately. You are then prompted to log in to the provider’s system and input your instructions. Then, usually the same day, often immediately, but sometimes within 24 hours, you will receive an email containing your mail items that you can access and read on your laptop, desktop, or mobile device.
Keep in mind that there is usually an extra fee for this. Each platform differs. Some include a set number of items in their monthly fee. Others charge a dollar or two per scan. Some charge per page. Make sure you ask about this before you set up your service. There is no nastier surprise than finding our the 100 pages of useless mail you just had scanned is going to cost you 50 cents a page, and all you did was delete it the minute you read it.
Perhaps you’d rather have your mail sit in a more traditional mailbox so you can collect it all at your leisure. Then a private mailbox rental is for you. Mail is received at the VO’s address, then sorted into individual boxes. You’ll be given a key and access to the building so you can get
your stuff anytime you want.
Lastly, let’s say you also need a place to work for a few hours because you can’t focus at home, and you’ve already been asked to leave Starbucks because you’re there too often. Then you’re in luck because most virtual offices are operated out of co working or flex space offices. These spaces usually have offices or workstations available by the hour or the day. You can collect your mail, stay and work, and even book a conference room for meetings with clients or coworkers.
If you’d like to set up your own bespoke virtual mail service, reach out to us asap. We can come up with a solution for you , no matter how complicated you think your situation may be.
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