The PO Box has been a business staple for as long as we can remember, and it’s a very useful thing. For companies that receive a lot of mail or have more than one physical office, it can provide a single point for mail delivery, amongst other advantages. PO Boxes, like many things that businesses have relied on are getting replaced in numbers by businesses opting for virtual mailboxes, and there are compelling reasons why you should care. Here are four great reasons to replace your PO Box with a virtual mailbox.
Your Mail Comes to You
There’s a cost saving to be had with a virtual mailbox because not only is it likely to be cheaper than renting a physical PO box, but unlike a PO Box, which requires you to physically visit it to get your mail, a virtual post box company will scan all the mail you receive. This means you’re saving fuel or transport costs and time. Your mail will also be made available to you in your virtual mailbox very quickly, and you’ll be able to opt to get an email or push app notification that you have new mail as it is added to your virtual mailbox.
It’s a Real Street Address
One of the big downsides to a PO Box is that while you can receive mail to it, courier companies and carriers won’t deliver to it. With a virtual address, it’s a real street address, so you can have anything delivered to it, including packages and secure documents. You can also neatly avoid junk mail that inevitably finds its way into your physical PO Box. Good examples of virtual mailboxes are Earth Class Mail in the US and MailMate in Japan.
You Have More Control
Having more control over your mail is important when we exist largely in a digital space. Virtual mailboxes extend that virtual space to physical mail, giving you the same level of digital control over your mail as you’d have over an emailed document. Your mail is, by default, saved and stored in the cloud so it’s accessible whenever and wherever you need it. And if you happen to need the physical document or package, your virtual mailbox provider will offer a forwarding service, and forward your mail and packages to you wherever you are.
Your Mail Address Stays the Same
A virtual post box is an address that doesn’t change, even if you or your business offices move. It also means that if you’re a road warrior or spend a lot of time traveling for business, your mail is always accessible to you even if you can’t physically be close to a PO Box. A virtual mailbox is perfect if you’re always mobile or if your company is growing and might move premises.
You might not think that post is important now that almost all business communications are done by email, but having a physical postal address remains important for many reasons. A virtual mailbox is a convenient and cost-effective method of preserving that physical postal address and easily connecting it to your online communication infrastructure.
