A virtual mailbox as the name implies is different from a physical Post Office box. It can be located anywhere and those who provide this service receive mail on behalf of their customers, scan the mail send to the addressee via electronic means. These messages may be scanned and sent as text searchable PDFs, PDFs or photos.
There are many reasons for using this service and it includes ability to access correspondence from different couriers, keeping one’s home address private and ability to access mail from anywhere in the world. The services provided here include scanning and forwarding mails, depositing checks and recycling correspondence. Companies that provide these services are categorised as Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies (CMRA). You can visit https://www.federalregister.gov/ for more information.
In this article, we will explore the advantages of using this service and the criteria for selecting the best virtual mail service to engage so stay with us.
The Advantages of Using Virtual Mailboxes
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Remote work is becoming increasingly popular and because of that a good number of people and businesses are engaging virtual mailboxes to be able access and manage physical mails. Like we explained briefly above, this is a virtual platform that enables subscribers to access their physical mail from wherever they are.
There are many benefits to using this cloud-based platform and they include the following:-
Accessibility and Convenience
A virtual mail box allows the user to access their physical mail from anywhere in the world. All that’s required is internet connection and a smart device (phone, tablet or computer). These 2 elements make it convenient for people on the go to readily access and manage their mails from any location in the world. The same convenience and accessibility also applies to people who live in remote places with unreliable mail delivery service.
Security
Report from research conducted by the United States Postal Service shows that mail theft is on the increase. This is one of the reasons why many people are switching to virtual mail boxes which are more secured than the Post Office Boxes. Mails are digitized and stored in the cloud therefore there is no danger of theft or of sensitive information getting to the wrong persons or entities.
Service providers in this industry often employ serious security measures to ensure that their clients’ information remain secure. These measures include encryption and two factor authentication.
Eco- Friendly
25% of landfill waste comes from paper and since virtual mailboxes do not require paper, it goes without saying that 25% source of landfill waste has been eliminated. This makes it a more eco-friendly option than the traditional mail system. Additionally, this is a sustainable alternative because most service providers of these virtual mailboxes use alternative sources of renewable energy for powering their servers. Read this article for more on sustainable and renewable energy.
Privacy
With a virtual mailbox, you have a higher level of privacy to access and manage your physical mails without having to divulge your home address or present location. This is a great advantage for people who work from home and wouldn’t want their home address to be public knowledge; this is also works for those who are big on privacy.
Saves Time
You can save as much 28% of your work day by switching from physical mail to virtual mails. This is because a lot of time is spent sorting through mails especially for people who get a lot of mails or who are constantly on the go. With a virtual mailbox, the service provider already streamlines your digitized mails which allow you to quickly go through and manage the mails on your device.
Increased Productivity
It is said that most people require at least 23 minutes to refocus after being distracted from a task. This also means that the level of productivity will be reduced. You can therefore increase your productivity by using a virtual mail box instead of a physical one. Looking through all the above mentioned advantages, you can easily see why this is the case.
Criteria for Selecting the Best Virtual Mailbox
Seeing all the above advantages, we know that you may want to engage this service right away. However, before you do, here are some pieces of information to help you make the right choice.
Find below the criteria for selecting the best service provider:-
Available Features
Look out for the features that are available on the service provider’s platform. The features to look out for include the following:-
- Fast processing of mails (opening and digitizing)
- Storage facility
- Ability to weed out junk and spam mails
- Duration allowed for stored mails
- Access to documents that are scanned should be in multiple formats
- Mail forwarding service
- Ease and speed of accessibility
Security Features
Ensure that the company has adequate security measure to ensure that your mails are secure. Their staff must be trusted and the facility free of any loopholes that can cause breach of privacy. Their encryption protocols must also be tight to ensure protection from hackers and your own account also must be duly protected.
Speed of Access to Mails
The speed at which mails are processed for addressees to access them is very important. The best virtual mailbox service providers are those that process incoming mails within 24 hours. This in turn allows you to access your mails as fast as possible. Additionally, the competent ones provide notification to their clients for receipt of mails and when they are ready to be viewed.
Cost
This is not the most important criteria and that is why we did not put it as the first point. That being said however, you still need to do some comparison shopping to find an agency that will provide you with all the criteria that we have stated above but at a pocket friendly price.
Conclusion
The world has become a global village which means that we are interconnected in different ways all thanks to technology. One way of becoming a global citizen and making life and business easier and more convenient is by engaging the use of a virtual mailbox.
In this article we have discussed the advantages of using this service and how to choose the best service provider for you. We believe that the information shared here will help you make an informed decision so bear them in mind going forward.