Using your home address as your business address can be an excellent way to save money and time, but there are simply too many problems with using this approach.
If that’s the case, what other options do you have?
Thankfully, virtual business addresses exist, and they’re a great way to solve these issues with nearly no effort on your part.
In this blog post, I’ll go through everything you need to know about virtual business addresses.
What Is A Virtual Business Address?
A virtual business address is a street address at a mail center or in a prominent office building location that you choose as a safe location to receive business mail and packages.
It’s worth mentioning that virtual business addresses are not PO boxes. Post office boxes cannot be used to register new businesses, and they also can’t be used as a location to receive all of your packages.
What Do I Need A Virtual Business Address For?
A virtual business address is required for those who run a home-based firm or want to expand their firm’s presence into new areas.
Running a business from home is a fantastic method to get said business off the ground, and it’s also great for saving time and money.
There are a few problems with this approach, though: for starters, using your home address for your business isn’t as professional as using a virtual business address for the same purpose.
Also, when your home address is used for both business and residential purposes, it’s tough to safeguard your family’s privacy.
Lastly, if you want to officially register your business or apply for a loan, your home address won’t work.
It’s also worth mentioning that having a virtual business address gives you some extra time which you can use to spend more time building your streams of passive income as well.
How Do Virtual Business Addresses Work?
You can use a virtual business address as your company address when registering it, list your company’s address on your website or business cards, and safely get your company mail and packages once you’ve signed up for a virtual address for business.
Mail center locations from virtual business addresses are generally real street addresses at professional retail pack-and-ship stores or reputable office buildings with executive business centers.
Instead of being delivered to a central processing facility, mail and packages will be received, stored, and handled at your virtual business address location.
Virtual mailbox plans start at around $10/month at most locations, including up to 30 pieces of received mail each month at no additional charge.
You will see on the app or in your online mailbox a clear image of the outside of every piece of mail or package received, including the sender information, so you can easily identify every item. Then, with just a click or two, you can forward mail and packages to any address. You will see real-time shipping prices for different carriers and levels of service, so you know exactly what each shipment will cost and when it will arrive.
How Does Mail Forwarding and Mail Handling Work with a Virtual Business Address?
Virtual mailboxes with mail handling and mailbox forwarding services have grown to be a simple, more professional option for collecting all of your business mail.
Here’s how virtual business address plans work:
- Select the city of your choice from any virtual business address service in your country
- Get mail sent directly to the selected destination
- Let administrative professionals receive and scan your mail for you
As for the different options you have to receive mail, you have:
- In-Person Pick-Up: Go to your virtual business address mailing center to get your mail directly
- Mail Scanning: If you don’t reside in the city you chose as your virtual business address but still want a mailing address there, you can let administrative team members at your chosen office can scan it and virtually send it to you.
- Mail Forwarding: You can also choose to have incoming mail arrive directly at your selected commercial address and be delivered by the office staff to you.
- Direct Deposit: Your chosen virtual business address’s personnel will deposit checks directly into your account.
The best virtual business addresses offer all of these features and more.
Are There Any Additional Benefits to a Virtual Business Address?
Businesses who want a virtual presence but also require in-person office space can use non-virtual business addresses. Private offices and meeting rooms are available on a month-to-month basis, allowing businesses with a growing virtual presence to expand while maintaining a strong physical presence.
In Summary
If you’re looking for a more convenient way to run your business, using a virtual business address is an excellent option. Not only will it save you time and money, but the mail forwarding service will ensure that each piece of correspondence sent to your company arrives safely at its intended destination.
