How to Solve The Physical Mail As A Digital Nomad or Remote Worker – Practical Tips
Virtual Mailbox Services
One thing about being a digital nomad that’s always on the move—your mail is either piling up at a P.O. Box or is at the mercy of your relatives.
If you like to stay on top of everything and be organized.
If the thought of missing an important notice gives you a subtle anxiety attack.
If the idea of your parents dealing with your mail makes you uneasy…
Then a virtual mailbox might bring the relief you long for.
It’s something in between a P.O. box and your parent’s house. Less personal than your parents dealing with your mail but more technically advanced.
When you sign up for a virtual mailbox you’ll be given an address that you can use to have your mail sent to. Your mail and parcels are received by an employee of the virtual mailbox company you sign up with.
Your mail is safely stored at the premises. It’s scanned and uploaded so that you can access it from your virtual mailbox, no matter where your digital nomad lifestyle takes you.
You can ask the company to shred or keep the physical mail. You can also ask the company to forward your mail and packages to your location.
Fees vary from around $20 to $70 per month. Normally, you subscribe for the entire year.
How Does a Virtual Mailbox Work?
It’s something in between a P.O. box and your parent’s house. Less personal than your parents dealing with your mail but more technically advanced.
When you sign up for a virtual mailbox you’ll be given an address that you can use to have your mail sent. Your mail and parcels are received by an employee of the virtual mailbox company you sign up with.Â
Your mail is safely stored at the premises. It’s scanned and uploaded so that you can access it from your virtual mailbox, no matter where your digital nomad lifestyle takes you.Â
You can ask the company to shred or keep the physical mail. You can also ask the company to forward your mail and packages to your location.Â
Fees vary from around $20 to $70 per month. Normally, you subscribe for the entire year.
Virtual Mailboxes Are Good for Both Personal and Business Use
Virtual mailboxes are becoming popular among digital nomads with businesses registered in the U.S.
If you register your business in the U.S. you definitely want to keep an eye on your mail.
You won’t miss any important letters, invoices, or notices with a virtual mailbox. You can sleep easy knowing that nothing is escalating or going crazy while you’re busy trying to pick the sand out of your keyboard, again.
Having a virtual mailbox is like a mailroom assistant that looks after that side of your business. It’s much cheaper though, at $20 per month it’s a small investment in comparison to hiring an employee.
What Are the Hidden Benefits of Virtual Mailboxes for Digital Nomads?
- Peace of mind; there’s nothing as frustrating as having to deal with a mistake that could have easily been avoided. When you’re on the other side of the world you’re not able to attend to problems the same way. Time differences and communication timing are just some of the things that make it more difficult to resolve issues. Keeping an eye on your mail means you’ll be on top of your paperwork and can deal with it right away.
- Be mindful of your time; digital nomads… we’re famous for hacking life. A big part of this is using our time wisely. You can spend hours dealing with your mail, trying to coordinate where it’ll be sent, who’ll check up on it, and who’ll forward it or collect it for you… Or you can set up a virtual mailbox in a couple of minutes and let it run smoothly without your input.Â
- Digitize and automate as much as possible; there’s no excuse to lag behind in any part of your business or life. Whatever can move online should move online. Whatever can be automated should be automated. It frees up your hands and time so that you can focus on more important tasks.
Final Word of Advice
Setting up a virtual mailbox is inexpensive and easy to do. It can save you time, money and make your life easier.
It’s the modern solution all officeless businesses should consider.
You can head to businessanywhere.io to learn more about virtual mailboxes.
