Even before the pandemic changed the world as we once knew it, more people were choosing a nomadic lifestyle than ever before. With decent internet and cellular coverage pretty much everywhere you go, the trend moved out of its once-quirky niche and planted itself firmly on the list of viable options for anybody who was looking to do life differently. Even with all the creature comforts, living a nomadic lifestyle and being on the road 24/7 isn’t for everyone. You have to have a bit of an adventurous streak and a lot of ingenuity to make it work. Fortunately, we’ve now got plenty of experiences to draw from those who know. <h2>Nomadic Living: When Home Is Where You Are</h2>First things first, though. If you’re going to be a nomad, you need to settle on your abode. The nomad of today isn’t out wandering the badlands and living off the land. They <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/tips-for-living-and-working-in-an-rv-full-time">live in RVs</a>, converted vans, and tiny houses on wheels, and they know a thing or two about living the nomadic dream. According to some estimates, at least <a href="https://www.vox.com/first-person/2020/5/6/21249164/coronavirus-covid-19-rv-van-nomad">one million Americans</a> live in RVs. They come from all corners of the industry – some are traveling nurses, others are journeymen/women, retirees, digital nomads, or just folks with insatiable wanderlust. And business is booming. Despite showroom shutdowns forced by COVID-19 restrictions, RV sales <a href="https://www.rvtravel.com/sales967b/">exceeded all previous records</a> in 2020, increasing more than 20 percent from a year earlier. And the buyer demographics tell their own story, as it’s a market no longer dominated by retirees. Young millennial couples and others in the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/11/12/million-americans-live-rvs-meet-modern-nomads/">35 – 55 age group</a> have usurped the space previously occupied by folks over 60.<h3>The Traditional RV</h3>Back in the day (as they say), people would pack up their families in the RV and take extended vacations. To make it work, they needed kitchens, sleeping space, tables, storage, and bathrooms, and though the average nomad needs these things too, they usually don’t need to accommodate the whole family, kids, and all. Today, the trend is toward the compact and connected. Instead of substantially changing floorplans, most companies offer optional upgrades to suit, such as long-range Wi-Fi routers, ingenious storage solutions, and mobile office features.Most manufacturers see this as a growing segment, and it’s one that’s expected to gain a lot of traction as COVID wears on. On the plus side, life in an RV is pretty sweet – you really don’t have to compromise space or amenities, and it can be customized to suit your needs. On the downside, they’re expensive, both to purchase and maintain, so it might not be the best choice if you’re trying to live frugally. You might get lucky and buy a used RV for $10,000, but a top-of-the-line vehicle runs $100,000 and up. Trailers are a little more economical, but depending on the features and amenities you want, they could still run anywhere from $10,000 and up. <h3>Converted Vans</h3>Properly outfitted, converted vans and RVs make it easy to live, work, and play on your own terms. However, not everyone can afford a fully-loaded RV. Companies like <a href="https://dmvans.com/">Dave and Matt Vans</a> found a niche specializing in van conversions for the WFA crowd. They start with a bare-bones RAM Promaster build out your ride with customized interiors designed for your specific needs. They even offer to finance, making it even easier to take that leap. Of course, there’s only so much space in any van. Living and working out of a van would be most suitable for singles, unless you and your squeeze get along really, really well. Plus, you’ll need to figure out your shower situation – outdoor camp showers are cool in southern climes, but you’ll be motel-ing it otherwise, so it’s an extra expense you’ll need to consider. The average cost of a fully converted and customized van is about $60,000. On the plus side, it’s a self-contained vehicle you can drive and live in. On the downside, you probably will need to borrow a shower now and then, and if you’re traveling with others, it might get a little cramped<h3>Tiny Homes on Wheels</h3>Tiny houses have taken the world by storm. Like a camping trailer or fifth wheel, you’d need a large vehicle to tow it, but once you park it, you’ve got all the amenities of home without the price tag. And when the weather gets nasty, or you grow weary of the view, you can hitch it up and chase the sun. Tiny homes only look small from the outside – you’d be surprised at the innovative designs out there. Essentially, it’s a complete house in miniature, with most clocking in at about 400 square feet. But unlike its more mobile counterparts, it takes a little bit of planning and elbow grease to make it work. For example, you’d need to be able to park it for extended periods, and depending on its size, you might not be able to stay in RV parks either. That said, there are so many people who’ve embraced the nomadic tiny house movement. Many are solar-powered, others run on propane, but there are plenty of options depending on your fuel preferences. Tiny homes can also be safely outfitted with wood or pellet stoves to keep the space cozy and warm in the colder months. So, you might say that tiny homes are a little bit better suited to nomads who don’t necessarily want to do a lot of moving around. Of course, changing the scenery isn’t impossible, but the house itself is a bit more unwieldy than your average RV. On the plus side, it’s more spacious and versatile. Cost-wise, you can buy or build a tricked out tiny home for an average of $23,000 – a fair sight less than your typical RV or van conversion. Keep in mind, though; you’ll need a reliable, good-sized vehicle to haul it, so that’s an additional expense. <h3>Hotel Motel Time</h3>Of course, not every nomad needs to live in a mobile home. Many prefer to motel-hop or camp out old-school at campgrounds along the way. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools and solutions available to ensure you’ve always got an internet connection and that your postal mail ends up where it’s supposed to be. Connectivity and postal mail are two of the most vital issues for any nomad today. Without the internet, you can’t work, and <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/how-do-you-get-mail-when-you-live-in-an-rv">without an address</a>, you’re not a business. On the internet side, investing in a <a href="https://www.skyroam.com/">Skyroam Solis</a> mobile hotspot keeps you connected from wherever you are. As for postal mail, a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">virtual mailbox</a> from <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/">Earth Class Mail</a> is a must-have. Simply <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses">choose your address</a> and set up your account. When mail arrives at our processing facility, our HIPAA-trained technicians open, scan, and send you your correspondence as a fully searchable PDF. Sync your account with cloud services like Box.com, Dropbox, or G-Suite. We’ll even deposit incoming checks if you need us to – cash flow assured, problem solved! Is it time to leap into full-time nomadic living? If so, you’re one of more than one million Americans who are making it one of the fastest-growing trends of the modern age. But before you hit the road, make sure you’ve got your business covered with a virtual mailbox from Earth Class Mail. <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/contact">Reach out today</a> to learn more about how we help.

Even before the pandemic changed the world as we once knew it, more people were choosing a nomadic lifestyle than ever before. 

Even before the pandemic changed the world as we once knew it, more people were choosing a nomadic lifestyle than ever before. With decent internet and cellular coverage pretty much everywhere you go, the trend moved out of its once-quirky niche and planted itself firmly on the list of viable options for anybody who was looking to do life differently. 

The Best RVs for a Nomadic Lifestyle | Earth Class Mail Blog

The Best RVs for a Nomadic Lifestyle

<h2>How Do I Reduce Administrative Hours Spent Doing Menial Tasks?</h2>As a small business owner, you’re always looking for ways to lean up, lower costs, and generally improve the bottom line without hindering productivity. Unfortunately, repetitive, mundane daily tasks are the bane of any company’s existence. If you’re spending way too much time doing things other than high-level business growth activities, you’re not doing yourself—or your company—any favors. But as we all know, you can’t conjure more time in the day, and sadly, you can’t print your own money. That said, there are plenty of ways to reduce the hours you spend on menial tasks and still get everything done. How, you say? What is this magical potion you speak of? Today, we’re going to take a page from some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and talk about how they manage to “do it all” and grow their business value at the same time. <h2>Tips to Optimize Business Processes and Put Time Back in Your Day</h2><h3>Delegate Repetitive Tasks</h3>Think about all the administrative tasks you do from day-to-day. Are you taking it all on yourself, or do you have support? The truth is, not everything has to be done by you. Once you give up some of those processes, you’ll have a lot more time to devote to higher-value activities, like bringing in new accounts or innovating. If you have staff in-house that can follow directions, you can <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SbwZWnEaJ8&feature=youtu.be">create systems</a> around each task that anybody can run with. Of course, not every process requires a step-by-step procedure, but it’s never a bad idea to have something like this in your playbook. An excellent way to do it is to go through the task from start to finish and capture a video of it on your screen. Tools like <a href="https://www.loom.com/">Loom</a> are perfect for this – it’s a solution that captures your process on video along with your spoken direction as you work. Once you’ve made your video, hand it off to an employee so they can document each step in writing. When they’re finished, they own the process and can teach it to others. You’re free!Do this for any process that you must repeat often and takes more than five minutes to do. What you’ll get is a templated system that you can tweak and adjust as needed. If you’re a solopreneur wearing all the hats, having a templated system is still valuable, as you can outsource your task to a freelancer, a temp, or a part-time employee. <h3>Automate Everyday Workflows</h3>Process automation is a massive time-saver in any office – but it’s not just for the enterprise. There are plenty of amazing—and sometimes free—apps and productivity tools that make short work of your everyday admin tasks. For example:<ul><li>Let’s look at QuickBooks, for example. It’s one of the most popular small business accounting apps – but did you know it can track income, categorize expenses, and automate payments? Connect QuickBooks to your business bank account, credit cards, and lines of credit, set up rules to tell it how you want your expenses categorized, and all you have to do is check-in with it every once in a while to make sure there are no loose ends. You can even scan your receipts into the app, and it will find the matching transaction and attach the image to it. It’s an easy task to export all your information at tax time, and if your accountant needs a receipt, just a couple of taps, and it’s there. </li><li>Social media is another big chunk of your day. You need to keep your accounts active, your customers engaged, and constantly be on the lookout for great content to share. There are a few ways to automate social media without letting go of the reins. To save time, use a tool like <a href="https://www.hootsuite.com/">HootSuite</a> to schedule posts weeks in advance.<a href="https://ifttt.com/"> IFTTT</a> is another great and simple tool for keeping the social media love flowing. You set “recipes” in IFTTT and just kick back and let it do its thing – for example, you could set it to tweet every time you put up a new blog or post on Facebook. It’ll drive traffic back to your sites and pages and multiply the work you’re already doing. </li><li>Content creation is another marketing activity that takes up a lot of time in the day. Marketing software like <a href="https://www.hubspot.com/products/marketing/marketing-automation">HubSpot</a> automates your marketing workflows so that you’ll never miss an opportunity. Every workflow you automate through HubSpot can be tied to a specific goal – and you’ll have all the analytics you need to quantify the results of your work. HubSpot pretty much does it all from blogging to email campaigns, lead management, and digital advertising. </li><li>Calendly is a <a href="https://calendly.com/">scheduling application</a> that takes all the back-and-forth out of planning business meetings, phone calls, and appointments. Set up your calendar with your availability and embed a link into your emails to invite participants. The recipient simply clicks the link, chooses a time that’s convenient for them, and the event is added to your schedule. Done! </li></ul><h3>Outsource Your Postal Mail</h3>And how about your postal mail? What a time suck that is! Sorting through the mail, scanning it, filing it, getting it to the right people and places, not to mention all that paper. Outsourcing your postal mail is as simple as establishing a virtual mailbox. Earth Class Mail’s virtual mailbox plans are designed with the small business owner in mind. Simply choose your virtual address, and we’ll do the rest. When postal mail arrives at our secure facility, it is opened and scanned by HIPAA-certified technicians, digitized, and uploaded directly to your Earth Class Mail account. From there, you can <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/integrations">integrate with G-Suite</a>, Dropbox, Box.com, QuickBooks, and more. Your scanned mail is sent to you as a fully searchable PDF file, helping you go completely paperless in the process. We’ll do what you like with the physical mail – forward it to you or securely shred it in our facility. If you still receive payment by check, we can even deposit your checks for you using QuickBooks or Xero. <h3>The Benefits of Virtual Mailboxes</h3>A virtual mailbox saves a lot of time, effort, and money too. Just add up all the hours you spend dealing with postal mail over the course of a year, and then think about all the other things you could have been doing! And it’s not just about picking up and opening the mail – you’re sorting it, shredding it, filing it, forwarding it, and recycling the waste (and there’s a lot of waste). All those hours really add up.Plus, how many times have you lost a piece of mail? According to some estimates, it costs a company <a href="https://www.papersavers.ca/blog/the-jaw-dropping-cost-of-on-site-document-storage-management/#:~:text=How%20much%20does%20it%20cost,to%20locate%20a%20misplaced%20document.">about $122</a> to locate just one misplaced document. And then there’s the issue of security. How do you protect your confidential mail? Is it in a file cabinet, on a desk, or sitting in an inbox where anybody could pick it up? Virtual mailboxes solve these problems and more. Lastly, if you’re considering taking your company <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/the-benefits-of-going-100-remote">100 percent remote</a>, a virtual mailbox makes it possible. We’ve helped <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/how-a-virtual-mailbox-helped-basecamp-become-fully-remote">so many businesses</a> save money without skipping a beat as they moved to a fully remote business model – and when you’re ready, we’ll help you do it too. Browse our <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">virtual mailbox plans</a> today: <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses">choose your address</a> to get started. Need more info? <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/contact">Reach out, and let’s talk</a> about your business’ needs. We’d love you show you how we can help.

As a small business owner, you’re always looking for ways to lean up, lower costs, and generally improve the bottom line without hindering productivity. 

As a small business owner, you’re always looking for ways to lean up, lower costs, and generally improve the bottom line without hindering productivity. Unfortunately, repetitive, mundane daily tasks are the bane of any company’s existence.

How Do I Reduce Administrative Hours Spent Doing Menial Tasks? | Earth Class Mail Blog

How Do I Reduce Administrative Hours Spent Doing Menial Tasks?

Since 2020 was a year of big changes in the workplace, we decided to make a continuation of our popular <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/productivity-tips-while-working-from-home">productivity tips blog</a> for our readers. According to a study done at Stanford University, 42 percent of America’s workforce is full-time remote, and there are no indications this will change anytime soon. Before the pandemic, remote work and occasional work-from-home days were more of a job perk than a necessity. Full-time remote work was the milieu of small businesses, consultants, and freelancers – and while these sectors continue to thrive in unconventional environments, many of us have been forced to adapt. And it hasn’t always been easy. Those with children and families learned how to better manage their time, set boundaries, and organize their workspaces for maximum efficiency. We necessarily embraced communications and productivity apps and tools, like Zoom, Asana, Slack, and more. We had to redefine work-life balance and find new ways to ensure our teams remained engaged and aligned, despite the enforced distance constraints. Most important of all, and I think we can all agree on this – we’re always looking for new ways to improve productivity and make our working life more manageable. In the absence of direct contact, it’s easy to feel like you’re alone in the universe, and that’s not the best way to get things done.So let’s look at some more of the top productivity tips that have come out of these times. As cliché as it sounds, necessity is the mother of invention!<h2>More Productivity Tips For Working Remotely</h2><h3>First Things First: Upgrade Your Internet</h3>When you think about all the new processes and workflows you’ve had to adapt to make working from home possible, they all have one thing in common: you need a good, stable, fast, secure, and reliable internet. And unfortunately, what worked for you and your family before might not be viable now. Consider this: if you have kids, spouses working from home, or roommates who share your connection, you’ll be competing for bandwidth – so you’ll either have to lay out a few new ground rules or upgrade your connection to support your needs. Our vote is always for the upgrade. After all, you’ve probably got better things to do with your time than troubleshooting or arguing with your living partners. Video calls lack stability without enough capacity. Plus, with virtualized company systems, you need to ensure easy access to the documents and apps you need, and also that your network is secure. If you can access business-grade internet in your area, that’s the ideal approach. However, you might need to shop around for the fastest connection, the most bandwidth possible, and a new firewall, VPN, or malware protection app. If you need to upgrade, you can probably expense it – and it will be worth the effort when you don’t have to deal with dropped calls, missed communications, and cyber threats. <h3>Compartmentalize</h3>When you had a workplace to go to, it was a simple task to separate home life from work life. However, working from home means you can’t just walk away. Of course, everybody’s home environment is different. While working from the couch was okay for the first few days, you quickly discovered how easy it is to get distracted, let deadlines slip by—or maybe the opposite, where you’re working inordinately longer hours simply because you can’t walk away from what’s on your desk. All of this adds up to increased stress, anxiety, and often depression. Once the lines begin to blur, it’s easy to let the gloom take over, and suddenly, there’s no joy left for anything. You might also be dealing with other issues at home – like home-schooling or caring for a loved one who’s sick, making it doubly critical to gain some separation just to maintain sanity. Here are a few quick tips to help you compartmentalize for maximum productivity:<ul><li>Set working hours and stick to them. Start and end your workday at the same time each day. </li><li>Make sure others in your household know when you’re not to be disturbed. You might use a sign on the door, a light, or whatever works to set clear boundaries. </li></ul><h3>Overcommunicate</h3>If there is one thing we can all learn from successful remote workers, it’s that communication is a tried-and-true recipe for smooth sailing. Since you can’t just saunter over to your teammate’s office, the next best way to stay connected is to check in regularly. Don’t rely on people reaching out to you; whether it’s clients, managers, or co-workers, take the initiative to connect. Sure, you likely have meetings, scrums, and check-ins scheduled periodically, but don’t limit your outreach to just that. If you have a question, ask. If you need help, go get it. If you want to call a Zoom huddle to brainstorm or have an impromptu coffee break, do it. If you’ve finished a project, make an announcement. If your stapler finally bit the dust, say a few words in memoriam. The point is, the more you reach out, the more you’ll get back, and that’s good for everyone. Check out our Managing a Team Remotely blog for more communication tips and tricks <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/managing-a-team-remotely-at-earth-class-mail">here</a>. <h3>Accept The Perks (And Concern) You’re Offered</h3>The best companies are always mindful of their employees’ mental health. Of course, they want you to stay on track and be productive, but they genuinely care about your well-being too. Companies like ThankView are offering their employees monthly boxes from SnackNation, reimbursing for new work-from-home equipment, and scheduling regular social events in addition to their standard benefits. Other organizations offer a paid day off every couple of weeks, and most have implemented one-on-ones to stay in touch with each individual on a personal level. At Searchspring, during their daily Slack standup, the first question is always “how are you feeling?” to which most reply with an emoji or GIF, which helps others understand where they’re at without an awkward conversation. It’s a way to be heard and get validation without all the stigma attached to it, and it’s incredibly empowering. In a time when we’re all dealing with various issues, knowing that you don’t have to hide it—and that others are in the same boat—helps to keep you on track. <h3>Earth Class Mail’s Virtual Mailbox</h3><a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">Virtual mailboxes</a> are just one of the many tools that have helped companies stay agile as they pivot to remote work. Take Basecamp, for example. When they decided to go 100 percent remote, they needed a solution for their postal mail. One of their biggest challenges was finding a virtual solution to handle confidential documents, deposit checks, and scan and forward mail to different people – and Earth Class Mail delivered. Our HIPAA certified mail technicians and customizable options sealed the deal, enabling Basecamp to go totally remote. The time they would normally spend sorting and distributing mail can now be used for higher-value tasks. Plus, they no longer have to deal with unwanted mail as it’s sorted out immediately. Fast, efficient, and value-driven, our virtual mailbox services are a big part of their success. <h3>Final Thoughts</h3>Our new collective reality may have forced us out of the office, but it’s also spawned many new observations, approaches, and strategies that support productivity and engagement. Perhaps most poignantly, we’ve learned to value ourselves, our time, and our innovation in ways that might not have been completely evident before. To learn more about Earth Class Mail’s virtual mailbox and how it supports your work-from-home initiative, reach out today. We’d love to show you how we can help.

Since 2020 was a year of big changes in the workplace, we decided to make a continuation of our popular productivity tips blog for our readers. 

Since 2020 was a year of big changes in the workplace, we decided to make a continuation of our popular productivity tips blog for our readers. According to a study done at Stanford University, 42 percent of America’s workforce is full-time remote, and there are no indications this will change anytime soon. 

More Productivity Tips While Working from Home | Earth Class Mail Blog

More Productivity Tips While Working from Home

Once an occasional employee perk or a way for employers to source top talent from the global pool, remote work is fast becoming the new standard of work culture. Of course, even without the pandemic restrictions, we’re under, experts have predicted the movement for many years. They just didn’t expect the future to arrive so quickly! We’ve all had to pivot in some way. For companies who were already promoting a remote work culture, it wasn’t much of a shift, but most had at least an expectation of things returning to normal at some point. Now, a year into the global health crisis, it looks like remote work is here to stay. <h3>Is Remote Work Working?</h3>Results thus far state the benefits of going 100 percent remote overwhelmingly favor operational improvement. And while we’re still working out the long-term impacts, there are indeed many things to love about it. Let’s take a deeper dive to find out why.<h3>The Benefits of Remote Working for Employers</h3>In light of current stay-at-home recommendations, many employers are moving to remote work culture. Here are some of the benefits they’ve discovered as a result:<h3>Reduced Real Estate Burden</h3>While a reduced need for office real estate might not be great news for landlords and building owners, it shifts many overhead costs back to the bottom line. The in-house office workforce has <a href="https://news.stanford.edu/2020/06/29/snapshot-new-working-home-economy/">dwindled considerably</a> in recent years, forcing companies to reduce dedicated office space in favor of shared workspaces and co-working arrangements. As a result, the move to 100 percent remote is just another step in that direction. Without the expense of a traditional office lease, companies are free to channel those funds into business growth and technology to support remote work. Reducing office space demand could have many other positive outcomes, including reimagining office buildings into affordable housing. <h3>Per-Employee Cost Reduction</h3>Onboarding new employees is costly and time-consuming. Assigning desks, office equipment, workstations, allocating space, adding phone lines, and allocating parking spaces are just a few of the expenses involved. Moving to a 100 percent remote work environment eliminates many of these costs. By some estimates, employers save <a href="https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistics">about $11,000</a> a year for every remote employee – and that adds up pretty quickly!<h3>Attract Talent Wherever It Lives</h3>If your company is remote work-ready, you’re able to draw from a larger pool of global talent. These days, highly skilled technical talent is in high demand, and local shortages are the norm. Having to compete for these individuals is time-consuming, costly, and often ineffective. A remote work environment supports bringing on new talent no matter where they live in the world. In many cases, this reduces costs even further, as salary expectations are often much lower in countries outside the United States. From an employee’s standpoint, the ability to work remotely is quite attractive. According to a study <a href="https://www.owllabs.com/state-of-remote-work/2019">released in 2019</a>, more than seven out of ten workers stated they would favor an employment offer that allowed them to work remotely. <h3>Improved Productivity</h3>There are a host of reasons why remote workers are <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/productivity-tips-while-working-from-home">more productive</a>. There’s no commute, no distractions from coworkers, and once they settle in, remote employees are much more motivated to complete tasks. According to Gallup’s <a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/238085/state-american-workplace-report-2017.aspx">State of The American Workplace Report</a>, remote workers understand their roles better and often feel greater responsibility for their overall performance. Plus, employers worry less about lost productivity due to tardiness and sick days. In one study, the findings indicate that many remote employees feel compelled to go above and beyond, possibly because they think that the situation might change or out of gratitude for the opportunity. The <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140918150940.htm">same study suggested</a> that work performance improved for employees who didn’t initially have a good relationship with their boss, possibly for the same reason. In either case, the employee didn’t want to lose this special privilege, so they worked extra hard to ensure they continued to have this job perk. <h3>The Benefits of Remote Work For Employees</h3>So, what does remote work do for employees? As it turns out, quite a lot! Before work-from-home (WFH) became mainstream, it was a highly sought-after benefit of working for some of the world’s top companies. Here’s why:<h3>Flexibility</h3>Employees working from home can choose when, where, and how they work. They can take breaks, get up and walk around, choose different work environments to change things up a bit, and cut a lot of time out of their workday by not having to commute, sit in useless meetings, or get distracted by their coworkers. <h3>Work-Life Balance</h3>We’re all experiencing a shift in how we go about our day. A flexible WFH schedule gives you a lot more leeway for things like childcare, wellness, fitness, and recreation. Whereas you might have had to get up extra early to attend a fitness class and still get to work on time, now you can do your session online and on-demand during a break. A little oxygen to the brain and blood does wonders to get the productive juices flowing again, and working from home gives you the bandwidth to do that. <h4>Your Commute Is Killing You – And The Planet</h4>Besides being a colossal waste of time, studies show that commutes longer than 30 minutes daily are associated with higher anxiety, stress, depression, increased HDL cholesterol, and elevated blood sugar. Yikes! Eliminating stress helps you lower cortisol levels, improves your overall health, and could actually help you lose weight as well – all excellent reasons to prioritize stress reduction, and ditching the commute is a great start. Plus, if you’re at all concerned with your carbon footprint, cutting out the commute is a great way to do your part. By working remotely, each worker saves us from <a href="https://environmentjournal.online/articles/working-from-home-can-dramatically-cut-co2-emissions/">379.2kg of CO2 emissions</a> each year.<h3>Remote Working Tools For Success</h3>Making a move to 100 percent remote work isn’t the easiest thing to do for some companies. There are still many manual processes to maintain, such as answering the phone, banking, and dealing with postal mail. How will you deal with these tasks when you have no physical office? Most companies use a VoIP telephone system, so it’s easy to redirect and manage calls without being tied to a location. As for postal mail, a virtual mailbox is an excellent solution. Earth Class Mail’s <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">virtual mailbox</a> and <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailroom">mailroom</a> plans have helped many leading companies go <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/how-a-virtual-mailbox-helped-basecamp-become-fully-remote">fully remote</a>. Simply choose your preferred address from our extensive list, and you’re up and running in minutes.Here’s how it works: Mail arrives at our facility and is opened and scanned by our HIPAA-certified technicians. Scans are uploaded to your account in searchable PDF format, after which you can download them to your connected cloud account, forward them to the appropriate recipient, or archive them into your system. You direct us as to what you want to be done with your physical mail. Every virtual mailbox plan includes secure shredding, ensuring your data never falls into the wrong hands. We’ll even help you with your banking too! Our add-on features include <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing/detail">check deposit</a> through your preferred accounting software, helping you maintain cash flow without a second thought. <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses">Choose your address</a> today, or <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/contact">reach out to us</a> directly to find out how we can help your company go remote.

Once an occasional employee perk or a way for employers to source top talent from the global pool, remote work is fast becoming the new standard of work culture.

The Benefits of Going 100% Remote | Earth Class Mail Blog

The Benefits of Going 100% Remote

As a small business owner, there will come a time when you’ll have to think about growth. Inevitably, you’ll have reached a ceiling that you need to break through, either through expansion, innovation, adding new products, or doing things a little differently.Growth is one thing – but if you’re looking to scale, there are a few critical concepts you’ll need to grasp to make that happen. Scaling your business doesn’t happen overnight, and success is just as much about your mindset as it is the product or service you offer. Here are a few ideas to get you into the growth mindset.<h3>Invest In Technology To Gain Competitive Advantage</h3>Innovation comes in many guises. It can be as cutting-edge as a management platform or next-generation technology tools, or it can be done through process optimization – but it all starts with digitization. Once you’ve completed your digital transformation, you have a launching pad that could take you just about anywhere. Today’s most exciting business innovations leverage <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/data-driven-2021-predictions-for-a-new-year-in-data-analytics-and-ai/">artificial intelligence</a> (AI) and machine learning (ML), two vital components in process automation. And while you might think that AI and ML are more in the realm of science fiction, you’d probably be surprised to know that you use them every day. Most online services and apps rely on AI for personalized, agile services, and now, the technology is built into many of the third-party apps you rely on to run your business. But what can AI do for you? If you typically spend most of your time on mundane, repetitive tasks, you’re already behind the eight-ball. Process automation and workflow optimization not only give you back those hours to focus on higher-value tasks; they do it very efficiently and accurately. Plus, machines don’t sleep, so you’ll get a massive boost in productivity almost right away. While innovation doesn’t always mean technology, you’ll want to have it on your radar if you’re on track to scale. There will come a time when you’ll have to jump in the sandbox with the “big guys” in your industry, so you’ll want to be on a level playing field. Do your homework. Find out what your competitors did to get where there are today, and if that’s what you aspire to be, use that data as a yardstick to measure your progress. When you’re one step ahead, you won’t have as far to go.<h3>Engage Your Staff in The Innovation Process</h3>No matter how passionate or excited you are about your new direction, be sure you’re looping your employees in throughout the process. Your teams are the front line, and you need them to be on board whatever you decide. After all, if they aren’t comfortable with the tools and processes you layout for them, you stand to lose a lot. Good employees are hard to come by, and when your company begins to scale rapidly, you want people you trust on your side. Everybody wants to feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves. When your people feel valued, they’ll work harder for you and bring their best work to the table. Here are a few ways you can engage your staff to inspire innovation:<ul><li>Actively solicit ideas from your teams</li><li>Make problem-solving a part of every staff meeting</li><li>Put all new tech through a beta phase, and engage your best employees to give you honest feedback before you buy</li><li>Make sure every employee feels like they are valued, and their voice has merit</li><li>Make time for weekly check-ins and monthly one-on-ones with each person</li><li>Be present, be transparent</li><li>Encourage them to share ideas without fear of retribution</li><li>Support opposing opinions</li><li>Celebrate wins</li><li>Create opportunities</li><li>Offer training </li></ul>Change is very exciting, but keep in mind; it is highly stressful too. When employees notice big shifts in their environment, they will usually think the worst – that they will be replaced or left behind. When you invite them to share the journey, you’re building relationships, encouraging loyalty, and empowering them to step up into their roles. You have a much better shot at success when you take these steps together. <h3>Ask Your Customers What They Want</h3>You might have a few incredible ideas about how you want to advance your company, but do you know what your customers think? If you don’t, here are a couple of ways you can find out.<ul><li>Understand your ideal buyer. Almost every business has a few “ideal buyer personas” to guide their marketing. But when was the last time you looked at those profiles? With all the shifts in customer preferences, technology, and business processes, chances are their priorities are vastly different than they were just a few years ago. Especially if you intend to grow, it’s critical to get inside their heads now so you can give them what they really want. </li></ul><ul><li>Solicit feedback. There are many ways to find out what your customers want, but the most direct method is to ask them outright. A “strike while the iron’s hot” mentality is everything here, meaning the best time to ask if you’ve satisfied the customer’s needs is <a href="https://medium.com/swlh/why-you-should-care-about-what-your-customers-want-c787d07ca5a0">immediately following the sale</a>. Be ready to accept and digest the good, the bad, and the ugly – because these are the insights that inform the road ahead. </li></ul><ul><li>Leverage Your Data. If you’re already collecting vast amounts of data from customer transactions or loyalty programs, this is another excellent way to gain insight into their preferences and behaviors. It shouldn’t be the only way you get information from your customers, but it’s a viable method of validating insights you glean from other sources. When you look at your data’s totality, you’ll get a clearer picture of how your customers currently engage with you, and it will be easier to identify the gaps. </li></ul><h3>Invest In A Virtual Mailbox</h3>We’ve talked about many critical scaling-up concepts today, but let’s go back to process improvement and workflow optimization. With all the changes you have planned, you’ll need to rethink how you’re doing things as much as what you’re doing. Ultimately, you need to gain as much time as possible, and that means eliminating low-value inefficiencies to pave the way for what’s ahead. A <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">virtual mailbox</a> is an excellent way to reallocate talent to higher-value tasks. Just think about the time it takes to manage your company mail. From receiving the mail to sorting, delivering it to the right personnel, forwarding, scanning, filing, and taking action, that’s a lot of time and effort. Often, it’s an <a href="https://www.papersave.com/blog/the-true-cost-of-a-paper-based-document-management-process/">inefficient and costly</a> process too. How many times has postal mail landed on the wrong desk, got buried in an overflowing inbox, or been misfiled? Plus, when it’s all said and done, what happens to all that paper? Earth Class Mail’s <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailroom">virtual mailbox plans</a> take all the hassle out of postal mail. When mail arrives at our processing center, it’s opened and scanned by our HIPAA certified technicians. Scans are sent to you as fully searchable PDFs, ready for distribution. We integrate your account with your preferred cloud services and can even <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/check-deposit">deposit checks</a> for you. No matter what your new business model looks like, the wave of the future is all about efficiency. Our virtual mailbox services support a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/5-simple-steps-to-help-achieve-a-paperless-company">paperless workflow</a>, and it even helped one of our client companies go <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/how-a-virtual-mailbox-helped-basecamp-become-fully-remote">100 percent remote</a>. <h3>Final Thoughts</h3>When you’re ready to take your company to new heights, there’s a lot to think about. The road ahead might be paved with inspiration, but some of the most incredible value you’ll find is already at your fingertips. <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses">Choose your address today</a>, and free yourself to grow into the future.

As a small business owner, there will come a time when you’ll have to think about growth.

As a small business owner, there will come a time when you’ll have to think about growth. Inevitably, you’ll have reached a ceiling that you need to break through, either through expansion, innovation, adding new products, or doing things a little differently.

How Can I Innovate To Scale My Business? | Earth Class Mail Blog

How Can I Innovate To Scale My Business?

These days it’s easier than ever before to start a new life in another country. Countries like Belize have long welcomed expats. Over the past year, several other Caribbean countries followed suit, making it easy to get an extended visa, work, and stay in countries like Aruba, Barbados, and Bermuda. Whether you’re a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/seven-tools-every-digital-nomad-needs">digital nomad</a> or a retiree looking for a change of scenery, here’s what you need to know about becoming an expat. <h2>What Is An Expat?</h2>Simply put, an expert is someone who lives in a country outside of their nationality. Expats don’t have a set demographic, nor are they all retirees, as is the common misconception. Short for “expatriate,” an expat might be in another country for work, either temporarily or permanently. They may have gained official residency status in their new locale, though that’s not always the case. And while it might seem like a romantic notion—or a bold one, depending on your mindset—expatriating isn’t for everyone. You’re living in a country <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/checklist-for-traveling-full-time">far from home</a>, and there are certain skills and aptitudes you’ll need to cultivate. Agility, adaptability, and curiosity are essential!Plus, there’s the not-so-small matters of visas, cost of living, and culture. You must consider the legal, financial, and social aspects of your decision well before you make a move. After all, your happiness and peace of mind are closely tied to your environment. You certainly don’t want any surprises.<h2>Preparing For Your Move</h2>There are plenty of countries that accept expats. Your choices will likely come down to personal preferences, what non-negotiables you have, and what you can afford to pay. Personal preferences might include climate, scenery, rural, or urban lifestyles. As for non-negotiables, let’s say you’re a digital nomad; you’ll want to be sure wherever you’re going has reliable internet and cellular.You’d do well to have a budget in mind before you begin, too. Some countries, like Viet Nam and Thailand, welcome expats and offer a high standard of living for a very low cost. Other countries, like Germany, The Netherlands, and the UK, are more cost-restrictive. In these locales, perhaps you’ll enjoy a more cosmopolitan way of life, but rental housing is expensive for non-citizens, and the cost of living is much higher in general. So job one is to do your research. Make a wish list and search your options to find out what it takes to settle in there. One website to check out is <a href="https://wherecani.live/">WhereCanI.Live</a>, where you’ll find details on what type of visa you’ll need and pretty much everything else there is to know. <h2>Finding a Job</h2>It’s often easier to settle in another country if you’re not looking to work in that country. However, if you’re not a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/successfully-navigating-remote-work">freelancer</a> and need to work, you’ll have to get creative. Younger folks can look into working holiday visas or student work visas, but there are other avenues to consider. Countries looking to fill skills gaps in their economy may issue <a href="https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/apply-for-a-visa/about-visa/long-term-skill-shortage-list-work-visa">skills shortage visas</a>, so if you have a desirable specialization, it’s worth checking into. Alternately, some countries issue <a href="https://pickvisa.com/blog/The-world-best-15-startup-visas">startup visas</a> to entrepreneurs and founders. Either choice is an excellent inroad to permanent residency, and in the latter case, you may also gain access to incubators, government funding, and loads of local talent.<h2>Taking Care Of The Spaceship</h2>No matter where you go in the world, there are a few things everybody needs to consider. Staying healthy and strong is number one. You don’t want to be stuck anywhere without the right support. Healthcare, for example, is a bit iffy in some countries. So, for example, if you’re middle-aged or older, you’d want to ensure access to quality care, a critical detail that might help you eliminate a few destinations on your list. Take Belize – a beautiful, temperate country with a stable economy, and (bonus) it’s outside of the hurricane zone. But if you have complex health issues, you’d probably have to go to Mexico or Florida if you need specialized care. Health insurance is a concern also. If you don’t have resident-standing in some countries, emergency care can be quite expensive. Be sure you’re adequately covered for every scenario. Even if you think your current policy covers your time abroad, it might fall short. Read the fine print so you understand the gaps and ask your insurance provider whether they offer international insurance. Most do. <h2>Understanding The Culture Of Your Destination</h2>It doesn’t matter where you go in the world; you’re bound to be in for a little culture shock, at least until you get in the swing of things. Little things we do without even thinking about are unheard of in some places, so you’d do well to bone up on local customs and faux-pas before you go. For example, tipping at restaurants isn’t often done in Europe, certainly not at the level we’re used to shelling out. In countries like Japan or China, leaving a tip is considered an insult. Chewing gum could land you in jail if you do it in Singapore, and you don’t ever want to run out of gas on the Autobahn. When in Italy, don’t feed the pigeons in Venice’s San Marcos Square or wear shorts to the Vatican. Sure, <a href="https://www.farandwide.com/s/weird-laws-world-4961c1ede8d749bf">some laws and customs</a> might seem a little ridiculous, but in the interest of fitting in, best to fall in. There are undoubtedly other ways to assert your individuality that won’t get you arrested or tossed out on your ear.<h2>Taking Care of Business: The Virtues of a Virtual Mailbox</h2>Whether you intend to stay at your new location indefinitely or continue to explore the known universe, every expat needs a virtual mailbox. That way, no matter where you go, you maintain some consistency and will continue to receive postal mail. Earth Class Mail virtual mailbox services were made with expats in mind, providing you with cloud-based access to your postal mail, check deposit services, secure shredding, and more. Your mail is always accessible through our cloud-based system, meaning you can pick up your mail from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection. We integrate with most cloud storage systems, so whether you prefer Dropbox, Box.com, or G-Suite, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how it works:<ul><li>Choose a street address or PO box from more than 80 locations across the United States.</li><li>Postal mail arrives at our secure processing facility. </li><li>Our HIPAA-certified mail technicians open and scan your mail.</li><li>Scans are converted to PDFs.</li><li>Log into your account, view, forward, or save mail to your preferred cloud service.</li><li>Let us know what you want us to do with your mail – trash and recycle, shred, forward, it’s your call. </li></ul>A virtual mailbox from Earth Class Mail is an excellent way to ensure you continue to receive your bills, tax documents, and other postal mail communications. If you receive packages, we’ll forward them wherever you choose. Your virtual mailbox is a real address you can use to register your business and maintain continuity even when you’re traveling. Ultimately, even expats need some stability. Earth class mail is here to support you, whether it’s short or long-term. <h2>Final Thoughts</h2>Becoming an expat is a big step – but you’ve got this. And we’ve got your back! No matter where the tradewinds take you, a virtual mailbox from Earth Class Mail will make it that much easier to make it all work. <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses">Choose your virtual address today</a>, and start packing!

These days it’s easier than ever before to start a new life in another country. Countries like Belize have long welcomed expats. 

How to Become An Expat | Earth Class Mail Blog

How to Become an Expat

Many of us are working from home these days and have been for quite some time. As the outlook for remote work looks like it will last for a while, we wanted to examine best-practices for staying productive under these conditions. Note that staying productive in the office can have plenty of challenges too, but working from one’s home office presents its own set of unique challenges, be it homeschooling children, or even the distracting video game console sitting in the corner. We reached out to colleagues in our network to see what they were doing to stay productive and put together some ideas to help stay on track while not in the office. Get in the habit of setting routines.<h3>Set a schedule</h3>Set a start and end time to your day that includes a lunch break, just as you would in the office. Plan your calendar for the day to make note of meetings and block off periods for deep work and keep your home working hours as if you are in an office setting. Sticking to a schedule to help maintain routine and consistency which can help you track progress and make sure you are spending your time wisely. There are some great ideas from <a href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/work-from-home-productivity-schedule">Themuse.com</a> that include having consistent times for getting out of bed in the morning and changing into a work outfit, even if it’s not quite the same as what you’d wear to an actual office,<h3>Create a “commute”</h3>You can get creative with this one and start and end your day as you would if you were making the drive to the office. One idea for creating a &quot;commute&quot; is to take a walk around the block before hitting your desk - and &quot;commute&quot; home by doing the same. Getting fresh air and setting up a similar routine of going to and from the office is a great way to mentally mark the start and end of the workday.<h3>Setting up your workspace</h3>Your workspace at home should feel comfortable and familiar. One way to do that is to set up your home office like your real office. For example, 2 monitors, a real desk and chair in a dedicated space. Keep in mind ergonomics and be especially careful to avoid repetitive strain injuries that a bad setup can cause. <a href="https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/ss/slideshow-ergonomic-tips-for-a-home-office">Tips for an ergonomic set up</a> from WebMD include 1) choosing a work surface that offers plenty of space for your knees, thighs, and feet 2) an office chair with lower back support, 3) keeping your feet flat on the floor with a footrest.<h3>Dedicating a space</h3>Maintaining an area of your house solely for work can increase productivity according to numerous sources such as <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/207306">Enterprenuer.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.generationy.com/home-office-space/">Generationy.com</a>. Working from your bed or the dining room table might sometimes be a necessity - but having a spot in your home carved out specifically for work can allow you to get more done. If you can’t get a dedicated space you can separate from the rest of your life, try to find a niche space you can use that is out of the rest of the household’s way — and they out of yours — as much as possible. <h3>Staying active and healthy</h3>Having snacks and staying hydrated.Back to back zoom calls can sometimes leave little room for eating a healthy meal. Having snacks such as hard-boiled eggs and nuts around that are easy to eat helps with an empty stomach. A focus on protein, fiber, healthy fats, fruits, and veggies is the best way to go according to <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/10-tips-for-eating-healthy-when-youre-working-from-home/">Clevelandclinic.org</a>. Other suggested grab and go items include lean jerky, apples, bananas, and string cheese. <h3>
Exercise</h3>Exercise is a great way to keep up your activity level and take a quick break in order to come back to work feeling refreshed.One suggestion is to use your Apple Watch or other smartwatches or timers to remember to stand, stretch, and get the blood flowing.You can also set aside time for a walk. With winter weather coming this can be harder but there are also lots of online options for classes to take from home such as those hosted by <a href="https://obefitness.com/">Obe Fitness</a>. Classes can range from yoga to cardio.<h3>Brain breaks</h3>Play a quick game.Brain games can be a good stress reliever. Spending time away from the computer and focusing on something like a puzzle or sudoku can get your mind re-energized.<h3>Power naps</h3>A quick power nap can reset the brain and give you the time you need to take a mental break and wake-up rejuvenated for the rest of the day. Media mogul and Founder of <a href="https://thriveglobal.com/">Thrive Global</a>, Arianna Huffington is a strong advocate for taking naps at work. She even has a <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/thrive-nap-room-coco-mat-arianna-huffington">dedicated napping and meditation room</a> for employees in her company headquarters.<h3>Adding to your environment</h3>Good playlists can help you concentrate and focus. Find the style of music that works for you and play it in the background while working to maintain your pace. Podcasts and audiobooks are also great to listen to as they can spark ideas and maintain a level of learning. Here is a<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240202"> top 25 list</a> of business podcasts that include <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=143769X1608443&isjs=1&jv=14.4.0-stackpath&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.entrepreneur.com%2Farticle%2F240202&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fentrepreneurs-on-fire%2Fid564001633%3Fmt%3D2&xguid=989d23f24609e48c9802c2f8a625462c&xs=1&xtz=360&xuuid=bc02d3a223ea0329a4cdc52e1869dbd5&xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5D">Entrepreneurs on Fire </a>and <a href="http://tayorockson.com/podcast/">As Told by Nomads</a>. Ambient noise is another suggestion that helps lessen distraction and aid with focus. This can also help cover up noises from homeschoolers or familial co-workers. Ones to try include <a href="https://asoftmurmur.com/">A Soft Murmur</a> or <a href="https://mynoise.net/">myNoise</a>.

Many of us are working from home these days and have been for quite some time. As the outlook for remote work looks like it will last for a while, we wanted to examine best-practices for staying productive under these conditions.

Productivity Tips While Working From Home | Earth Class Mail Blog

Productivity Tips While Working From Home

Considering the ubiquitous nature of digital communication, it’s surprising the post office even has a presence at all in this day and age. However, we live in a world ruled by bureaucracy, so chances are there will be forests-worth of paper flowing through the system for the foreseeable future. Bottom line – unless you’re living off the grid completely, you probably still get postal mail. And while that’s not always a problem, it can become one in certain circumstances. If you’re a freelancer, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/successfully-navigating-remote-work">remote worker</a>, an ex-pat, or a digital nomad constantly on the roam, you might find yourself looking into virtual mail or virtual address solutions. And while these products are related, they’re not exactly the same, so depending on your specific situation, either one or the other might make more sense. So let’s dive deeper into the finer points of virtual addresses and virtual mailboxes to help you decide which one is right for you. <h3>What Is A Virtual Address?</h3>First things first – technically, and despite being called “virtual,” a virtual address actually does exist. Usually used for business purposes, it’s a real address that accepts physical mail, but the difference is that your business does not operate from there. Virtual addresses are most often used by people who work from home or companies that do not maintain a physical location. If you operate a business in the United States, you need a business address, and there are myriad reasons you wouldn’t want to use your home address or a P.O. box. You can’t legally <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/how-to-get-a-po-box-without-a-street-address">use a P.O. box</a> as a business address in some states, so a virtual address is a good option. A virtual address might be right for you if:<ul><li>You need to register a business</li><li>You don’t expect to receive a lot of (or any) mail</li><li>You need a professional business address</li><li>Your business is entering new markets, and you need a local address</li></ul>Small business owners use virtual addresses because it helps them maintain privacy in their personal life. Additionally, some communities and municipalities have laws against operating a business from home. Keeping your professional interests separate is always a good idea, as it reduces risk and liability and keeps those parts of your life neat and tidy. If you expect to receive mail regularly, a virtual address might not be the best or most economical option. Before choosing this option, be sure the service lines up with your ongoing needs and budget. Earth Class Mail’s virtual business address will scan or forward your incoming mail as needed. You can be confident of receiving your mail promptly no matter where you are in the world. Check out our <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/virtual-business-address">virtual address plans</a> today to get started. <h3>What Is A Virtual Mailbox?</h3>Virtual mailboxes include virtual addresses – but they also offer a few more options and added flexibility. For anybody who expects to receive mail more frequently, a virtual mailbox is an excellent choice over a virtual address alone. A virtual mailbox would be a good fit for you if:<ul><li>You travel a lot. If you’re on the road all the time, whether for work or leisure, getting mail is often a challenge. Imposing on friends or colleagues to pick up and forward your mail isn’t always ideal, and the lag time in mail forwarding services might be a big inconvenience.</li><li>You live in an RV. When you’re roaming free in the world, getting mail is a complicated undertaking. A virtual mailbox receives your mail, opens and scans the contents, and emails the files as PDFs. In most cases, you’ll receive your mail within 24-48 hours of it arriving at the facility. An Earth Class Mail virtual mailbox also offers various add-on services, including <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/check-deposit">check deposits</a>, helping you maintain cash flow no matter where you are in the world. </li><li>You need an address in a specific location. Some virtual address services don’t give you the option of choosing your locale when you sign up. In other words – you get what you get within the range of what they offer. You might have some choices, but if they don’t align with your needs, you might be better off with a virtual mailbox instead. </li></ul>Virtual mailboxes are also excellent for helping you stay on top of important documents. Since your mail is scanned into PDF format, each piece of mail is sortable, searchable, and conveniently paperless. Earth Class Mail keeps your original documents for 30 days, after which they are securely shredded. Packages are forwarded to a location of your choice or held for pickup at your discretion. If you need greater flexibility, you can design a virtual mailbox plan to suit your needs. Some of the options you can consider include:<ul><li>Sync with Dropbox, Box.com, Google Drive, or your cloud of choice</li><li>Occasional or recurring check deposit with your preferred accounting software</li><li>Add additional addresses and users when needed</li><li>A business address that complies with federal and state incorporation standards</li><li>Choose a street address or P.O. box</li><li>Domestic and international shipping and forwarding</li><li>Expedited scanning </li><li>Oversized or heavy packages handling and storage</li></ul>Some of these options are associated with additional fees, but you can design a plan around your needs for maximum efficiency and value. Why Choose A Virtual Mailbox Over A Virtual Address?In a nutshell, a virtual address is more geared towards commercial entities. However, that’s not to say that a virtual mailbox is not suitable for businesses – just the opposite, in fact! A virtual mailbox from Earth Class Mail comes with a virtual address and gives you all the advantages it brings; plus, you’ll have access to so many more options and customizations to suit your needs. So let’s look at some of the pros and cons, using Earth Class Mail virtual mailbox and virtual address options as a baseline. <ul><li>Economy. If your business receives a lot of paper mail, a virtual address might not be the most economical choice. A virtual address does not include incoming mail handling, so if you do receive a lot of mail, the extra costs can add up. For example, an Earth Class Mail virtual address account charges $1 per piece of incoming mail and another $4 for content scanning. </li></ul><ul><li>Volume. On the other hand, a virtual mailbox includes 50 pieces of mail in the basic plan, and there is no charge for scanning the first ten items. If you only expect to receive official documents and statements, you probably won’t pay any overage fees at all. </li></ul><ul><li>Scalability. A virtual mailbox plan is also scalable. Let’s say you are using your account for your business; you can expand your capacity or add users instantly, as needed. </li></ul><ul><li>Choices. With a virtual address alone, you might not be able to get an address in your preferred city. While this might not matter to some, impressions do count for a lot in business, so having more options might be advantageous. </li></ul>Ultimately, the main difference is whether or not you need to receive mail regularly. If you do, a virtual mailbox is probably the best choice. If postal mail is a non-issue or is not a significant concern, then a virtual address might be sufficient. No matter what you decide or where you roam, the bottom line is, you can be confident of a secure and reliable experience with Earth Class Mail. <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">Check out our pricing today</a> and choose a virtual plan that makes your life easier.

Considering the ubiquitous nature of digital communication, it’s surprising the post office even has a presence at all in this day and age. 

Considering the ubiquitous nature of digital communication, it’s surprising the post office even has a presence at all in this day and age. However, we live in a world ruled by bureaucracy, so chances are there will be forests-worth of paper flowing through the system for the foreseeable future. 

Do You Need A Virtual Address Or A Virtual Mailbox? | Earth Class Mail

Do You Need A Virtual Address Or A Virtual Mailbox?

Launching a new business is exciting, but there are many details to review before you start transacting. No matter what industry sector you operate in, whether you’re a sole proprietor working from home, a brick-and-mortar shop, a consultancy, or a tech startup, your company needs to be licensed and legal to do business in your state. But what type of business structure should you choose? There are many different choices, and each option has its own set of pros and cons. Much like when you’re developing your business plan, it pays to do some research first, so you can be sure you’re <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/knowing-the-costs-of-starting-a-business">making the right decision</a> for your needs. <h3>Different Types of Business Structures</h3>Each type of business structure comes with its own regulatory framework. Your decision will impact how much you pay in taxes. It will also dictate what compliance paperwork you’re required to file and how much business and personal liability insurance you need. If you’re planning to seek funding, your legal business structure will also affect how you go about this. Ultimately, your choice comes down to three distinct factors: record-keeping, liability, and taxation. Because no two situations are the same, there is no clear-cut right or wrong answer. It all depends on the business needs, your individual needs, and those of your partners (if you have them). You should also consider where you see taking the business in the future, for example, if you plan to sell the company at some point or bring in more shareholders when it’s time to grow. <h3>Sole Proprietorship or Partnership</h3>A sole proprietorship is the simplest business structure. It’s fast, easy, and inexpensive to set up. As the owner, you have complete control over all aspects of the business, but you are also personally responsible for paying taxes and any other elements of financial liability. A sole proprietorship is a good choice for independent contractors or small businesses that do not have any major liability concerns. If you have significant personal assets and feel they might be at risk, it would probably be better to look at incorporating. However, if you expect your annual income to be higher than $100,000, and don’t have enough deductions to lower your taxable income, there are <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/77730">advantages to incorporating</a>. <h3>Partnership</h3>A partnership is when two or more people agree to share the business’s profits and/or losses. This structure is similar to a sole proprietorship in that each partner is personally liable. If the company is sued, each partner bears the onus equally (or according to their share of the business). A partnership can also reduce the tax you pay as the amounts are passed through to be paid on each partner’s individual return. You might choose a partnership if you and one or more others are engaged in providing a product or service and wish to share aspects of business operations and administration. <h3>Corporation</h3>A corporation is a business entity that is created with the sole purpose of conducting business. It is separate from the people who created it and is responsible for meeting its obligations under the law. The corporation is taxed and can be held liable for damages incurred as a result of its activities. Perhaps the most significant advantage of incorporation is the absence of personal liability. As a corporation, you are taxed at a lower rate, and there are many more options available to you, so if you are a high-earning sole proprietor, it’s something to consider. However, incorporation comes with its drawbacks as well. The cost of incorporation is relatively high, and tax preparation is much more complicated and costly. You will also be required to maintain and file specific paperwork, and you may be taxed twice—once through the corporation and again on your personal income tax. An S-corporation helps you avoid double taxation by allowing losses to be passed on through your tax return, much like a partnership. A corporation is also advantageous when it comes to estate planning. If you plan to pass your stake in the company along to your children, for example, this is a way to avoid inheritance taxes and probate. When you die, your shares pass on to your beneficiaries automatically without going through a lengthy legal process. <h3>Limited Liability Corporation (LLC)</h3>An LLC is a hybrid of a partnership and a corporation. Some business owners prefer this structure because it offers the best of both worlds. Partners are protected from personal liability, and profits and losses can be passed through without incurring additional taxation. Of course, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/what-address-should-i-use-for-my-llc">an LLC</a> has its downsides too. If you’re hoping to attract investors, it’s not impossible, but certainly less likely. Investors generally prefer the protections of a corporation. Plus, you cannot pay yourself a salary as an owner. There is less paperwork to file than with a corporation, but renewal fees can be pretty high. Most types of companies can be LLCs, with the exception of professional services, like medical offices or legal firms. Choosing an LLC structure over a sole partnership, partnership, or corporation will largely depend on what protections, tax advantages, and other features matter most to you. <h3>Every Business Needs A Physical Address</h3>Whether you’re a digital nomad, a clothing designer, a financial advisor, or a construction firm, every business needs a physical address. In fact, you can’t register your business at all unless you have an official address. For some companies, this is an easy task – if you have a location, you have an address. However, these days it isn’t always that cut-and-dried. Many businesses today <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/how-a-virtual-mailbox-helped-basecamp-become-fully-remote">operate remotely</a>, meaning they don’t have an office people can visit. Plus, many states do not allow you to list a P.O. box as your business address, so that that option might be off the table. And while some sole proprietors might feel like it’s okay to use their home address, there are pros and cons to that as well. Nobody likes the idea of salespeople, vendors, process servers, or even potential customers just showing up on their doorstep unannounced. If you are setting up your company and need to get started quickly, a virtual address is the answer you’ve been looking for. Some of the benefits of a virtual address include:<ul><li>Satisfy state and federal requirements</li><li>Not a P.O. box – an actual street address</li><li>Choose the city and state you do business in</li><li>Receive mail and official documents</li><li>Affordable, predictable monthly fee</li><li>Professional address to use on your website, business cards, and marketing collateral</li></ul>Plus, it immediately lends legitimacy to your company. In the eyes of your peers, customers, and the government, you are a thriving and active concern. Plus, if you’re the type that’s always on the go, you can still receive your mail. Incoming mail is scanned and sent to your email or synced with your preferred cloud service, minimizing delays and ensuring you stay on top of critical business correspondence. When you’re starting a new company, it pays to take a systematic approach. Before you choose your business structure, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/virtual-business-address">sign up for a virtual business address today</a>. Choose your <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses">virtual address</a> from our extensive list of locations, pick a plan that works for you, and you’re ready to conquer!

Launching a new business is exciting, but there are many details to review before you start transacting.

Launching a new business is exciting, but there are many details to review before you start transacting. No matter what industry sector you operate in, whether you’re a sole proprietor working from home, a brick-and-mortar shop, a consultancy, or a tech startup, your company needs to be licensed and legal to do business in your state.   But what type of business structure should you choose? There are many different choices, and each option has its own set of pros and cons. 

What Business Structure Should I Choose? | Earth Class Mail Blog

What Business Structure Should I Choose?

The nomadic lifestyle isn’t for everybody. Despite that, there aren’t too many people who don’t find the idea attractive in some way.Think about it for a moment. If you weren’t tied to a desk or an office, if you could work from anywhere you are in the world, wouldn’t that conjure up a few fantasies? Those of us who have that natural wanderlust wouldn’t have it any other way. <h3>Embracing the Nomadic Lifestyle</h3>With the roller-coaster of COVID restrictions we’ve all experienced in 2020, the digital nomad lifestyle has picked up a lot of steam. More people are taking that leap of faith, but many find that it’s not all wine and roses, especially when you’re just starting out. You need to be acutely organized, stay on top of your communication channels, and be ready to respond immediately. Good Wi-Fi is a must – otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for a level of stress that all the white-sand beaches in the world won’t melt away. Every grand scheme requires careful planning. Setting yourself up for success as a digital nomad is a matter of ensuring you have an environment that supports and optimizes productivity. Finding the right tools is a key ingredient to making it all work, and today we’re going to share some of our best suggestions.<h3>Top Seven Digital Nomad Essentials</h3><ol><li>Portable Wi-Fi. Depending on where you are in the world, you might not have reliable Wi-Fi. While that might be hard to believe in this day and age, you’d be surprised at some of the places you end up (even here at home) where connecting to the internet is still a challenge. When you bring your own Wi-Fi hotspot, you’re always assured of a connection. One of the best values in personal Wi-Fi is <a href="https://www.skyroam.com/">Skyroam</a>. Purchase their hotspot hardware, sign up for a plan according to your needs (they have pay-as-you-go as well as monthly data plans), and you’re good to go. The <a href="https://www.skyroam.com/solis-x-wifi-smartspot">Skyroam Solis X</a> has a few other valuable features you’ll like, like a power bank, remote camera, speaker and microphone, and a voice-activated smart assistant. You can connect up to 10 devices on the same plan, so you’re covered for all your gear.  </li><li>Solar Charger. Portable chargers might seem like a no-brainer, but when you’re sitting on the side of a mountain in Napa Valley or on the beach in Aruba, an outlet might not be handy. For all your mountainside connectivity woes, a portable solar USB charging station is the cure. <a href="http://www.ibigblue.com/product/detail/?id=17">BigBlue</a> offers a three-port foldable 28W solar charger that’s compatible with most devices, laptops, and DSLR cameras included. It’s super portable, lightweight, and totally affordable at under $70 from Amazon.  </li><li>Scheduling/Calendaring Apps. If you’re freelancing as a writer, web developer, graphic designer, or just about any gig-based job, you’re likely dealing with numerous clients, each of whom has their own issues, ideas, and ways they like to communicate. The busier you are, the more challenging it is to stay on top of every detail, but that’s how you rise to the top in the gig economy. Excel or Numbers spreadsheets are excellent, but if you want something a little more interactive, choosing the right app is a must. Here are a few of our faves: — Slack: if you’re part of a remote team, <a href="http://www.slack.com/">Slack</a> helps you stay on top of projects, even if you’re working in different time zones. You can set up Slack groups for more than one company too. All conversations, tasks, events, meetings, and even video conference calls can be managed within the app.  — Evernote is an <a href="https://evernote.com/">online organizer</a> where you can create notebooks for various projects or ideas, clip articles and links from the web, and even scan in your passport and other important documents. If you lose something, all your files are stored in the cloud and can be accessed anytime. <a href="https://evernote.com/compare-plans">The basic plan</a> is free, but the premium and business plans offer enhanced features, like team management, multiple users, offline access, and higher upload limits.  — Toggl is basically a time clock, but if you have multiple clients and get paid hourly, it’s a pretty nifty way to simplify tracking. You can set up companies, projects within companies, and output detailed reports to submit with your invoices. <a href="https://toggl.com/">Toggl</a> starts with a free plan, but <a href="https://toggl.com/plan/pricing">$8 a month</a> gets you premium planning features like recurring tasks, team assignments, and a few more bells and whistles.  — Trello is a <a href="https://trello.com/home">collaborative tool</a> that helps you track everything from the broad strokes right down to the tiniest details. It’s a handy to-do list and productivity tool that even lets you automate tasks based on rules you set. Start with the <a href="https://trello.com/pricing">free version</a> and move on up to a paid plan if you need additional features or customizations.  — Asana is <a href="https://asana.com/?noredirect">another great app</a> (our favorite) that’s as great for digital nomads as it is for remote teams. If you’re working with multiple teams with progressive deadlines, this is the way to get things done. Asana features include task automation, intuitive timelines, and goal-setting. It also integrates with other apps you already use, like Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, Gmail, Outlook, Slack, and Zoom. Get your feet wet with a <a href="https://asana.com/pricing">free plan</a> and then upgrade to access more robust features, including portfolios, proofing, a client approval platform, and more.  </li><li>A Good Backpack. When you’re on the move all the time, there’s nothing worse than schlepping a pile of gear without a handy way to do it. You want to keep it as compact and light as possible while still keeping your stuff safe, secure, and protected from the weather. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kopack-Backpacks-Resistant-Business-Computer/dp/B01B15LDBM?tag=fluentu-20">The Kopack Slim Backpack</a> is lightweight and secure. You can’t access your laptop unless you take it off. It’s made of anti-puncture, tear-resistant material, and you can secure the zipper on the outside compartment with your own lock. It’s got compartments for all of your stuff too, so you won’t have to root around looking for anything. </li><li>Noise-Canceling Headphones are essential if you’re trying to work in noisy places. <a href="https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/headphones/over_ear_headphones/quietcomfort-35-wireless-ii.html#v=qc35_ii_silver">Bose QuietComfort headphones</a> are Bluetooth-enabled, and they have a built-in microphone too. <a href="https://www.apple.com/airpods/">Apple AirPods</a> are a little more discreet, and they have transparency mode if you want to hear what’s going on around you.  </li><li>External Hard Drives are essential to back up your work – especially if you’re working with graphics or audio. Large files tend to take up a lot of hard drive space, and keep in mind you might want to work offline every now and then, so you’ll want to be able to access the files you need. Choose one that’s lightweight but rugged enough to take a beating. Ideally, you’ll want something that facilitates high-speed transfers, Thunderbolt, USB 3, etc. <a href="https://www.lacie.com/products/rugged/">The LaCie Rugged SSD</a> is made for filmmakers and delivers superior performance – plus, it’s waterproof, so that’s one less thing to worry about at the beach.  </li><li>Virtual Mailbox. You can’t be 100 percent efficient on the road if you don’t have a virtual mailbox. Sure, you could get a friend, family member, or even a postal outlet to forward your mail. Still, when you’re unsure exactly where you’re going to be, that’s another complication you don’t want to have to stress on. <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">Earth Class Mail’s Virtual Mailbox</a> gives you a legal business address and ensures you get your mail as soon as it arrives. When mail comes, it’s scanned and sent to you as a pdf file. Plans start at $19 per month, and features like check deposits and third-party integrations are available if you need them.</li></ol><h3>Final Thoughts</h3>If you’re a digital nomad, you know how essential it is to have the right tools at your disposal. Staying connected, organized, and stress-free are the keys to ongoing success. To learn more about Earth Class Mail or sign up for a virtual mailbox, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">compare our plans today</a>.

The nomadic lifestyle isn’t for everybody. Despite that, there aren’t too many people who don’t find the idea attractive in some way.

The nomadic lifestyle isn’t for everybody. Despite that, there aren’t too many people who don’t find the idea attractive in some way. Think about it for a moment. If you weren’t tied to a desk or an office, if you could work from anywhere you are in the world, wouldn’t that conjure up a few fantasies? 

Seven Tools Every Digital Nomad Needs | Earth Class Mail Blog

Seven Tools Every Digital Nomad Needs

Living in an RV affords you <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/tips-for-living-and-working-in-an-rv-full-time">so much freedom</a>. You can go where you want, live life on your own terms, and you’re in total control of your immediate environment—an abiding concern these days when we’re all trying to avoid COVID-19 exposure. And if you’re a freelancer, remote worker, or a digital nomad of any kind, it doesn’t really matter where you are. Of course, there are some drawbacks to living a nomadic life. You don’t always have reliable cell service or Wi-Fi. If you’re moving from a house or an apartment, you’ll probably have to get rid of a lot of stuff or put it in storage. And what about your postal mail? Granted, most of us use email and other forms of digital communication more these days. However, you still need a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-a-physical-address-and-a-mailing-address">physical address</a>, especially if you have a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/what-address-should-i-use-for-my-llc">business license</a>. You’ll also need an address to register your vehicle, pay your taxes, maintain a bank account, credit cards, insurance, and a driver’s license. So even if you’re living “off the grid,” as it were, you can’t just be a free particle in the universe – and you can’t use your RV as an address unless you’ve got it parked at a campsite that will accept postal mail for you.But what if you’re on the road all the time? How is that going to work? Stay with us here; there might still be a few options you haven’t considered. <h4>Five Ways To Receive Postal Mail</h4>When you don’t want to miss any critical communications, but you also can’t be tied down to a location. Even so, getting your postal mail doesn’t have to be a complicated process. There are still plenty of ways to make it work; some options are more suited to a stationary lifestyle, while others are better for those on the move. <h4>Mail Forwarding Option 1: Family and Friends</h4>Suppose you have family or a friend who is amenable to handling your postal mail. In that case, you can ask them to forward it to you periodically as it comes in. However, there are always caveats. Are they reliable? Can you trust them to let you know when something important arrives? Will they respect your privacy? If that person is letting you use their address, it could also result in legal <a href="https://www.escapees.com/domicile-revisited-back-to-the-basics/">domicile concerns</a> for you in areas like taxation, estate law, and jurisdiction. Family and friends forwarding is undoubtedly a cheaper option, but there’s huge potential here for glitches. There might be times when they’ll need to forward packages, which means they’ll have to shell out for additional postage on top of the time and effort involved. And, if you miss a deadline because a piece of mail didn’t get to you in time, it might be the end of your friendship or the beginning of a lifelong feud. Do you really want to take that risk? <h4>Mail Forwarding Option 2: P.O. Box With Mail Forwarding Service</h4>If you’d prefer to keep your mail forwarding “all business,” many postal service outlets will forward your postal mail to you – which is fine, as long as you don’t move around too much. Issues could arise if you move on down the road and forget to check in with your mail service to let them know. Assuming that most postal mail you receive is important, this is not ideal for your typical RV-er. Still, if you are a highly organized individual, you can probably make it work. <h4>USPS</h4>Your local USPS will hold or forward your postal mail, but if you change locations periodically, your mail can just as easily disappear into a black hole, never to be seen again. Plus, their pricing is not exactly competitive – you can get more personalized service at better rates elsewhere. <h4>P.O. Box</h4>A P.O. Box is great for many things, but it doesn’t give you a legal business or residential address. If you need a street address, be sure you choose a postal service that offers that. If you are in and around a certain locale most of the time, this option is usually just fine. When you hit the road, you can ask for your postal mail to be held or forwarded, or you can have a friend, family member, or business colleague pick it up for you. If you’re having your mail forwarded or choosing any other services that a postal service offers, be sure to check rates for the various options you need. You’ll pay a rental fee for your P.O. box, but forwarding and other services are extra and can add up pretty quickly. For example, if you tend to receive a lot of packages, the expense will be somewhat less predictable as the cost of postage to send it on will vary depending on what zip code you’re in. Plus, though most services will tell you that you have mail, they don’t tell you what’s inside. Do you really want to pay to have your junk mail chase you around the country? Or if you’re waiting on something time-sensitive, how will you know it’s in there?<h4>Virtual Mailbox</h4>Virtual mailbox services are ideal for full-time RV-ers, but keep in mind, not all virtual services are created equal. Virtual mail services are offered by shared office providers, coworking facilities, and private mail handling services like UPS. Be sure you check the fine print before making a commitment; you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the services you need at a price that makes sense for your budget. Earth Class Mail’s virtual mailbox is a simple way to take care of all your nomadic mail concerns. You’ll get a physical business address, physical storage, cloud storage, and you can even have more than one user on the account. Here’s how it works. Your postal mail is sent to your Earth Class Mail business address. These are commercial addresses that you can use for business registration, on your website, and on all of your marketing collateral. As soon as your postal mail is received at one of our processing centers, we scan it to a pdf file and email it to you. Generally, items you receive will be in your account the same day. However, if your Earth Class Mail address is in a city where we don’t have a processing facility, it might take a little extra time. When you sync your account with cloud storage, such as Dropbox, Box.com, or Google Drive, it is automatically sent there, but you can also download the files directly to your computer if you prefer. If you receive checks, your account can be linked to your preferred accounting software to facilitate e-deposits. We’ll hold the physical mail for 30 days, though packages are only kept for 10 days, meaning you’ll need to have somebody pick it up, or we’ll forward it to the address you give us. Secure shredding services are included in your monthly plan, and there are plenty of special handling options to choose from, including expedited scanning. If you want one less thing to worry about, you can even <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/check-deposit">automate your check deposits</a> to maintain cash flow. <h4>Final Thoughts</h4>Living in an RV is the ultimate freedom for many people, but the question of how you receive your postal mail is always a concern. Earth Class Mail offers flexible, secure virtual mailbox plans that are perfect for today’s digital nomad. Browse our <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">virtual mailbox plans</a>, or if you would like to learn more, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/contact">reach out today</a>. We’d love to be a part of your adventure.

Living in an RV affords you so much freedom. You can go where you want, live life on your own terms, and you’re in total control of your immediate environment—an abiding concern these days when we’re all trying to avoid COVID-19 exposure.

How Do You Get Mail When You Live In An RV? | Earth Class Mail Blog

How Do You Get Mail When You Live In An RV?

Starting a new business is not for the faint of heart. To navigate the process effectively, you must be ready to face many questions, challenges, and risks: Will my business idea work? How much will it cost? How do I protect myself and my assets? With proper planning and education, you can navigate the process with confidence. Once you are able to answer the Who, What, Where, Why, When, and How related questions for your new business, the next step in the process is understanding all of the costs required to start a new business. These costs set the foundation for establishing your new business. The first cost you will encounter is forming your business entity.Forming Your Business EntityA business entity helps you establish the type of business that you want to operate. Each business entity is slightly different in how they handle taxes and liability for your business. These entities include sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLC), and corporations. It is important to speak with an attorney and an accountant to understand the laws, fees, and taxes involved with starting a new business. The attorney fees for filing your business entity can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. If you plan to form your business in a state that you are not physically in, Earth Class Mail has a virtual business address solution (see more details in <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/from-albuquerque-to-wilmington-we-have-a-virtual-address-in-every-u-s-state">&quot;From Albuquerque to Wilmington, We Have A Virtual Address in Every U.S. State (...and now, Atlanta!)&quot;</a>). You will also need to pay for a registered agent in that state (see more details in <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/use-virtual-address-to-register-business">“How to Get a Virtual Mailing Address to Register Your Business”</a>) to actively participate in commerce in that state.LocationThe location of your business can set the tone and establish instant credibility for your new business. Whether you are looking for a local address in Columbus, OH or a premier address on Park Avenue in New York City, NY, or Market Street in San Francisco, CA, Earth Class Mail offers over <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses">80 virtual business addresses</a> that you can sign up to use for your business address. The location will act as your business address to register your business entity and the location where you will receive business postal mail. Earth Class Mail offers plans for new businesses to manage a way to digitize your postal business mail. For more details on the cost of Earth Class Mail’s plans, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">see here</a>.How to Manage Your Business Postal Mail and Checks:As your new business continues to grow, you will begin to receive postal mail from your customers (including checks), your bank, the government, and other important documents. With Earth Class Mail, we can help you scale your business with a suite of products that provide digital solutions to automate your company’s postal mail, checks, and important documents. From your mailbox to your inbox, Earth Class Mail helps you launch your new business with a digital solution for postal mail. <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/">See more here</a>.Payments with Stripe:Another decision that you will need to make is which service and method you will choose to accept payments from customers. We highly recommend <a href="https://stripe.com/">Stripe.com</a>. Stripe brings together everything that’s required to build websites and apps that accept payments and send payouts globally. Whether your new business is an e-commerce store or a subscription business, Stripe offers a complete stack for all your payment needs across channels. Stripe also protects your new business from fraud. With 135+ currencies and dozens of payment methods, Stripe makes it easy to launch new markets and add your customers’ preferred way of paying to increase conversion abroad. See more on Stripe’s pricing and plans <a href="https://stripe.com/pricing">here</a>.When starting a new business there are many decisions and costs that you will encounter on the way, such as setting up your business entity and choosing the right location, as well as how you manage your postal mail and your payments. <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/">Earth Class Mail</a> and <a href="https://stripe.com/">Stripe</a> provide easy solutions to help you get your new business up and running. We wish you the best and let us know how we can help you scale your business from the idea stage to a successfully operating venture!

Starting a new business is not for the faint of heart. To navigate the process effectively, you must be ready to face many questions, challenges, and risks

Knowing the Costs of Starting a Business | Earth Class Mail Blog

Knowing the Costs of Starting a Business

At Earth Class Mail, we believe people are the foundation of building a great business--and our team members are our greatest assets. Lucky for us, we have some impressive team members on our roster. It takes a lot of people with various skills to make the Earth Class Mail experience what it is.  From building data models to managing mobile app operations, we all work together to go beyond customer expectations.As we continue to innovate and grow, we wanted to introduce you to the newest “Mailers” (we’ll work on that nickname…). We asked our four newest team members a few questions, so you can get to know a handful of people who are behind-the-scenes making Earth Class Mail one of the top <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/what-is-a-virtual-mailbox">virtual mailbox</a> and <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/from-albuquerque-to-wilmington-we-have-a-virtual-address-in-every-u-s-state">virtual address</a> providers.Priyanshi Agrawal, Senior Data Analyst<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyanshi-agrawal/">Priyanshi</a> is on our Business Intelligence/Data Operations team at Earth Class Mail. In her new role, she will be contributing data-driven decision-making for the business, as well as optimizing and automating our current business processes. What are a few goals you&#39;d like to accomplish in life or while at ECM?I honestly love working in an entrepreneurial work culture, I want to get out of my comfort zone and try my hands on different areas of business allowing me to add several new skills to my existing skillset. I am an empathy-driven person so I definitely want to utilize this innate quality in me to understand the needs of society and our customers and empower them with optimum solutions to their problems utilizing data and science.What&#39;s your go-to productivity trick?<ol><li>Institute 50/10 rule throughout the day. Work without distraction with optimum focus for 50 minutes then take a 10-minute break</li><li>Following the <a href="https://www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/">Eisenhower Matrix</a> allows me to prioritize tasks and wisely manage my time.</li></ol>What are your hobbies outside of ECM?I like engaging in psychological thrillers, documentaries, or listening to Bollywood music while strolling around. I also like to keep myself updated with current affairs whether in technology or other by reading blogs, articles, seminars. My stress buster would be playing fun board games or having sound intellectual conversations with family and friends.Shawn Friel, Vice President of Growth<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpfriel/">Shawn</a> joined to lead our Growth team, where he is responsible for driving revenue through improving awareness, conversion, and retention. He oversees a large department that helps shape the Earth Class Mail experience for our customers.What are a few goals you&#39;d like to accomplish in life or while at ECM? I would like to compete and win in the Amazing Race.  If that doesn&#39;t happen, I would like to finish the World&#39;s Toughest Race.What&#39;s your go-to productivity trick?  When I hit a mental roadblock, exercising or taking a nap usually helps me clear my head and think through a problem.  What are your hobbies outside of ECM?  I enjoy spending time with my family, playing board games, and hiking or biking on trails. What&#39;s an interesting fact about yourself?  My wife and I adopted children through foster care internationally.What are three items you&#39;d take with you to a deserted island?  I typically try to avoid deserted islands.  If I found myself stranded on one, I would bring scuba gear, Wilson (a volleyball), and pizza.Tyler Brown, Cyber Security Intern<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-brown-284ba418b">Tyler</a> is a new member of our Infrastructure team at Earth Class Mail. He will be keeping us up to speed on (security) compliances to ensure <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/company/security">world-class security</a> to keep customer and employee data safe, secure, and adherent to requirements from HIPAA, payment card industry, and cloud operations. What are your hobbies outside of ECM?I’m an avid powerlifter and in the process of switching to Strong Man in hopes of competing locally. I also like to learn programming languages and study different vulnerability exploitation processes.What&#39;s an interesting fact about yourself? I never thought I would be interested in computers at all. I felt unchallenged in a lot of the other potential careers that I pursued. When I started my first introductory classes with computers, I noticed just how much there is to learn in the broad scope of Computer Science. Ever since then I&#39;ve been a computer nerd and have enjoyed tackling all the complex challenges I&#39;ve encountered.What are three items you&#39;d take with you to a deserted island?As a veteran, this is a hard question. Probably my woobie (military issue snuggle blanket), a large cup, and an axe or something to that effectVural Cifci, Vice President of New Business <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vuralcifci/">Vural</a> is now a part of our Emerging team, where he will be leading Earth Class Mail’s Mobile App operations and working to find new revenue streams. He will be leading the charge on creating a world-class mobile experience for our customers.What are a few goals you&#39;d like to accomplish in life or while at ECM?While at ECM, I want to build a mobile team and mobile-first products for ECM.What&#39;s your go-to productivity trick?Pick up the phone or send an instant message whenever I have a question.What are your hobbies outside of ECM?Football, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), and cleaning the house.What&#39;s an interesting fact about yourself? I have a mild case of OCD, I really don&#39;t like it when people touch my things, change the order or move things around, and/or not return as they find it in the first place.What are three items you&#39;d take with you to a deserted island?Absolutely nothing, if I&#39;m on a deserted island, it&#39;s for a reason.

At Earth Class Mail, we believe people are the foundation of building a great business--and our team members are our greatest assets.

At Earth Class Mail, we believe people are the foundation of building a great business--and our team members are our greatest assets. Lucky for us, we have some impressive team members on our roster. 

 Welcome to the Team: Earth Class Mail Employee Spotlight | Earth Class Mail

 Welcome to the Team: Earth Class Mail Employee Spotlight

It’s one thing to pack your bag for the average weekend getaway or a quick vacation across the country— but for many traveling full time is their everyday life, and deciding what to put in your bag can be a difficult decision.While traveling full time, you’ll be in and out of different cities, states, countries, or even climates. Clothes suitable for Calgary aren’t suitable for Mexico City. So what do you do? Earth Class Mail has you covered with tips and tricks on how and what to pack for this full-time traveling lifestyle. First Step: Understanding Economic Complexities First of all, traveling full time isn’t all piña coladas and toes in the sand — it’s a lot of hard work. Before you decide to take the leap into the digital nomad lifestyle there are a few things you’ll need to understand. First you’ll need to figure out how much money is needed to travel full time. Most people don’t have enough money saved to travel full time indefinitely. If that’s you, you’ll need a way to finance this new lifestyle. One suggestion is to work while you travel. figuring out what skills or career path you have that can allow you to work remotely will be key to solving your economic issues. We have another blog post about managing a business while being a full time traveler <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/this-founder-digital-nomad-reads-her-postal-mail-anywhere">here</a>. Second Step: Choosing the Right Luggage A solid piece of luggage is key when traveling full time. It’s something to put the majority of your belongings in, so finding something that is conducive to your travel style is essential. That’s either a heavy-duty, large rolling suitcase, or for most a large backpack. The most efficient backpack type for traveling full time is a luggage-entry style. A luggage-entry style of backpack fits the most and unzips all the way around to reveal everything in your pack. This allows for a more easy way to find your things when traveling through airports, hotels, and other various transportation hubs. Where to find one of these backpacks? We did our research and found the top-rated, luggage-entry style backpack. It’s the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Osprey-Farpoint-Travel-Backpack-Volcanic/dp/B014EBLI7Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1478113012&sr=1-1&keywords=osprey+farpoint+55&linkCode=sl1&tag=goonthro-20&linkId=6570f4dfe4639a5bff2bc14c06214580">Osprey Farpoint 55L back</a> rated 5/5 stars on Amazon with over 1,000 reviews. Third Step: How to Pack for Different Cities and Climates Traveling full time has its positives, but living out of a suitcase is difficult. It’s hard to lug around items of all kinds around the world for every type of climate, here’s a few tips on how to “hack” the system. Choose multi-purpose items. Go with basic solid colors, and always think about layers. When traveling from Alaska to Southern California, you’re going to need to change your style of dress to adapt to the different climate. For women, a long skirt is a great example that does well both in warm and cooler climates, but for the girls the real winner is leggings. They have so many uses, wear them under pants for warmth, or wear them by themselves for everyday wear or exercising! A comfy solution to a lot of climate-related clothing problems.For men, try buying shorts that double as swimming shorts. Look for pants that can either be zipped halfway off or can be rolled up to create a stylish ¾ length pant. Anything lightweight and able to dry quickly is vital for traveling full time, never pack for a specific scenario. This wastes space, and only works for one specific destination. Keep in mind you can always purchase items out and about as you see fit. You can donate or sell items you are finished using wherever you end up! Final Step: Get Your Pack on! These packing tips and tricks are just some of the many ways you can go about traveling full time, but you’re almost there! Hopefully we’ve helped steer you in the right direction. Always remember, every full-time traveler does something a little different. We recommend doing your own research and finding solutions to any problem that may arise BEFORE you hop on that plane, bus, or boat to wherever you desire. Whether you’re traveling around different cities in the same country, or traveling the globe — Earth Class Mail has you covered with all your basic tips and tricks to thrive in your new on-the-go lifestyle. Go out and seize your day! And from us, safe travels!

It’s one thing to pack your bag for the average weekend getaway or a quick vacation across the country— but for many traveling full time is their everyday life, and deciding what to put in your bag can be a difficult decision.

It’s one thing to pack your bag for the average weekend getaway or a quick vacation across the country — but for many traveling full time is their everyday life, and deciding what to put in your bag can be a difficult decision.

 Checklist for Traveling Full Time | Earth Class Mail Blog

 Checklist for Traveling Full-Time

For many reasons, traditional mailboxes aren’t right for everyone. Fortunately, many alternatives could fit your lifestyle or your business’ needs. One of the most common alternatives to a regular mailbox is a Post Office Box (PO Box). PO Boxes are quite popular because they help address some of the limitations of a physical mailbox, like security and privacy. In this post, we’ll explain how PO Boxes work, why people decide to rent them, and shed some light on how to get a PO Box without a physical address. <h3>What is a PO Box?</h3><a href="https://www.usps.com/manage/po-boxes.htm">USPS PO Boxes</a> are lockboxes housed at local post offices. PO Boxes are probably the most common alternative to traditional mailboxes, and individuals or businesses can use them. PO Boxes typically come in a range of sizes and are available at post offices. Access to PO Boxes in some post office locations is available 24/7 for convenience. <h3>Why do people sign up for PO Boxes?</h3>PO Boxes are generally considered to be a <a href="https://www.updater.com/moving-tips/how-much-is-a-po-box">more secure option</a> than traditional mailboxes. A common reason people sign up for mailboxes is to maintain their privacy because PO Boxes are tied to mailing addresses, as opposed to physical or residential addresses. PO Boxes offer people a way to receive postal mail without having to tell senders where they live. Additionally, unlike most mailboxes, PO Boxes are locked or require a code to access. This adds another layer of security than most mailboxes.People sign up for PO Boxes because they may not regularly have access to their physical mailbox. For example, people who travel for work or for extended periods of time are not necessarily able to keep up with their physical mailbox without the help of a friend or neighbor. This can pose other security risks, of course. <h3>The Limitations of a PO Box</h3>While a PO Box certainly has many benefits, there are some things you’ll want to consider before renting one. Most notably, if you are a frequent traveler or lead a nomadic life, keep in mind that you will still not be able to keep a close eye on what you receive. Of course, you can pair a personal PO Box with Informed Delivery and stay abreast of what you receive. Informed Delivery is a free service offered by the USPS that sends users pictures of the outside of incoming postal mail pieces. Informed Delivery keeps you posted about what pieces of postal mail you’re receiving. However, even if you know you are receiving something important or time-sensitive, you won’t be able to see your postal mail contents with Informed Delivery, much less act on it. If you frequently receive packages, a PO Box is probably not the best option for you. Major carriers like UPS and FedEx will not deliver packages to PO Boxes provided by USPS. Even if senders are not using these carriers, you may still run into issues because of the PO Box size. In that case, the post office will typically hold onto the package for you at the desk, but this can still be a nuisance if you plan to regularly receive packages.<h3>How Can I get a PO Box Without a Street Address?</h3>One of the biggest limitations of a USPS PO Box is that you must provide a permanent, physical address to be eligible for one. This poses an issue for nomadic people who don’t maintain a traditional, permanent residence. That being said, there are still options. If you don’t mind not being able to open or act on your postal mail remotely, you can research private PO Box services offered by companies instead of the USPS. Depending on your service provider, you may not need to have a permanent address to sign up. Of course, you’ll also want to look into any restrictions about packages for your service provider. However, there is one alternative to a traditional PO Box that doesn’t have the same restrictions and gives you more power to act on your postal mail. A <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">virtual mailbox</a> or virtual PO Box, like the ones we offer at Earth Class Mail, offer you much of the same security that a PO Box does. With a virtual mailbox, you will receive a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/virtual-business-address">virtual address</a>. This address is a real, physical address offered by the service provider and is not tied to where you live or work. Earth Class Mail accepts postal mail on behalf of its customers, scans the content, and uploads copies as PDFs available within their account, just like email. Earth Class Mail does not have carrier restrictions for packages, and we can receive and <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mail-forwarding">forward packages</a> or physical copies of your postal mail as needed. A virtual mailbox or PO Box will give you all the security benefits of a traditional PO Box while also offering added capabilities and convenience. <h3>Is a PO Box right for me? </h3>PO Boxes are a very common alternative to traditional mailboxes and for good reason. They offer enhanced security for your postal mail and depending on your location and needs, can be very convenient in terms of proximity. Overall, a traditional PO Box can certainly help address any security concerns you have about your current mailbox. However, they are not the best choice for everyone. If you plan to receive packages frequently or don’t want to wait until you are able to visit your mailbox to act on your postal mail, you should consider a virtual mailbox provider like Earth Class Mail. A virtual mailbox will offer the same security benefits as a PO Box, but without some of the limitations. <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/">Sign up today</a>.

For many reasons, traditional mailboxes aren’t right for everyone. Fortunately, many alternatives could fit your lifestyle or your business’ needs. One of the most common alternatives to a regular mailbox is a Post Office Box (PO Box). 

A traditional PO Box can certainly help address any security concerns you have about your current mailbox. However, you'll have to make some adjustments if you want a PO Box and you don't have a street address. Visit our blog to learn more.

How to Get a PO Box Without a Street Address I Earth Class Mail Blog

How to Get a PO Box Without a Street Address

Remote work has become the norm for many of us since the pandemic hit in March. 42% of the U.S. labor force is now working from home full-time, according to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). Compare this to 3.4% before the pandemic. At Earth Class Mail, we have been writing on remote work and what it means for businesses and individuals alike. Our virtual mailbox product helped <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/how-a-virtual-mailbox-helped-basecamp-become-fully-remote">Basecamp become entirely remote</a>, and we also offer our perspective on what&#39;s ahead in our blog <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/remote-work-after-covid">The Future of Remote Work after COVID-19 Pandemic</a>.In a part of our series on remote work, including <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/managing-a-team-remotely-at-earth-class-mail">Managing a Team Remotely at Earth Class Mail</a>, our VP of Marketing <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/murraygwen/">Gwen Murray</a> set out to find how other leaders handle the process. She specifically wanted to hear from other female leaders to learn what they are doing to collaborate, maintain morale, and successfully hit productivity goals. She created a series of online interview questions and received detailed and well-thought-out replies. These companies&#39; teams have self-identified as successfully navigating remote work. Read on to hear why.<h3>Searchspring&#39;s Marketing Team</h3><a href="https://searchspring.com/">Searchspring</a>&#39;s Marketing Team Leader is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannmmartin/">JoAnn Martin</a>. Searchspring is a sister company of Earth Class Mail that provides online brands with user-friendly search, merchandising, and analytics tools. JoAnn is an accomplished executive who is skillfully navigating remote work with her growing team. How does she do it, and what makes her confident that her management style is working?In her own words, JoAnn describes Searchspring&#39;s marketing team as &quot;always focused foremost on our revenue goal. We contribute to that goal by hitting our new pipeline KPI -- each person has specific targets depending on their function that they&#39;re working on hitting. We haven&#39;t changed our team goals because our business goals have not changed.&quot; She notes that success is a team effort and claims &quot;it would be silly to take credit for their ambition and dedication.&quot;<h4>So how does that ambition and dedication manifest itself at Searchspring? </h4>What JoAnn has been able to maintain is the &quot;quality&quot; of her team. &quot;Despite a challenging year, every team member has been engaged, productive, and creative.&quot;<h4>How do you connect with your team without the benefits of hallway conversations, walks to the local coffee shops, or scheduled Happy Hours?</h4>&quot;There are a couple of ways that I check in on my team to see how they&#39;re doing. I don&#39;t expect that they will always be doing well. You&#39;d have to be a little &#39;wheels off&#39; to have fully enjoyed 2020.&quot; Part of her team&#39;s practice is their daily Slack standup, in which the initial question is, &quot;How are you feeling?&quot; JoAnn says, &quot;It&#39;s a subtle question that is most often answered with a GIF or emoji but helps the rest of the team understand where you are without an awkward conversation. There are a lot of Nicholas Cage party parrots and Let&#39;s Go Taco emojis in that thread.&quot;&quot;The second [practice is] one on ones. Each manager has a weekly one on one with each team member (and me with mine) to talk about activity, but also about anything that they need to discuss.&quot; <h4>But what happens if you notice morale or productivity slipping? How and when do you choose to intervene? </h4>&quot;I look for productivity trends. Is someone who is typically reliable slipping? Is work quality diminishing? Are our results trending down? Those aren&#39;t unique to remote work, but they can bring more complexity when people are piling on anxiety about their children&#39;s school (or ability to teach them while working from home), plus spouse&#39;s job security or ill family members. Even the stress of a kid with a cold has been exponentially multiplied. So, if something like that comes up, it requires a lot more compassion and grace.&quot;When team members raise concerns, JoAnn jumps in to &quot;change things up.&quot; The team recently had a project start to go &quot;&#39;wheels off&#39; because of these factors, so we jumped in and talked about how we simplify and focus the project to be more effective. Did we have the right people involved? It came out better than it started.&quot;It sounds like JoAnn has the right set of tools in her toolkit to navigate remote work - flexibility, empathy, and a playful attitude, to name a few. <h3>ThankView&#39;s Client Outcomes Team</h3>The team at <a href="https://thankview.com/">ThankView</a>, a video outreach platform specializing in stewardship for their Education, Healthcare, and Non-Profit clients, is exceeding company goals and doing it remotely. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadyacollins/">Nadya Collins</a>, their Chief Customer Officer, has experienced a lot of transition since the pandemic hit. During that time, her team restructured, recruited (tripled!), and trained the Client Outcomes teams (Onboarding, Support, and Success), all while being remote.<h4>What are some of the &quot;KPI&#39;s&quot; you are using to gauge your success?</h4>&quot;The primary KPI that Client Outcomes is measured on, and frankly, the reason why ThankView decided to invest in the role that I was hired for, is Net Revenue Churn. Before I started in March, that number was between 15%-19%, and I was tasked to get that number below 10%. I was in the office for three days before the entire company moved to work from home. It was definitely hard to come in, observe, build the relationships, and build the trust to drive the change needed to achieve our goal while working remotely in an environment that previously was so built around in-person, fun, and after-work activities. But I honestly think it was the culture and the team that made it possible to align and execute on those changes remotely.&quot;<h4>Did you use any external partners to help maintain the momentum? </h4>Nadya brought in expert help from Simu.ly, who &quot;helped us build a Sales playbook, train the team, and assess the team afterward through simulation calls. However, if the team hadn&#39;t been so open-minded, empathetic, and motivated to change, we would never have been able to absorb the new way of working and drive that &gt;15% Net Revenue Churn down to the &lt;-1% it is today.&quot;What an incredible accomplishment! <h4>What new processes and tools have you tried?</h4>Nadya rolled out a &quot;life-changing tool&quot; called Front. Front is a multi-channel inbox that lets you assign tasks, follow, comment, and analyze efficiency. &quot;Especially with shared inboxes, tripling the team and needing to train and support new employees while on the job, Front has been an absolute game-changer. I honestly don&#39;t think I could ever go back to just using Gmail after this.&quot;<h4>What are you doing to keep up the pace and achieve high levels of morale and employee engagement?</h4>&quot;We try to come up with new and inventive ways to celebrate still and continue to invest in our culture. Fun is actually listed as one of our company&#39;s core values, and ThankView had had a Fun Committee since before I started, so it is something that is always top of mind for any of the leadership here.&quot;&quot;We have done virtual game nights, poker nights, happy hours, a Halloween themed event, and we also like to celebrate people&#39;s achievements and milestones through events and gifts. In addition to our normal benefits, the company has also implemented new perks such as reimbursement for work-from-home equipment (monitors, etc.), and monthly boxes by SnackNation.&quot;With her team, she also encourages time off in the form of a&quot; mental health day&quot; where any ThankView employee can take a free day off every two weeks. From Nadya&#39;s perspective, companies should keep in mind that it&#39;s not just about going remote... It&#39;s also about &quot;acknowledging that this past year has made life increasingly stressful with people potentially having to deal with isolation, sickness, loss of loved ones, and other events that are impacting people&#39;s mental health.&quot; She further explains, &quot;It&#39;s important to listen to your employees to understand how you can best support them.&quot;Nadya&#39;s team has made impressive progress over the past few months, exceeding her goals! Her ability to stay connected and embrace new ways of keeping employees motivated is inspiring. We want to be more like Nadya! Don&#39;t you? <h3>Merkitus’ Market Team</h3><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-laing-b69622110/">Charlotte Laings</a> is Head of Marketing at <a href="https://www.metrikus.io/">Merkitus,</a> a unique software platform that helps their customers understand and optimize their buildings&#39; environment, maintenance, usage, and health. Charlotte&#39;s team has been busy the past few months winning an award based on her team&#39;s digital marketing campaign and onboarding a new employee - all while being fully remote.<h4>In a few sentences, describe why you think you&#39;ve had success managing your team remotely? What are some of the &quot;KPI&#39;s&quot; you are using to gauge your success?</h4>&quot;In terms of performance, during the lockdown, we have done some of the best work we have ever done. We&#39;ve increased website views by 20% and tripled social media following.&quot; She attributes this to &quot;the closer bond the team has formed over this time.&quot; For Charlotte, keeping morale high has been about &quot;truly embracing the benefits of remote working. Making the most of flexible working hours and using the time saved from commuting to learn new things,&quot; keeping her team happy and productive.<h4>How has your communication style adapted to stay connected with your team? Have you tried any new tools or tactics?</h4>&quot;Not necessarily a &#39;productivity tool&#39; but calls are your best friend. Whether it&#39;s a video call or just a phone call, it&#39;s miles more effective for communicating one on one.&quot; For Charlotte, this takes people out of the routine of constant slacks and emails and helps maintain personal relationships amongst co-workers. <h4>What feedback have you received from your team that indicates working remotely is going well?</h4>Charlotte&#39;s Senior Content Manager provided the following input:&quot;We all know when deadlines are, and as long as we stick to them and are present for meetings, we can manage our own time within that space. As a writer, I can&#39;t always write on command, especially with big, research-led pieces, so this style of working suits me down to the ground: it allows me the room to think creatively and to work at my own pace. I think it&#39;s a testament to the way Charlotte runs the team that things rarely fall through the cracks, and no one is ever burnt out.&quot;<h3>Final Thoughts</h3>There is a lot to learn from others&#39; experiences during this time, and we encourage you to reach out to your network and find out what they are doing right (and maybe mistakes made along the way) while managing remote teams. We have learned some great tips from these women and think we&#39;ll be asking HR about SnackNation! At Earth Class Mail, we love seeing teams come together to support one another during what can be an isolating and challenging time, and we hope you also found value in the stories these leaders shared.

Remote work has become the norm for many of us since the pandemic hit in March. 42% of the U.S. labor force is now working from home full-time, according to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). Compare this to 3.4% before the

As we settle deeper into remote work for the foreseeable future, best practices and idea sharing can be very helpful. Hear from 3 women leaders winning at remote work.

Successfully Navigating Remote Work I Earth Class Mail

Successfully Navigating Remote Work

As a freelancer, you&#39;re running a one-person show. Unfortunately, that doesn&#39;t mean you only do one job. To land clients and gain their trust, you have to do many things big businesses do—but on a smaller scale.And you&#39;re competing against more freelancers than ever. In 2019,<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90411808/35-of-the-u-s-workforce-is-now-freelancing-10-million-more-than-5-years-ago"> 57 million people</a> in the United States did freelance work. Freelance job openings increased by<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/07/freelance-work-grows-amid-covid-19-math-stats-game-hiring-in-demand.html"> more than 25%</a> in the second quarter of 2020. Of course, you&#39;re not only competing against other freelancers. You&#39;re competing against companies that offer similar services. Creating a professional image shows potential clients that you&#39;re a legitimate operation.These tips will help you build a professional image so you&#39;ll have plenty of clients (and a full bank account).<h2>Tip #1 — Invest in your website</h2>Your website is the freelancer equivalent of a brick and mortar store. It&#39;s one of the primary ways potential clients will interact with you. You want a website that presents you in the best way possible. That means it should be easy to read, error-free, and clear about what you&#39;re offering and the value you bring your clients.There are thousands of professionals that can help you build a site. You can reach out to colleagues and friends for referrals. You can also find designers and copywriters on platforms like <a href="https://www.fiverr.com/">Fiverr</a>, <a href="https://www.upwork.com/">Upwork</a>, and <a href="https://99designs.com/">99Designs</a>. If your budget is too small for a designer, many tools make it easy to create a beautiful site on your own. Some of the most popular are <a href="https://www.wix.com/">Wix</a>, <a href="https://www.squarespace.com/">Squarespace</a>, and <a href="https://wordpress.com/">WordPress</a>.Wix and Squarespace have drag-and-drop templates, so they&#39;re easy for beginners. WordPress is an open-source platform with a lot of functionality. Keep in mind that this tool can have a larger learning curve if you&#39;re new to building your own website.Why build your own website and not just use a platform like Upwork? Plenty of folks do quite well on freelance services marketplaces. But a<a href="https://thefreelancehustle.com/the-complete-guide-to-setting-up-your-freelancer-website/"> professional website</a> can set you apart and help you attract higher-paying clients. It&#39;s a great way to pull together everything you&#39;re building. A word about social networks: Think of your social profiles as an extension of your website and brand. They can be a useful way to connect with potential clients. But they may not be a necessity, especially depending on your industry. If you can&#39;t manage that much online activity and aren&#39;t in an industry that necessitates social presence, focus on your website. <h3>Tip #2 — Highlight testimonials</h3>Collecting and sharing customer testimonials is one of the best ways to<a href="https://blog.boonle.com/look-professional-freelancer/"> establish credibility</a> as a freelancer. It&#39;s called social proof, and it&#39;s not just a way to share nice things about yourself. There&#39;s actually science behind it. Psychological studies show that people prefer to follow the majority than step out on their own.<a href="https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-proof/"> Social proof</a> capitalizes on that tendency.A potential client who sees that others have enjoyed your service believes they will too. So how do you<a href="https://neilpatel.com/blog/customer-testimonials/"> get testimonials</a>?At the end of a project, ask the client for feedback while the work is still fresh in their mind. If they agree, get their permission to use their name and image on your website. Put the testimonial in a prominent spot on your site so that all your visitors will see what a great choice you are. <h3>Tip #3 — Sign up for a virtual address</h3>Even if you run an online business, you&#39;re going to need a mailing address. Why? Because the bank will want it when you open an account. Your website domain host will want it when you create a website. You&#39;ll need to put it on the bottom of marketing emails to follow anti-SPAM laws. You&#39;ll need one if you choose to<a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/use-virtual-address-to-register-business/"> register your business</a> as a limited liability company (LLC). And you may have a client that wants to pay by check. Or that wants to know they&#39;re dealing with a legitimate business—one with a mailing address.Of course, you could use your residential address. That is not the best idea for two reasons:  <ul><li>Keeping your personal and business addresses separate helps maintain your privacy. The address you use for your business may become public, especially if you register with the secretary of state. You probably don&#39;t want a client showing up on your doorstep.</li><li>Maintaining separate personal and business affairs sends a message to government entities. You&#39;re running a real business. So if you ever get audited or sued, your personal assets will be better protected.</li></ul>Getting a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/virtual-business-address">virtual address</a> presents your clients with a professional image. It also helps you <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/virtual-address-privacy-and-security">maintain your privacy</a> and keeps your personal and business affairs separate.Plus, if you <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">receive mail</a> at your virtual address, you have access to it through an online dashboard. Instead of handling paper, you can spend more time finding clients.<h3>Tip #4 — Modernize your phone</h3>Keeping your personal and business phone numbers separate is important for the same reasons.Of course, the possibilities for disruption to your personal life are even greater. Putting boundaries around the time you spend at work is hard enough when you work from home. If clients start calling your personal phone on the weekends, your work-life balance gets pretty tenuous.A business phone number allows some separation between home and office. Plus, with a separate business number, you can create a professional, outgoing message. Keep that silly singing voicemail on your personal number. So what if you want a business number but don&#39;t want to get a whole separate phone line?<a href="https://voice.google.com/u/0/about">Google Voice</a> and <a href="https://www.openphone.co/">OpenPhone</a> are two popular options. Signing up for one of these allows you to use your personal phone but keep your number private. Clients see a professional image, and you get to limit business calls to business hours.<h3>Tip #5 — Invest in an invoice system</h3>If you&#39;re regularly invoicing clients, you may be ready to invest in a system to level up your invoices. Sure, you can ask a client to Venmo you, but that doesn&#39;t project a professional image.If you don&#39;t already have a system like <a href="https://www.freshbooks.com/">FreshBooks</a> or <a href="https://www.waveapps.com/">Wave</a>, consider signing up for one. Some invoicing tools, like Wave, are free. They may charge bank transfer fees but don&#39;t require a monthly subscription.Many invoicing platforms also provide time-keeping tools or integrate with other time-keeping apps. This integration can be useful if billable hours are part of your business model. Some also integrate with larger accounting software systems so you can keep everything in one place. If you&#39;re only invoicing one client every few months, you may not be ready for the investment. But using an invoicing platform will make your invoices look more professional. Clients may see you as more trustworthy. Professional invoicing can also help you get paid faster. Many include automated reminders for unpaid invoices.<h3>Conclusion</h3>Freelancing can be an exciting way to put on your entrepreneurial hat without starting a full-blown company. It can also be a serious way to make a solid living. Even though you don&#39;t have employees and an office, you&#39;re still a legitimate operation. Presenting that message to your clients will help you build the brand and the bank account you want.These tips will help you maintain a professional image, so your clients know they&#39;re working with a legitimate freelance business.

As a freelancer, you're running a one-person show. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean you only do one job. To land clients and gain their trust, you have to do many things big businesses do—but on a smaller scale.

Freelancers are faced with the challenge of maintaining a professional image while often being a one-person show. Read our tips for how to maintain a professional image as a freelancer.

Freelancer Tips for Maintaining a Professional Image I Earth Class Mail Blog

Freelancer Tips for Maintaining a Professional Image

If you are starting or running a business, you’re probably no stranger to paperwork. From signing contracts to signing up for all kinds of services, there’s a lot to juggle. You may not have anticipated asking yourself, do I need a physical address or a mailing address?If you’re like most people, you may not even be completely sure what the difference is between a mailing address and a physical address. However, the difference between a physical address and a mailing address is important for business owners and entrepreneurs to know. For certain business practices or paperwork, business owners will require certain types of addresses. Mailing addresses differ from physical addresses in a few important ways. Knowing the difference can help you know what type of address you need for your business. <h3>What is a mailing address?</h3>A <a href="https://www.rovva.com/en-gb/blog/startups/difference-between-mailing-and-physical-address">mailing address</a> is an address that senders can use to send you postal mail. For many people and businesses, this is your home or office address. However, for some people or businesses, a mailing address is not their home or office address. A common example of a mailing address is a P.O. box. A P.O. box is a mailing address but not a physical address. Using a P.O. box, senders can make sure postal mail gets to you. However, your location remains private. <h3>What is a physical address?</h3>A <a href="https://www.serviceobjects.com/blog/mailing-address-vs-physical-address-whats-the-difference/">physical address</a>, on the other hand, describes a location. If you receive postal mail at your home, your residential address is a physical address and a mailing address. However, some people or businesses maintain a physical address separate from a mailing address. While a physical address can be a mailing address, that’s not always the case. If your company operates out of a physical office, then your office is the physical address. However, if your company does not require a physical space to run, you might not have immediate access to a physical address. Fortunately, there are options. <h3>Do I need a physical address for my business? </h3>If you are an aspiring business owner, you probably know whether or not you need a physical office to operate your business already. For example, if you need a physical office for your business, let’s say you’re planning to open a brick-and-mortar boutique, you know the answer to this question upfront. If you require a physical office for your business, you don’t need to worry about finding an additional physical address because your office takes care of it. Of course, you can always save time and effort from the postal mail services that come with a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/virtual-business-address">virtual address</a> or mailbox.However, for certain types of businesses, the answer to this question can be a bit murky. Remember that even if you don’t need an office, you might still need a physical address. For example, if you operate a consulting business and work with clients entirely over Zoom or Google Hangouts, you don’t need an office to operate your business. However, if you set up your business as a limited liability corporation (LLC), limited partnership, or a limited liability partnership, you will need to have a <a href="https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/do-you-need-a-physical-address-for-your-business">registered agent in the state your business is registered in.</a> LegalZoom defines a <a href="https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/what-is-a-registered-agent">registered agent</a> as an “individual or entity which has been designated by the LLC to receive service of process notices, government correspondence, and compliance-related documents on behalf of the LLC.”If you don’t have an office space, you will need to have a physical address for the registered agent to use. However, that doesn’t mean that you need to run out and find an office to rent. For businesses that operate remotely, a registered agent used in conjunction with a virtual address can help solve this issue. <h3>Another type of physical address: virtual addresses  </h3>Despite what it sounds like, a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/virtual-business-address">virtual address</a> is a real, physical address that can accept postal mail. However, they’re called virtual addresses because you don’t need to be physically present to receive postal mail there.But what does this have to do with you and your business? For entrepreneurs and small business owners, virtual addresses offer several benefits. For LLCs, a virtual address fulfills the requirement of a physical address for your registered agent. Also, virtual addresses are a popular choice for registering a business at the state or federal level. A virtual address offers a shortcut that can save you time and money for businesses that don’t need a physical building or office to operate. Virtual addresses can also accept postal mail and packages on your behalf. This will come in handy if you need to receive postal mail for your business and don’t want to share a residential address with customers or partners.If you expect to receive postal mail related to your business often, you may consider going one step further and signing up for a virtual mailbox. A virtual mailbox comes with a virtual address and offers postal mail scanning services that allow you to access your postal mail like email. Virtual address services typically offer things like postal mail scanning, forwarding, or storage on demand. However, these costs can add up. If you know you will be regularly receiving postal mail, it is likely more cost-effective to sign up for a virtual mailbox than a virtual address alone. <h3>Signing up for a Virtual Address </h3>Whether you know you’re going to require a physical address for a registered agent or just want to keep your residential address private, a virtual address can be a viable solution for you. To choose your virtual address, you’ll want to know where you plan to register your business or what type of address you want to publicize. For example, if you’re looking for a premium address, you might consider signing up for an address in a major city on a street like <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses/ny/new-york">Park Avenue</a>. Of course, where you plan to register your business will be a determining factor as well. Once you’ve made up your mind about where your virtual address should be, you can sign up for a location of your choosing. <h3>Summary </h3>Knowing the difference between a physical and mailing address can help you be better prepared to make important decisions about your business. Most importantly, you want to keep in mind that you may be required to have a physical address depending on your business type, even if you don’t need a storefront or office to run. If you find yourself needing a physical address but don’t want or need to invest in office space, consider a virtual address or virtual mailbox. These solutions can not only solve your immediate needs, but they’ll also be flexible, so you never have to worry about what happens if you move to a new location.<a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">Sign up for a virtual address or mailbox today with Earth Class Mail</a>.

If you are starting or running a business, you’re probably no stranger to paperwork. From signing contracts to signing up for all kinds of services, there’s a lot to juggle.

For certain business practices or paperwork, business owners will require certain types of addresses.  Mailing addresses differ from physical addresses in a few important ways. Knowing the difference can help you know what type of address you need for your business. 

What is the difference between a physical address and a mailing address? I Earth Class Mail

What is the difference between a physical address and a mailing address?

For entrepreneurs, scrappiness is a must. Easy-to-use services to get their business up and running can help save time and money - things company founders cannot waste.<h3>Stripe Atlas + Earth Class Mail </h3>To help new companies successfully launch their business, Earth Class Mail teamed up with the folks at <a href="https://stripe.com/atlas">Stripe Atlas</a>. The partnership began in February of this year, and since then, we have seen dozens of mutual customers benefit from our combined offering.Stripe Atlas is a great option for companies who need assistance incorporating their company but don’t want to go the DIY route. For just $500, Stripe will incorporate your company, arrange the registered agent, create your federal EIN, and even open a bank account for you. It doesn’t get any easier than that! According to Tyler Tate, a two-time company founder and current employee at Instacart, “If I were starting a new company today, I would use Stripe Atlas in a heartbeat.” Tyler writes about his journey as a founder and lessons learned in this “<a href="https://medium.com/startup-grind/the-startup-cheat-sheet-ca7fca624da5">Startup Cheat-Sheet</a>” full of tips and tricks for entrepreneurs.<h3>A Natural Partnership </h3>Stripe Atlas and Earth Class Mail form a natural partnership as incorporating a company requires submitting an address visible to the public. Apart from providing an address, Earth Class Mail’s virtual mailbox service digitizes postal mail and gives you a dedicated address. This offers added efficiencies. Say you decide to move offices. It can be time-consuming to update your business address with state and federal governments, banks, etc. Getting a dedicated address that doesn’t physically tie you to a specific location right at the beginning removes the hassle. It also frees your team from organizing and dealing with postal mail - because managing postal mail will be as easy as checking your email. You can also <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/from-albuquerque-to-wilmington-we-have-a-virtual-address-in-every-u-s-state">choose marquee addresses</a> in cities such as New York and San Fransisco to give your business an even more prestigious image. <h3>Finding Earth Class Mail in the Stripe Atlas Onboarding Experience</h3>Companies looking to incorporate their business via Stripe Atlas will find the Earth Class Mail offering as part of their onboarding flow. David Engle, CEO of <a href="https://www.uprightlabs.com/">Upright Labs</a>, found Earth Class Mail when establishing his Stripe Atlas account. He is a joint customer and finds Earth Class Mail’s service to be reliable and efficient. It has also allowed his team “to go fully remote,” as many teams need help within 2020. By combining Stripe Atlas’ service to incorporate his company, and Earth Class Mail’s virtual address product, he has had a complete, hassle-free experience. David also mentioned enjoying “how everything was handled for me” by our team of world-class onboarding specialists.<h3>Focus on Running Your Business</h3>At Earth Class Mail, we strive to make life easier for our customers by removing the hassle of postal mail to focus on more important things - like running their business. Stripe Atlas also strives to make its customers’ lives easier and do so in an efficient, intuitive, and helpful way. Our partnership has been a natural fit!We are proud to partner with a company like Stripe Atlas and know that we are benefitting the lives of entrepreneurs worldwide. According to David Engle, he is “looking forward to being a user for many years,” and we at Earth Class Mail look forward to continuing to provide a great service that exceeds his expectations!

For entrepreneurs, scrappiness is a must. Easy-to-use services to get their business up and running can help save time and money - things company founders cannot waste.

Learn more about how Earth Class Mail teamed up with Stripe Atlas to help startups and small businesses get off the ground.

Built for Entrepreneurs: Stripe Atlas + Earth Class Mail I Earth Class Mail I Blog

Built for Entrepreneurs: Stripe Atlas + Earth Class Mail 

In 2009, a Xerox study showed that American businesses spend <a href="https://www.xerox.com/assets/motion/corporate/pages/programs/information-overload/pdf/Xerox-white-paper-3-25.pdf">$460 billion</a> in salaries just to manage paper-driven information overload. That&#39;s right, billions, and for every dollar spent on printing documents, companies incur another $6 in handling and distributing that paper. The study suggests that paper is one of the leading causes of overwhelm or information overload in corporations. That&#39;s a lot of money spent on paper, that&#39;s making employees more overwhelmed than anything. The digital transformation era has made remote work and paperless initiatives more convenient and accessible to a wide variety of industries. Surely there&#39;s a better way to manage the nearly <a href="https://www.roadrunnerwm.com/blog/office-worker-waste-generation#:~:text=The%20average%20office%20worker%20generates%20about%202%20pounds%20worth%20of,the%20total%20waste%20in%20offices.">10,000 sheets</a> of copy paper the average office worker uses every year: going paperless.Going paperless can seem daunting because you&#39;ll have to figure out what to do with everything from <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailroom">postal mail</a> to <a href="https://www.shoeboxed.com/pricing/">receipits</a>. However, it&#39;s not impossible and, more importantly, it&#39;s worth it. Going paperless can reduce information overload but also provide other environmental benefits. Following these steps can help you down your path to becoming a paperless company.<h3>
Step 1: Be a Leader </h3>One of the reasons some companies don&#39;t go paperless is because there&#39;s no one on the team pushing for a change. Essentially, many businesses are ready and willing to go paperless, but nobody is leading the way or providing the tools needed to start. Any individual can step up and lead the way to become a more efficient office. Approached the right way, your team will be grateful for the environmental benefits and the overall working experience! No matter what level you&#39;re at, you can set goals for your company as a whole that encourages an easy transition to an electronic document management system. As a business leader, the important part about going paperless is that you lead by example. If you have your own filing cabinet overflowing with documents, consider uploading them to cloud-based software. Set goals for yourself and take ownership of those goals. If your employees see you leading the way, they will be more likely to follow suit, and you will drive home the importance of what going paperless really means. <h3>Step 2: Normalize Going Paperless into your Company&#39;s Culture</h3>No matter how strong the paperless initiative may seem, your company won&#39;t complete the transition unless employees are on board. Show them the ways going paperless could benefit them. Demonstrate the time and energy they&#39;ll save in a paperless office. Specifically, they&#39;ll be able to view, read, and share documents and files from their computer without printing more paper. They just have to see that going paperless will make their jobs easier.<h3>Step 3: Organize Paper Files and Documents</h3>Now that key leaders are taking the initiative, and you have strong backing from your employees, the tougher side of going paperless begins — organization. Getting organized is a key component of your plan to going paperless. If your team cannot organize digital files, you might find yourself inheriting a paper system&#39;s stress. <ul><li>Create a unified organization system for your documents by name, year, department, etc.</li><li>Divide the heavy lifting between employees or departments and divvy up documents into categories for the organization. </li><li>Determine an expiration date for all documents; anything older than the decided date (think: auditing) can be found and shredded. This will help weed out unneeded space in cloud storage and help keep you more up-to-date in the process.</li><li>Set a goal for when each employee or department should have their files organized and ready to enter your chosen document management software. </li><li>Follow up until your goal is met. Once paper documents are organized, you can prepare to take your business to paperless!</li></ul><h3>Step 4: Choose the Necessary Document Management Software</h3>With a newly organized system of documents, you&#39;re going to need to find the right digital document management system. The choices for finding the right system for you and your company are endless, so you need to research and compare your options before making a decision. Determine the needs of your company and your monthly budget.To aid in your search for the best option, we recommend sitting down and making a list of your business&#39;s functionality needs the most out of a document management system. These typically include data backup, amount of storage, number of users allowed on the account, audit logs, and automation. After selecting your software provider, set up training to allow for a streamlined understanding of the software cross-departmentally. The important thing is that all employees who handle, file, and need access to information in the cloud will be able to do so digitally and confidently. With all that under your belt, you can finally begin the transition from paper-driven to paperless!<h3>Step 5: Reap the Benefits</h3>Once you finish the steps for going paperless, much less effort will be needed to stay paperless. Printing, labeling, and filing will be a thing of the past!As you begin digitizing your files, you&#39;ll start to see the number of benefits in the office. Your employees, customers, and business as a whole will benefit from making the switch to becoming a paperless company. Your company will notice the time and energy spent doing the cumbersome tasks of filing and searching manually will be shifted into being more productive as a whole. By following the steps outlined above, you can manage your company&#39;s paper problems and feel good about becoming a more efficient, paperless office!

In 2009, a Xerox study showed that American businesses spend $460 billion in salaries just to manage paper-driven information overload. That's right, billions, and for every dollar spent on printing documents, companies incur another 

Becoming a paperless company is possible, but it requires some work. Keep reading for 5 tips for achieving a paperless company.

5 Simple Steps to Help Achieve a Paperless Company I Earth Class Mail 

5 Simple Steps to Help Achieve a Paperless Company

In the United States, as in most countries, when registering a business, you will need to provide a business address. Whether you decide to establish your business as a sole proprietorship, a c-corporation, or an LLC, you&#39;ll need to decide what business address to use to register your business and/or display on your site and marketing materials. <h3>Do I Need to Have a Physical Office to Register My Business?</h3>In the past, it was a foregone conclusion that having a business meant renting or owning office space. A lot of that has changed, especially in 2020. Today, remote work is the status quo. Companies work with independent contractors or employees worldwide, and freelancing is a viable business model. Whether you&#39;re working from home by choice or otherwise, the point is – a physical office is not always necessary. The money you would typically allocate to an office lease could be put to much better use; you could invest it back into your business, buy new equipment or software, or channel it into marketing. You will need a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/virtual-business-address">business address</a> to set up your company. However, using your personal address might not be the best idea. Fortunately, having a physical office space and using your home address aren&#39;t your only options. <h3>What is A Virtual Address? </h3>A virtual address, also known as a virtual mailing address, is a subscription service that allows you to use a real physical address for mailing or business registration purposes. These addresses are virtual in the sense that you don&#39;t need to be physically present to use them, but they are real street addresses. Digital nomads, ex-pats, and frequent travelers often rely on virtual addresses to sustain their lifestyle. However, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/use-virtual-address-to-register-business">registering a business</a> is one of the most popular reasons for securing a virtual address, as it comes with many benefits. <h3>Why People Choose Virtual Addresses Over Personal Address</h3>There are many reasons to choose a virtual business address and even more compelling reasons not to use your home address. <ul><li>Privacy. When your home address is your business address, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/virtual-address-privacy-and-security">it becomes public domain</a>. Anybody so inclined can search your location through the Secretary of State&#39;s website. It&#39;s on your business cards, website, and all your marketing collateral. Your suppliers, vendors, and customers know exactly where you live. Should you have to deal with anybody who is disgruntled in any way, you may be putting yourself and your loved ones at risk. </li></ul><ul><li>Zoning laws and homeowner&#39;s associations. Some regions have laws against operating a business in a residential area. You might risk having an issue with your condo or homeowner&#39;s association, landlord, or your neighbors if you&#39;re running a home-based business unlawfully. <a href="https://businesstown.com/articles/is-it-legal-to-run-my-business-out-of-my-home/">Local zoning</a> might be an issue, too, depending on where you live. Be sure to check the rules before you move forward. </li></ul><ul><li>Liability. If you&#39;re registering your business as an LLC and using your home address as the primary business address, you might face difficulties if you are ever sued. For example, a debtor has the right to seize business assets—but not personal assets. However, if your business address is your home address, neither you nor your property is protected.</li></ul><h3>Benefits of A Virtual Business Address</h3>On the plus side, a virtual address gives you access to addresses in just about every major city in the country. New York, Houston, San Francisco – it&#39;s all possible! Even if you live in Texas, you can have a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses/ny/new-york">Park Avenue</a> address for your business. Plus, if you ever move, you won&#39;t have to change your address. If you&#39;re a globetrotter, you can be anywhere in the world and still access your postal mail. Scalability is another huge benefit. If you&#39;re growing your business and entering new markets, you can set up local virtual addresses in those regions to build trust and capture new customers. Plus, a virtual address enhances your business identity, as your address is a critical component of your professional image and reputation. As for your business mail, virtual address providers like <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/read-your-postal-mail-from-anywhere-with-new-plans">Earth Class Mail</a> offer postal mail services as well as mail forwarding, shredding, and digitization. Earth Class Mail receives postal mail on your behalf and <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mail-scanning">scans the contents</a>. You will then receive a digital, sharable copy of your postal mail in your inbox. The technicians that process your mail are Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) certified, so even if you operate in a high-compliance industry, you can be confident that your postal mail is secure. <h3>How Do I Know What Virtual Address To Sign Up For? </h3>Before you choose a virtual address, there are a few things to consider. Even though you can get an address anywhere, the address you choose should be in the state you register your business in. Many states have rules around what you can and cannot use as a business address. Some do not allow PO boxes, so you&#39;ll need to know that before you make a decision. When you&#39;re ready to register your LLC at the Secretary of State&#39;s office or the SBA, make some inquiries about what&#39;s allowed. <h3>How To Register Your Business With A Virtual Address </h3>Before you register your business, you&#39;ll need a business address. First, choose the virtual business address plan that suits your needs. Here are a few questions you might ponder before you decide:<ul><li>How much business mail do you expect to receive? </li><li>Will you receive payments by check, and will they come to that address? </li><li>Do you have other employees? And if so, will they receive mail as well?</li><li>Will you require physical or digital mail forwarding?</li><li>Do you receive large amounts of paper, such as contracts?</li></ul>With the answers to these questions in mind, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">choose the plan</a> that suits you best. We offer Mailbox plans suitable for solo operations and small organizations and Mailroom plans for larger businesses and enterprises. Next, you&#39;ll choose a virtual address in the state where you&#39;re registering your business. You will need to fill out a <a href="https://about.usps.com/forms/ps1583.pdf">USPS 1583</a> Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent. This authorizes Earth Class Mail to collect and handle your business mail. You will need to have the form notarized and provide two pieces of identification. If you have any trouble with this, reach out today – we can help!Once you have secured your virtual business address, it&#39;s time to register your business on your local secretary of state&#39;s website or <a href="https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/pick-your-business-location">through the SBA</a>. Then, it&#39;s official! Your business is registered. You can check out our guide to registering a business for more detailed information and tips on this process. <h3>Final Thoughts</h3>There are several factors to consider when choosing an address for your LLC. Registering a new business can be a complex and confusing process, but once your business address is established, you&#39;re free to move on to bigger and better things. If you&#39;re ready to sign up for a virtual address, you can <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses">check out our list of locations to choose from</a>. We have an address in every state!

In the United States, as in most countries, when registering a business, you will need to provide a business address. Whether you decide to establish your business as a sole proprietorship, a c-corporation, or an LLC, you'll need to decide 

You no longer need a physical office for your business. With a virtual address, you can choose register your business in the state of your choice. Learn more about what you should consider when choosing an address for your LLC. 

What Address Should I Use for My LLC? I Earth Class Mail 

What Address Should I Use for My LLC? 

”I want to travel and work from anywhere in the world. What&#39;s holding me down?&quot; Let&#39;s be honest. During the past months of COVID-19, if we haven&#39;t thought this ourselves, we know someone who has. According to the RV Industry Association, the pandemic caused a surge in RV sales, reporting &quot;the highest July (2020) shipment numbers in four decades,&quot; up 56.6 percent from July 2019.But how do you make that dream into a reality? I spoke with full-time RVers, Tom and Cindy, who are currently enjoying Phoenix, AZ&#39;s lovely sunny weather, to get their tips for living and working in an RV. Cindy and Tom had been romanticizing the RV life for about a year. Like others, COVID-19 switched the gears on their timeline and sped up their jump to live on the road. &quot;Living in an RV was a way to also protect ourselves. We are in control if/when we come in contact with others,&quot; says Tom. They purchased an RV and sold their house in June 2020 and hit the road...and they haven&#39;t looked back since.<h3>Learn to live with less</h3>The average size of an RV is 240 to 270 square feet. That&#39;s not a lot of space for your items. When you shift from a house or apartment to an RV, consider downsizing your material items. Make a list of things you use daily, such as essential kitchen items.Consider renting a storage unit for seasonal items, such as heavy coats and recreational equipment. Tom and Cindy recommend renting a storage unit in a city you will come back to, whether it&#39;s somewhere where your immediate family members are or where your heart is drawn.<h3>Utilize apps </h3>Apps will be your friend on the road. Whether you&#39;re researching RV park/campground reviews or connecting to friends and family through social media, there&#39;s an app to make your travels easier.With full-time RV living, gas will be a crucial line of the budget. <a href="https://www.gasbuddy.com/">GasBuddy</a> is a free travel and navigation app that helps you find the cheapest gas in your respective area or a route you are taking. Also, make sure to check out <a href="https://www.campendium.com/">Campendium</a>. It&#39;s a review site for campgrounds and will help you find your next perfect spot.Next up: you&#39;ll need a reliable weather app to show your area&#39;s radar. Along with basic local and national weather, <a href="http://www.weatherbug.com/">WeatherBug</a> also alerts you when lightning is near and when to seek shelter, which is valuable with a large RV home.<h3>Prepare for little cell service </h3>A challenge many face when living on the road is finding a way to stay connected.If you are working from your RV, cell service on the road can be unreliable. But luckily, there are plenty of full-service campgrounds around the United States that are equipped with WiFi and other luxuries. Another viable option is investing in a cell signal booster.If you already have a job that&#39;s allowing remote work, great! If not, <a href="https://workamper.com/">Workamper</a> is a job board for people who work out of their RV. The site has a wide variety of jobs to explore.<h3>Research, research, research </h3>A lot of research should happen before making the switch to living and working in an RV full-time. There are many things to consider with life on the road, some you might not have thought of yourself, like filing taxes. Be sure to research various state&#39;s tax laws, &quot;...some states tax on particular things such as social security, whereas others do not.&quot; Dig deep in state laws to determine what state works best for your needs when choosing where to file taxes.In addition, research some RVing Clubs that best suit you. Having a support system of adventurers like yourself to reach out to for tips and recommendations will help you learn the tricks of the trade. Some great options are <a href="https://harvesthosts.com/">Harvest Host</a>, <a href="https://www.escapees.com/">Escapees</a>, <a href="https://www.fmca.com/">Family Motorcoach Association</a>, and so many more to choose from based on your needs! <h3>Unexpected challenges</h3>Living on the road means your house is on wheels. Bumps on the road are not your friend. RVs can break down, or a mishap can occur with the toilet system in the middle of nowhere. Expect the worst, hope for the best, so prepare for long journeys in remote areas with appropriate handy tools, such as a back-up generator, batteries, and some tools from your shed.Tom and Cindy shared that not having a physical address was an issue they did not expect. Having a PO Box is not ideal when traveling across the country, and neither is rerouting one&#39;s mail to an immediate family&#39;s residences. A solution Tom and Cindy are considering is signing up for a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/what-is-a-virtual-mailbox">virtual mailbox</a>. After referrals and discussions with family, they agree that having the availability to access their postal mail from anywhere, online or from their phone, would be incredibly helpful.<h3>Summary </h3>Preparing for a journey of a lifetime will be long, stressful, and possibly overwhelming at times. But will all be worth it once it begins. Make sure you do your research, download your apps, purchase necessary tools, and get ready for the time of your life!&quot;The United States is a marvelous make-up of people and terrain. Sometimes, it&#39;s even overwhelming to describe to [our friends and family] what you see and experience on the road. It&#39;s amazing.&quot;

”I want to travel and work from anywhere in the world. What's holding me down?" Let's be honest. During the past months of COVID-19, if we haven't thought this ourselves, if we haven't thought this ourselves, we know someone who has. According to the RV In

Working and living in an RV comes with its quirks. We sat down with some full-time RVers to share their wisdom about life in an RV.

Tips for Living and Working in an RV Full-Time I Earth Class Mail

Tips for Living and Working in a RV Full-Time

Founded in 1999 as 37signals, <a href="https://basecamp.com/">Basecamp</a> offers a project management solution that helps remote teams of all shapes and sizes get organized and keep their work on track. Basecamp&#39;s team is also responsible for inventing the very popular programming framework <a href="https://rubyonrails.org/">Ruby on Rails</a> and email platform <a href="https://m.signalvnoise.com/how-basecamp-became-a-100-remote-company/">HEY</a>. With 50+ employees spanning 32 cities, Basecamp is now a <a href="https://m.signalvnoise.com/how-basecamp-became-a-100-remote-company/">fully remote company</a>, but that wasn&#39;t always the case. <h3>Challenges</h3>Basecamp maintained a small office presence in the Chicago area since 2010, but the office was nonessential with such a distributed team. Navid Afshar, the Senior Administrative Assistant, shared, &quot;Basecamp had been a huge promoter of remote work for two decades basically, so having an office was a nice to have. It got to the point where it was just not worth the cost. Then the pandemic hit and it sort of pushed us [to become completely remote].&quot;While the company was already well on its way to becoming fully remote, there was one challenge left to solve: postal mail. Managing postal mail was one of Navid&#39;s responsibilities, and in his words, Basecamp was &quot;trying to find a way to make [his] job 100% remote like everybody else&#39;s.&quot; While Navid could do almost all of his work remotely, postal mail was the last piece of the puzzle. Navid said, &quot;[Mail] was the only thing tying me to Chicago.&quot; To help solve their postal mail problem, Basecamp explored a few options. Initially, they experimented with a PO Box and a UPS Mailbox. However, neither of these options quite met their needs. In terms of the PO Box option, Navid shared, &quot;everything would go to the PO Box, and I would have to check it weekly. That was fine, but not ideal.&quot; In comparison, the UPS Mailbox seemed like a better option. Navid said, &quot;I set it up so that all of the mail would be forwarded to my home. But they don&#39;t sort through the mail. They don&#39;t throw away what we don&#39;t need. They don&#39;t scan anything. I would end up getting a huge package every week of mostly [unwanted mail]. I would also end up having to scan stuff at home or at a coworking space and into our Basecamp [account].&quot;While a PO Box or UPS Mailbox would allow Basecamp to shut down its office, the fundamental problem was still the same: postal mail was tied to a physical location. Tying postal mail to one location could present challenges further down the line if Navid moved or went on an extended vacation. There had to be a better solution.<h3>Solution</h3>Fortunately, Basecamp was able to find a better option: <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailroom">Earth Class Mail</a>. After learning about our products on Twitter, Navid did his homework. One of Navid’s biggest priorities was finding a solution that would handle the company’s private and confidential documents appropriately. Navid shared, &quot;We&#39;ll receive tax statements [in the mail], employee W2s, stuff that has our owner&#39;s tax ID on it. All of the important [documents come] through the mail. One of the biggest reservations [we had] before speaking to anybody at Earth Class Mail was around the privacy and security of our documents.&quot; Fortunately, we were able to meet Basecamp&#39;s needs in terms of privacy and features. The team signed up for our Business MailRoom offering in July 2020. So far, Basecamp uses features like <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mail-scanning">mail scanning</a>, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mail-forwarding">mail forwarding</a>, and <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/check-deposit">check deposi</a>t. Basecamp is also getting paid faster with Check Deposit, and it&#39;s quickly become one of their favorite features. &quot;The check deposit feature has been easy and wonderful. I just click &#39;deposit&#39; [and the money is there in a couple of days]. It&#39;s been smooth, very happy with that feature.&quot; Other services Basecamp is using are mail sorting and forwarding. In particular, mail sorting has helped reduce postal mail clutter. Navid shared that with mail sorting, &quot;all of the [unwanted mail] doesn&#39;t even reach my eyeballs. That&#39;s huge.&quot;<h3>Results</h3>Accessing their postal mail online has allowed Basecamp to become fully remote, save time, and become even more productive. Navid shared that the time he spends on postal mail has at least been cut in half. Before Earth Class Mail, Navid was spending about 30 minutes to an hour dealing with postal mail every week, and that number has since dropped down to 15 minutes every week. Before signing up, dealing with postal mail was a chore. Navid shared that every week looked like, &quot;Picking up the mail, opening the mail, scanning the mail, destroying the mail, and sorting through it.” Now dealing with mail is much faster. Navid shares it&#39;s just a matter of &quot;looking at it, downloading it, and saving it to our internal archives.&quot; Moreover, the amount of unwanted mail he has to deal with has reduced drastically. Before Earth Class Mail, the company was regularly receiving six copies of a single catalog.In just a few short months, Basecamp has been able to access postal mail online, deposit checks remotely, and forward important documents. Most importantly, Basecamp has reached its original goal and has now become a 100% remote company.

Founded in 1999 as 37signals, Basecamp offers a project management solution that helps remote teams of all shapes and sizes get organized and keep their work on track. Basecamp's team is also responsible for inventing the very popular programming framewor

When Basecamp wanted to become a fully remote company, they had to figure out what to do about their postal mail. Keep reading to find out how a virtual mailbox helped them become 100% remote.

How a Virtual Mailbox Helped Basecamp Go Fully Remote | Earth Class Mail

How a Virtual Mailbox Helped Basecamp Become Fully Remote 

Getting a new address is exciting, and with Earth Class Mail, getting a new address for your business or yourself is as easy as a click of the mouse. A virtual address establishes your presence in a new location. Whether you’re looking to set up with a marquee address like Park Ave in New York City or Market Street in San Francisco, or you’re looking to get set up with a local presence, such as Peachtree Street in Atlanta (newly launched!), Earth Class Mail has you covered. A virtual address gives you all the benefits of a professional location without being physically at the location. With <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses">over 80 addresses</a> in every U.S. state, you will find a virtual address that works for you. Your virtual address acts as the perfect solution for receiving, routing, and forwarding your mail, checks, and packages. Additionally, if you simply need an address to register your business, a virtual address is the best option.<h3>Our Network of Virtual Addresses, Now Including Atlanta</h3>We are pleased to offer <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses">over 80 addresses</a>, including a range of street addresses and P.O. boxes, in every U.S. state. You will find addresses from the far reaches of <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses/ak/anchorage">Anchorage, Alaska</a>, to <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses/hi/honolulu">Honolulu, Hawaii</a>, to <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses/co/denver">Denver, Colorado</a>, and <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses/tx/dallas">Dallas, Texas</a>, or in <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses/ga/atlanta">Atlanta, Georgia</a>, our newest address. Once you’ve decided on the right virtual address for your use case, your next step is to <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">sign up</a> for an Earth Class Mail plan.<h3>How Virtual Addresses Work</h3>Once you’ve signed up for an Earth Class Mail plan, selected your virtual address, filled out your <a href="https://help.earthclassmail.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004392987-What-types-of-identification-can-I-use-for-my-USPS-1583-form-">1583 form</a>, and got it notarized (with a tool such as <a href="https://www.notarize.com/">Notarize.com</a>), you will receive your new mailing address with a unique PMB number. Next, you will notify and share your new address and PMB number with your contacts. Once we start receiving your postal mail at the address, we route it to our secure facilities for mail scanning, check depositing*, and mail forwarding. You will receive digital scans, the option to forward your mail to you, or deposit the checks into your desired bank account. We also offer secure shredding at our facilities and integration with your preferred software, including bill.com, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Quickbooks Online.<h3>Why Use A Virtual Address</h3>A virtual address gives you a lot of flexibility. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur, road warrior, remote company, or digital nomad — Earth Class Mail is the ideal solution to keep a consistent U.S. mailing address for your business or personal endeavors.With about 50% of all small businesses in the United States being home-based businesses, there are many benefits to using a virtual address when registering your business. As we mentioned in our blog post, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/use-virtual-address-to-register-business">How to Get a Virtual Mailing Address to Register Your Business</a>, there are three important reasons to use a virtual address when registering a business: <ol><li>You don’t want to entangle your business and personal affairs. </li><li>The address you use to register your business is public. </li><li>You may be prohibited from operating a home-based business at your home address. </li></ol>Getting a virtual address for your business protects your private information and keeps your business and personal affair separate. Getting a virtual address is easy. Sign-up for an Earth Class Mail plan, select from over 80 addresses, and begin your new virtual address presence today.<a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">Start here </a>to choose your plan and virtual address.*Check deposit requires an additional fee. <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/check-deposit">See more details here</a>.

Getting a new address is exciting, and with Earth Class Mail, getting a new address for your business or yourself is as easy as a click of the mouse. A virtual address establishes your presence in a new location. 

We are excited to announce a new virtual address location in Atlanta. Learn more about how a virtual address can help you separate your personal and professional life.

Announcing an Atlanta Virtual Address I Earth Class Mail

From Albuquerque to Wilmington, We Have A Virtual Address in Every U.S. State  (...and now, Atlanta!)

In the past few years, the number of people choosing the freelance lifestyle has steadily increased. In fact, <a href="https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/freelance-stats/#:~:text=By%20the%20year%202027%2C%20freelancers,by%20the%20end%20of%202020!">Website Planet</a> reported that 35% of Americans were freelancing in 2019, compared to 7% in 2013. Projections suggest that this number will only continue to grow, with an estimated 50.9% of working Americans becoming freelancers by 2027. <h3>Freelancers have unique needs</h3>As this segment of the workforce continues to grow, it’s important to note that freelancers face some issues that traditional 9-5 workers do not. Without a conventional employer to handle the overhead of operating as a business, freelancers have to invest in many resources and tools. Freelancers have to think of everything from where they will work to the mechanics of how they will get paid. Moreover, because they are their business, freelancers may have to work extra hard to separate their personal and professional lives. These aspects of the freelancer lifestyle lead to additional expenses and paperwork. Several tools can make a freelancer’s life easier, like invoicing software or building a website with a Content Management System (CMS). However, one often overlooked product that can make freelancers’ lives easier is a virtual mailbox service. <h3>What is a virtual mailbox?</h3>A virtual mailbox service will digitize your postal mail so that you can access it online, 24/7, from any device. When you sign up for a virtual mailbox, you will go through an onboarding process to officially give the company the right to receive postal mail on your behalf. Then, your virtual mailbox provider will begin receiving your postal mail and digitizing it for you to access it like email. Your virtual mailbox subscription will also come with a virtual address that you can share with clients or other people who may send you postal mail. Virtual addresses are real, physical addresses, but the word virtual is used to clarify that a company or person does not actually reside at that address. When people send you postal mail, they will need to use your virtual address for it to be digitized by your postal mail provider.  <h3>How does a virtual mailbox work? </h3>At a basic level, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/how-virtual-mail-works">this is how a virtual mailbox operates</a>:<ul><li>You sign up for a plan that fits your needs. When signing up for a virtual mailbox plan, you’ll want to keep in mind things like whether or not you need to choose your virtual address, how many people need access to your postal mail, and more. We offer three different <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">virtual mailbox plans</a> to suit different needs for individuals, freelancers, or small businesses. Medium to large companies can choose from mailroom plans that allow for larger quantities of mail. </li><li>USPS routes your postal mail to a secure facility where it is processed and digitized. At Earth Class Mail, we log, organize, and store your postal mail with the help of our Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (<a href="https://www.hipaatraining.com/">HIPAA</a>) certified technicians. </li><li>The virtual address service scans the postal mail and uploads it to a cloud-based service giving you the freedom to access it whenever from wherever. Earth Class Mail uploads your postal mail to our secure cloud as a high-resolution PDF document with a searchable text feature, where you can easily view it in your account.</li></ul>A virtual mailbox service should provide you with efficiency, flexibility, and, most importantly, security while addressing your postal mail needs.<h3>Why should freelancers consider a virtual mailbox? </h3>Virtual mailboxes are popular with businesses, digital nomads, ex-pats, and location-independent people. There are a few reasons why freelancers can benefit from a virtual mailbox or virtual address. Many of these stem from aspects of the freelancer lifestyle and the need to operate as a legitimate business.  Here are a few reasons freelancers should consider investing in a virtual mailbox:<ol><li>Separate your personal and professional address. Anyone can benefit from having a virtual mailbox, but keeping your residential address private is critical for privacy and security for independent business owners and freelancers. However, you likely still need an address to share with clients or to <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/use-virtual-address-to-register-business">register as an LLC</a>. Many small business owners, startups, or freelancers utilize their personal address as their business address. However, this approach can easily entangle your private and confidential affairs and require you to publicize your residential address when you otherwise wouldn’t. With a virtual address, you can register your business or share an address with clients without broadcasting your private information. </li><li>Get paid faster with Check Deposit. While some find it hard to believe, many companies still use checks to pay invoices. In fact, we cash anywhere between $8 million to $20 million a week for our customers. As a freelancer, you’ll work with clients who use various payment methods, including checks. With an Earth Class Mail account, you can sign up for automated Check Deposit and get paid faster.</li><li>Make document retention easy with integrations. Earth Class Mail makes it easy to integrate your postal mail with apps you know and love, such as Dropbox and Google Drive - all from your favorite device, with the touch of a button. With a virtual mailbox, keeping a digital record of all necessary documents is easy. </li><li>Save time and manage your postal mail like email. With a virtual mailbox, you have full control of your postal mail. You have the option to share, shred, or connect your postal mail. The best virtual mail services allow you to do what you want when you want</li><li>Flexibility. Freelancers aren’t typically tied to specific offices or locations. Whether you’re on the go or traveling for work or pleasure - a virtual mailbox provides you convenient access to your postal mail whenever and wherever you are. Ideally, a virtual mailbox should have the ability to handle packages as well as your postal mail. At Earth Class Mail, we allow you to store your incoming packages until you’re ready to receive them at your private address – submit a request when you decide. We’ll send your packages directly to your residential address. </li></ol><h3>Summary </h3>Freelancers have their work cut out for them. Between operating as a business of their own and keeping clients happy, there’s a lot to do. Of the many ways freelancers can ease some of this burden, a virtual mailbox is one of the most unique. Not only does a virtual mailbox make it easier for freelancers to separate their personal and professional lives, but it also can enhance their efficiency with features like automated check deposit and document storage integrations.

In the past few years, the number of people choosing the freelance lifestyle has steadily increased. In fact, Website Planet reported that 35% of Americans were freelancing in 2019, compared to 7% in 2013. Projections suggest that this number will  

Freelancers face a number of unique challenges, including separating their professional presence from their personal life. Read more about how a virtual mailbox can help freelancers face this challenge.

Why Freelancers Should Consider A Virtual Mailbox

When starting a business, there are a lot of questions to answer. Especially if you are a first-time entrepreneur, you may have never thought about many of the things you&#39;ll need in order to get your business off the ground. One of the most important steps you may need to take to legitimize your business in the legal sense is to register it. <h3>What Does it Mean to Register My Business? </h3>Registering your business is the process of making it a <a href="https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/register-your-business">legal entity</a> in the eyes of the federal or state government. Many companies opt only to register with state agencies. It&#39;s important to note that owners can register a business in multiple states and are sometimes required to do so. Depending on your business&#39; structure and location, you must follow different requirements to register it. <h4>Business registration vs. Business name registration </h4>Some businesses choose only to register their name with state and local governments. Still, it&#39;s important to remember that registering your business and registering its name are not the same. If you register your business with the state, you don&#39;t typically need to <a href="https://www.thebalancesmb.com/register-business-name-3974576#:~:text=Business%20registration%20means%20sending%20in,by%20completing%20Articles%20of%20Incorporation.&text=As%20part%20of%20the%20incorporation,will%20automatically%20register%20the%20name.">register its name</a> because registering the company as a whole accomplishes that. When you submit your business name for registration, you ensure that the state&#39;s registry of legal names includes your company. <a href="https://www.thebalancesmb.com/">The Balance</a> recommends taking this step if you plan to run a sole proprietorship or have decided on a business name but are still figuring out more details about its structure.  <h3>Do I Need to Register My Business?</h3>Before you worry too much about registering your business, it&#39;s essential to know whether or not you are required to do so. In terms of federal registration, the Small Business Administration (SBA) advises that most companies don&#39;t need to register outside of filing for a national tax ID. However, there are different implications for state registration. Generally speaking, LLCs, corporations, partnerships, and nonprofits will most likely need to register in any states they conduct business. The SBA defines conducting business as: <ul><li>Having a physical location or presence in a state</li><li>Traveling regularly to a state for client work</li><li>Substantial revenue coming from a state </li><li>Having employees who work in a particular state </li></ul>If your business is an LLC, corporation, partnership, or nonprofit and meets the above criteria in a particular state, you will likely need to register there.<h3>What Are the Benefits of Registering My Business?</h3>Even if you aren&#39;t required to register your business at the federal or state level, there are many benefits in doing so. When applicable, registering your business at the national level can offer benefits like trademark protection or tax-exempt status. At the state level, registering your business can protect you from personal liability while also offering legal and tax benefits. There are also many<a href="https://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-registering-business-532.html#:~:text=A%20business%20registration%20allows%20you,taxes%20on%20the%20employee's%20behalf."> services</a> that you may need or seek as your business scales that will be easier to obtain if your business is registered. For example, finance-related tasks like getting a bank account or loan for your business are more accessible if your business is registered. To hire full-time employees to help you grow your business, you will need to register your business.<h3>What Do I Need to Register My Business? </h3>In preparation for registering your business, you will need to have a few things ready.<ul><li>You will need a <a href="https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/what-is-a-registered-agent">registered agent</a>. Registered agents can receive official paperwork on behalf of your company, but they must be located within the state of your choosing. In some cases, a registered agent is an employee. However, many companies choose to work with external service providers, as well. </li><li>Be ready to pay registration fees. There are fees associated with registering your business, and these can vary based on location and type of business. Fortunately, the SBA reports that registering your business typically costs under $300. </li><li>Prepare the proper documentation needed for your business structure. Depending on the form of your business, you will need various types of documentation. For example, LLCs require <a href="https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/articles-of-incorporation-what-are-articles-of-incorporation">articles of incorporation</a> and an <a href="https://www.lawdepot.com/contracts/llc-operating-agreement/?loc=US">LLC operating agreement</a>. Visit the <a href="https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/register-your-business">SBA</a> to determine what kinds of documents you must prepare for your business structure.  </li><li>Determine any (state or federal) permits needed to operate your business legally. It&#39;s possible that your business may need permits to operate. For example, some counties require companies to register their names. To determine any applicable local requirements, you will need to investigate local government sites. At the federal level, you may need special permits if your industry is regulated by a federal agency. </li><li>Be mindful of ongoing requirements. When registering your business, make sure you determine whether or not you will need to keep any documentation or reports up to date. These requirements can vary by state or business type.  </li></ul><h3>Where Should I Register My Business? </h3>As covered earlier, where you are required to register a business depends mainly on where you conduct business. That covers everything from where workers live, to where your revenue comes from. However, companies who either have no physical location, nor regularly conduct out-of-state business, may be able to <a href="https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/starting-up-which-state-to-file-your-llc-in">start an LLC in a state they don&#39;t live in</a>. Typically, businesses take this route to take advantage of the incentives that the state provides. For example, many companies choose to form LLCs in Delaware because associated fees are lower, and the state does not tax out-of-state income. Moreover, should you enter into any disputes for your business, you can take advantage of Delaware&#39;s <a href="https://courts.delaware.gov/chancery/">Court of Chancery</a>. This court is dedicated to hearing only business-related cases and is the only one of its kind in the U.S.  Other popular states for forming an LLC include Nevada and Wyoming. Neither of these states charges business income or franchise taxes. Nevada has relatively lax measures for remaining compliant with the law and offers some unique privacy benefits. For example, the state does not require operating agreements and &quot;allows LLC owners to remain anonymous in public filings.&quot; On the other hand, Wyoming offers the option of a &quot;lifetime proxy.&quot; An owner&#39;s identity can remain private by leveraging a lifetime proxy to share their perspective. Many companies also opt for <a href="https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/which-state-should-you-file-your-llc-in">registering in their home state</a> even if it&#39;s not required. Of course, proximity likely makes this option the most convenient one for most. Registering your business in your home state can save you from paying the fees associated with a foreign LLC or a registered agent. Overall, where you register your business can have many implications for the fees that you pay or the legal benefits you receive. For many small companies, this matter is quickly resolved by where they primarily conduct business. However, for LLCs who have more leeway in terms of registering or setting up their business, it&#39;s worth considering how you can optimize for factors like tax benefits or privacy.<h3>How Do I Register My Business? </h3>Once you have followed the above steps to prepare and understand the appropriate requirements, you are ready to register your business.First, you will request an Employer Identification Number (<a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/employer-id-numbers">EIN</a>) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). An EIN is also referred to as a Federal Tax Number. If you are unsure whether or not you need an EIN, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/do-you-need-an-ein">this IRS questionnaire</a> can help you determine the answer. Any businesses that employ people or that operate as corporations or partnerships are required to obtain an EIN. Applying for an EIN is free and can be done <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-to-apply-for-an-ein">online, by mail, or by fax</a>.Next, you will need to register your business with state or federal agencies. Depending on the state you are registering in, you may be able to complete registration online. However, some states only allow registration in-person or by mail. To confirm the requirements for the state or states of your choosing, you will need to visit each state&#39;s government website. Typically, you will need to register with the Secretary of State&#39;s office, a Business Bureau, or a Business Agency. While there is a lot to consider when registering your business, closing the loop on this process is not difficult if you&#39;ve done the upfront work required to understand all of the steps you’ll need to take.  <h3>Summary </h3>Registering your business is one of the most important steps you can take to legitimize your operations. It&#39;s also important to note that you must tailor business registration based on your location, business structure, and how you operate. For instance, some businesses need to only register at the state level and not the federal level. Other companies may also need to register at the local level, depending on city or country-specific requirements. While many businesses may not be required to register, there are several benefits to doing so. Most notably, registered companies enjoy tax-benefits and liability protection. However, registering a business can also make other critical operational tasks more straightforward. For example, getting a loan or a business bank account is much easier as a registered business.To prepare to register your business, be sure to conduct the necessary research on the best path forward for your business and prepare the proper documentation. Conducting research upfront will make registering your business a breeze! In need of a virtual address to register your business? Learn more about our business address plan.

When starting a business, there are a lot of questions to answer. Especially if you are a first-time entrepreneur, you may have never thought about many of the things you'll need in order to get your business off the ground. 

There's a lot to do when you start a business: from deciding your business structure to registering your business. In particular, registering your business can spur a lot of questions. We put together a guide for small business owners and entrepeneurs.

Registering Your Business: A Guide for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs 

It’s been going on eight months now since the team at <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/">Earth Class Mail</a> has been working from home. With a team of five, spanning multiple time zones and locations, even before workplaces established COVID work from home policies, keeping everyone on the same page wasn’t always easy. But now, with an almost fully-remote workforce across the organization, the need for transparency, clarity, and consistency is even greater. To say that my team has relied on technology to get us through this experience would be putting it lightly… Without video conferencing, instant messaging, and good old-fashioned email, I can’t imagine how we would function. Traditional water cooler talk is out, but collaboration can still take place, in spite of the obstacles working remotely can create.As most of us settle into working remotely for the long term, <a href="https://businessfacilities.com/2020/06/even-after-covid-19-execs-expect-remote-work-trend-to-continue/">at least longer than we had initially thought</a>, we can’t afford a band-aid approach. It takes sustainable methods and consistent practices to keep our teams engaged and productive. <h3>Tools and Check-ins </h3>I’ve managed remote employees in the past, but to have the entire company working away from the office has forced a shift in how I operate, how we communicate as colleagues, and how we stay on-track without the benefit of face-to-face interactions. New tools and routine check-ins have taken the place of more casual encounters.As part of my research on different mechanisms and techniques to keep employees engaged, I’ve been talking to colleagues in my network at the <a href="https://www.revenuecollective.com/">Revenue Collective</a> to hear what they have to say about this new style of work.Heather Teicher, VP of Marketing at Loqate (a GBG solution) shared her experience in managing her remote team. &quot;It&#39;s been very important to maintain personal connections with members of my team. We&#39;ve been &quot;at home&quot; in the NYC/NJ area since the end of February and had to get creative in how we keep things fun, while working really hard. We chat about what&#39;s really going on in our lives on weekly 1:1 calls (non-video) and share random things that make us happy over text, like freshly baked cookies. We&#39;ve sent each other flowers for each other&#39;s birthdays and random surprises for jobs well done. Anything to keep each other smiling and sane.&quot; These seemingly small gestures can go a long way in maintaining team unity and connectivity.Intentionally setting aside time to check-in with my team on non-work related matters has been important for my team as well. Virtual Happy Hours with “get to know you” games have been a great way to maintain social connection. It’s also been important to check-in and see how the team is feeling, just how they are doing. Happiness scores in our new HR platform <a href="https://lattice.com/">Lattice</a> have helped drive some of those conversations.Watching for signs of employee burnout are also important. At Earth Class Mail, we have an unlimited PTO policy, and I encourage my team to take time away from work to recharge and unplug. Lattice also provides the opportunity to ask deeper questions and monitor happiness scores over time. This helps shine light on employees who might benefit from some time away from their desk, screens, and home office.Tate Gibson, Head of Marketing at AccessPay identified that “video call fatigue is real. I think our brains are working harder to read emotion and understand each other through pixels and headphones.” To combat that, her team has camera-optional daily stand-up in the mornings to check in on everyone&#39;s mood and priorities for the day. These meetings help remind her group that they are “on a team, not on an island” and allows her to follow-up with team members directly if she senses that anyone is feeling overwhelmed or “off.”<h3>Management Tips</h3>The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted some best practices in an article called <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/battling-pandemic-blues-how-managers-can-rally-the-troops-11602460801?st=25c0vf13vhioljr&reflink=article_imessage_share">Battling Pandemic Blues: How Managers Can Rally the Troops</a>. The article does a fantastic job of offering insights into managing teams from a distance. It features tips and tricks that I’ve began implementing with my own team such as:<ol><li>Rethink meetings: Make sure every Zoom call has a purpose. If a meeting isn’t working, adjust the content, cut the time in half, or scrap it altogether.</li><li>Analyze what happened: Conduct after-event reviews of your team’s successes and failures, Prof. Hinds says, so no one’s in the dark about what happened, and employees can apply lessons learned to the next project.</li><li>Give people a challenge: Form a special team to examine new opportunities or give workers time to tackle a tough problem. Learning helps people grow, feel engaged and be productive, Ms. Bates says.</li><li>Keep tabs on your employees: Set reminders on your calendar to check in with folks. Standing meetings can further clutter your team’s calendar, so adjust your outreach as you go based on who needs what. And really listen to what they share.</li><li>Offer perspective: Remind your team that this is just a moment in time. Things might be hard, but this stretch won’t last forever. </li></ol><h3>Summary</h3>While working remotely has proved challenging, it has also been rewarding in many ways. My team members who were already remote get an equal amount of face-time among the checkerboard during our video calls. The situation has pushed me as a leader to be open to new approaches, new technology, and new ways of connecting. Celebrating our achievements has taken on new importance, and making sure everyone feels connected is a top priority. The team at Earth Class Mail continues to be collaborative, open, and hard-working - all reasons that motivated me to join the company in the first place.

It’s been going on eight months now since the team at Earth Class Mail has been working from home. With a team of five, spanning multiple time zones and locations, even before workplaces established COVID work from home policies, keeping everyone on the

With the pandemic, teams around the country have been pushed into working remotely. For leaders managing a team remotely can present unique challenges. Read more about how our VP of Marketing has tackled managing her team remotely.

Managing a Team Remotely at Earth Class Mail 

It’s happened to all of us. You walk out to your mailbox, open the door, and pull out a thick, folded wad of unwanted mail. You can already see the coupons, credit card offers, and advertisements, so you go straight to the garbage can and start tossing. If you’re lucky, you’ll end up with one or two bits of mail that you’re actually interested in opening. On average, every American receives <a href="https://www.sightline.org/2007/12/31/unwanted-mail-box-stopping-paper-waste/">41 lbs. of unwanted mail per year</a>. That’s 41 lbs. of unwanted mail for every member of your household. The average person spends <a href="https://www.lob.com/blog/7-direct-mail-marketing-stats-that-may-surprise-you#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20USPS%2C%20Americans,mail%20on%20any%20given%20occasion.">more than a year and a half of their life</a> going through mail.You didn’t want the mail or ask for it and you’re not interested in the offer, so where does it go? Right into the trash or recycling can, along with the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/how-to-stop-unwanted-mail-and-save-trees--and-your-sanity/2018/02/12/6000e4c4-05d9-11e8-b48c-b07fea957bd5_story.html">15,000 lbs. of unwanted mail</a> everyone else throws away every day. Maybe unsurprisingly, nearly <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/17/AR2008011701793.html">half of all of those pieces of unwanted mail are never even opened</a>.Putting a stop to the amount of unwanted mail you receive can give you more time in the day to do the things that are important to you, and of course, reduce clutter.<h3>Benefits of Reducing Your Unwanted Postal Mail</h3>The first thing you’ll notice when you eliminate your unwanted mail is that your trips to the mailbox are much less disappointing. The mail you receive is there for a reason and you actually want to read it. You’ll see a significant reduction in clutter as those little piles of mail you’re “going to look at later” start to disappear.The less obvious but even more important result, is that your household’s carbon footprint will be dramatically reduced. An average family of four who eliminates their unwanted mail waste will <a href="https://www.sightline.org/2007/12/31/unwanted-mail-box-stopping-paper-waste/">reduce toxic emissions by more than 572 lbs. per year</a>.You might have wondered before whether the postal mail you’re throwing out could pose a risk to the security of your identity and personal information. The U.S. Postal Service’s 2016 Annual Report stated there were more than <a href="https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/radDocs/2016%2520AR%2520FINAL_web.pdf">60,000 cases of mail theft</a> in a single year, many involving attempted or convicted identity theft. So reducing the amount of unwanted mail you receive, such as unsolicited credit card offers, could also help you safeguard your identity. <h3>Why are you receiving unwanted mail?</h3>There could be a number of reasons you are receiving unwanted mail. As you shop or go about your everyday activities, companies receive access to your personal information and add it to their records. Over time, the number of mailing lists or catalogs you didn’t consciously opt into just seems to grow and grow. That translates into more unwanted mail. You may also find yourself receiving unwanted mail from companies or institutions you’ve never interacted with. That’s because some companies will obtain your address, name, and other information from public records, applications, directories, and sometimes even the USPS itself. Then, they use your information for huge direct mail marketing campaigns for their clients. This combination of a digital footprint and direct mail marketing campaigns are part of why that pile of unwanted mail only seems to grow. <h3>How to Stop Unwanted Mail from Individual Senders</h3>Learning where unwanted mail is coming from can help you put a dent in the amount you receive. If you know where the items are coming from, you can opt out and register for the postal mail equivalent of a “Do Not Call” list. However, direct mail companies cannot guarantee that your name will be removed from all lists, so alternative options should be considered. The following are options for removing your information from specific lists and types of lists. Keep reading to find out how you can get rid of unwanted postal mail all at once.<h3>Stop Unwanted Postal Mail Offers</h3>You can opt-out of certain types of mail like <a href="https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t">insurance and credit offers for five years or forever</a>, according to the <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0262-stopping-unsolicited-mail-phone-calls-and-email">Federal Trade Commission</a>. You can also write into each of the three major credit bureaus with a request to opt-out of postal mail offers.<h4>Experian</h4>Opt-OutPO Box 919Allen, TX 75013<h4>TransUnion</h4>Name Removal OptionPO Box 505Woodlyn, PA 19094<h4>Equifax, Inc.</h4>OptionsPO Box 740123Atlanta, GA 30374<h4>
Opt-Out of Direct Mail</h4>To remove your name from thousands of direct mail lists at once, you can submit a request to be placed on the <a href="https://www.directmail.com/mail_preference/">National Do Not Mail List</a>. You’ll have to update your status on this list every six months through Direct Mail.<h4>Opt-Out of Data &amp; Marketing Association</h4>The Data &amp; Marketing Association, a direct mail company that provides your consumer information to countless marketers, will allow you to opt-out for a fee of $2 or $3, depending on whether you <a href="https://dmachoice.thedma.org/register.php">register online</a> or by mail.<h4>DMAchoice</h4>Data &amp; Marketing AssociationPO Box 643Carmel, NY 10512Neither DMA nor Direct Mail can guarantee your name will be removed from all lists. <h4>Stop Receiving Catalogs</h4>If you’re receiving catalogs, your information is probably on a list with <a href="https://www.epsilonabacus.com/get-in-touch/consumer-data-deletion-requests/">Abacus</a>, an association of publishing companies. You can have yourself removed from the list via <a href="mailto:optout@abacus-us.com">email</a> or by writing to their physical address.<h4>Abacus, Inc.</h4>PO Box 1478Broomfield, CO 80038Alternatively, you can request a free service from <a href="https://www.catalogchoice.org/">Catalog Choice</a> to cancel specific catalogs and other postal mail. Not all catalogs and postal mail can be canceled through Catalog Choice, so you’ll have to search their database.<h4>Stop Receiving Subscriptions</h4>If you’re subscribed to a magazine or organization, you can make a request directly to the sender to cancel your subscription and remove your name from their registry. Unfortunately, many of these senders sell or share your information with other lists, so you’ll have to make one or more requests that they do not share your information, and then start the process of opting out of any lists they’ve already added your name to.<h4>Stop Donation Requests</h4>When you donate to a charity, your name and information are typically added to their mailing list and are <a href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=244">often sold to or exchanged with other lists</a>. To prevent this, include a note with all donations asking that your information not be shared. You can also request that the organization not send you further donation requests or that they reduce the frequency of the requests. If you have no interest in continuing to donate to the organization, you can request that your name be removed from the mailing list and not shared. <h4>“Dear Current Resident”</h4>If you receive mail that’s addressed to “resident” or “occupant,” you can return the promotion to the sender if the envelope is marked with:<ul><li>Return/forwarding/address/change service requested</li><li>First Class Mail</li></ul>Just write “return to sender” on the envelope and place it in the outgoing mail.<h4>Supplemental Opt-Outs</h4>Many organizations sell your information to direct mail marketers. If you’re attempting to clear your mailbox using the opt-out method, include opt-out requests to <a href="http://www.skulocal.com/contact-us/">SKUlocal</a> and <a href="http://www.redplum.com/tools/redplum-postal-addremove.html">RetailMeNot</a>. If you continue to receive marketing mail, contact senders individually to be taken off each list.<h4>Stop Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes</h4>Publishers Clearing House is one of the most common direct mail marketers and has been since the 50s. Opt-out of this mailing list with their <a href="https://pch.custhelp.com/app/ask_mailing">online form</a>, <a href="mailto:privacychoices@pchmail.com">by email</a>, or by writing to their physical address.<h4>Consumer &amp; Privacy Affairs</h4>Publishers Clearing House300 Jericho Quadrangle #300Jericho, NY 11753<h4>Do Not Mail Registry</h4>The <a href="https://newdream.org/">Center for a New American Dream</a> is an organization that campaigns for a Do Not Mail service in the United States. So far, <a href="https://www.sightline.org/2007/12/31/unwanted-mail-box-stopping-paper-waste/">14 states have considered implementing registries and fines</a> for companies who ignore them. There are paid services available to help you remove your name from individual lists, but none can guarantee complete removal or even that the mailers will follow through with the removals.<h3>How to Stop Unwanted Mail in the Future</h3>Once you’ve gotten the bulk of your bulk mail eliminated, make sure it stays that way by contacting any organization that still has permission to use your information and ask that they do not share it with anyone without your consent. This includes banks, utility companies, insurance companies, credit card companies, and more. Any time you provide your information when ordering or registering a product, subscribing to a publication or service, entering a contest, etc., make a request that your information be kept private. This can be done by simply writing “no mailing lists” next to your name.<h3>Stop Unwanted Mail With a Virtual Mailbox</h3>Another way to put an end to unwanted mail is a virtual mailbox. A virtual mailbox regulates your postal mailbox automatically with rules you set regarding what you’d like to receive. Of course, you can supplement a virtual mailbox with various opt-out methods to truly optimize your mailbox. Services like Earth Class Mail allow you to go paperless, dramatically reducing the amount of time you spend dealing with mail by letting you access your deliveries from any smart device at your convenience. In fact, Earth Class Mail will automatically sort out certain classes of postal mail so that unwanted promotional mail never makes it to you. While a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">virtual mailbox</a> doesn’t stop unwanted mail from being produced or sent to you, it does make it so that you never have to interact with it. Moreover, every bit of postal mail that passes through Earth Class Mail facilities that is not forwarded to its owner, is securely <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mail-shredding">shredded and recycled</a>. <h2>What is a virtual mailbox?</h2>Virtual mailboxes are the modern-day solution for reducing the amount of unwanted mail you receive and spending less time sifting through it every day. It allows you to access your mail from any smart device, enabling you to travel without worrying about what you’ll miss, provide a secure address for your home-based business, and keep a secure record of important documents.A provider like Earth Class Mail will convert your postal mail into a digital format that you can access like email. With Earth Class Mail, you can store postal mail, share it, or transfer it to connected apps like Dropbox or Google Drive. When you choose to discard unwanted mail, Earth Class Mail will shred it and recycle the materials. Virtual mail reduces unwanted mail and provides an additional layer of security against mail theft. Plus, you can access your postal mail online, on any device. <h3>Stop Receiving Unwanted Mail </h3>Unwanted mail affects more than your mailbox and your workday, but fortunately there are steps you can take to reduce the amount of mail you receive. One option is to go through the various opt-out methods and preventative measures and hope that your information isn’t still out there being shared. Another option is to sign up for a virtual mailbox that will filter your mail automatically according to your settings and selections and immediately stop unwanted mail from ever arriving. A virtual mailbox service like Earth Class Mail will not only allow you to set smart rules, but they will also recycle any unwanted mail or pieces of postal mail that are not stored or forwarded. Of course, you can also combine opt-out methods with a virtual mailbox and put an end to unwanted mail once and for all.

It’s happened to all of us. You walk out to your mailbox, open the door, and pull out a thick, folded wad of unwanted mail. You can already see the coupons, credit card offers, and advertisements, so you go straight to the garbage can and start tossing.

Unwanted mail can be a nuisance. All of those promotional flyers and credit card offers you never asked for can easily pile up. Read more to learn how you can stop receiving unwanted mail.

How to Stop Receiving Unwanted Mail | Earth Class Mail

How to Stop Receiving Unwanted Mail

Communication is vital for businesses to connect with customers. Often this communication is not done correctly with the customer in mind. New fixes, features, and updates are made to the product suite without proper communication to the customers that would benefit most from knowing about them. With the fast-paced nature of internet software and service businesses to quickly fix pain points and launch new features, good communication does not always occur. At <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/">Earth Class Mail</a>, we focus on improving the communication we share with you, the customer. We have implemented several new ways to improve how we share new features and updates launched for the products you use. Our new changelog is part of this communication improvement. The changelog is the best place to see our current and past communications to see everything we are working on and our updates.<h3>Changelog</h3>The changelog is organized on a page containing all the fixes, announcements, and improvements in reverse chronological order. It provides an efficient mode of communication with current and prospective customers. At Earth Class Mail, we use the changelog to communicate all updates to our customers, but we also use our version of the changelog internally to work backward from what we should create. <h3>Working Backwards</h3>The “working backward” process is a method where our desired result is determined, and then teams figure out the best way to achieve it. Amazon pioneered the use of the <a href="https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/amazon-uses-a-secret-process-for-launching-new-ideas-and-it-can-transform-way-you-work.html">“working backward”</a> process in its development of products. At Earth Class Mail, we use ”working backward” documents to drive our product development every week. The product manager provides a working backward document to be reviewed by the business stakeholders. The document leads with what the changelog will say when the product or feature is launched. This process was recently completed with the launch of our popular check deposit feature in the Earth Class Mail iOS app. This feature went through the entire “working backward” process. The changelog that is live matches what had been initially presented in the early vision of the feature. <h3>What You’ll Find in Our Changelog</h3>In our changelog, you will find a list of fixes, announcements, and improvements. In each update, we focus on the basics of what, why, when, where, and how we fixed or improved the products that you use. At the bottom of each update, you will see an opportunity to provide your kudos or feedback. We value receiving your feedback to be aware if we’re doing the right thing, encounter any pain points with the product, or have ideas for future product feature requests. This communication is vital for connecting with you and ensuring we are on the right track to creating a product you love to use.<h3>Announcekit.app</h3>In our search for a changelog platform that provided flexible posting options at the right price, we decided on <a href="https://announcekit.app/">announcekit.app</a>. The UI offers a simple way to make announcements with widgets, tracking, and easy-to-format posts. You can also subscribe to our page and receive an email as soon as we publish a new update. You can find the new Earth Class Mail changelog here: <a href="https://announcekit.app/earth-class-mail/announcements">https://announcekit.app/earth-class-mail/announcements</a>

Communication is vital for businesses to connect with customers. Often this communication is not done correctly with the customer in mind. New fixes, features, and updates are made to the product suite without proper communication to the customer

Learn more about how to stay in touch with product updates from Earth Class Mail. 

Stay Informed About What’s Going On at Earth Class Mail

At Earth Class Mail, protecting our customers’ postal mail and personal data is our top priority. From monitoring our processing facilities to offering our customers the privacy of a virtual address, our products are designed with the security of your confidential information in mind. <h3>Keeping Your Postal Mail Secure </h3>That’s why we’re excited to announce that we have recently completed a System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2® Type 1 audit. This audit shows ECM’s systems and designs, from its hiring process to physical and technical security, are in line with <a href="https://www.compassitc.com/blog/ssae-16-soc-2-report-the-5-trust-principles">trust principles</a>. Trust principles are the security criteria outlined by the SOC 2® report. The team is now preparing for its SOC 2® Type 2 audit.In addition to being SOC 2 Type 1 compliant and tight security measures at physical facilities, Earth Class Mail undergoes annual Penetration Tests (or pen testing). Pen testing is a security exercise in which a cyber-security expert attempts to find vulnerabilities in an attempt to identify any weak spots in a computer system.  Security of our systems and your data is our top priority and a core value at Earth Class Mail. SOC 2® compliance and proactive penetration tests are just some of the steps we take to secure your postal mail.<h3>Virtual mailboxes and security</h3>With the increased prevalence of remote work, a virtual mailbox helps turn postal mail into secure, searchable PDFs. A <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/what-is-a-virtual-mailbox">virtual mailbox</a> contains scanned copies of your postal mail, which you can access 24/7, from any device.Using a physical mailbox has some security limitations, such as susceptibility to “<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/porch-pirates-have-become-public-enemy-number-one-stopping-them-ncna1104446">porch pirates</a>” or mail theft (which can lead to <a href="https://www.lifelock.com/learn-identity-theft-resources-what-is-mail-theft.html">identity theft</a>). In fact, last year, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) reported 2,076 mail-theft related convictions. A virtual mailbox protects you from many of these vulnerabilities.So, how does a virtual mailbox work? All incoming postal mail is routed to Earth Class Mail’s secure processing centers in Beaverton, OR or San Antonio, TX. The centers are access-restricted and monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Cameras are also placed throughout the processing facilities and all visitors are logged and escorted throughout the facility. Our secure measures begin at the physical facilities and hiring phase. Every technician (mail handler) must pass a background check and complete intensive security training. In addition, everyone is Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) certified. Being HIPAA-certified means our employees are trained and trusted to handle sensitive documents, including personal health information.<h3>Secure and Digitize Your Postal With Earth Class Mail</h3>With SOC 2® compliance and our rigorous security measures, we are delighted to continue to secure postal mail for thousands of customers everyday.  Moreover, we are proud to provide our customers with affirmation that our systems and processes are continually evaluated and advanced to better safeguard your information.

At Earth Class Mail, protecting our customers’ postal mail and personal data is our top priority. From monitoring our processing facilities to offering our customers the privacy of a virtual address, our products are designed with the security of your

We’re excited to announce that we have recently completed a System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2® Type 1 audit. Security of our systems and your data is our top priority and a core value at Earth Class Mail. 

Securing Your Postal Mail Earth Class Mail is SOC 2 Type 1® Certified 

Earth Class Mail is Officially SOC 2 Type 1® Certified

You asked, and we listened. We’re excited to announce that our popular check deposit feature is now available in the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earth-class-mail/id1484077329">iOS app.</a> We understand that dealing with checks can be a hassle, and you have more important things to do than waiting around by your laptop for checks to arrive in your account.With the check deposit feature in the iOS app, you can be anywhere, getting groceries or enjoying a day at the park, and deposit your checks from your mobile device as soon as they arrive in your account.<img className="blog-content-image" width=600 height=300 src=//images.ctfassets.net/nkeg78xbl0jr/aUrIlzgko0kFz7PvhOjBD/65bdc254f394526718bda9e622c223db/Email_graphic.png />Our product and engineering teams have been hard at work for the last few months making this a reality. As of October 6th, this functionality is live in the iOS app! Now you can deposit checks and track their progress at your convenience, 24/7, from your mobile device.<h3>Checks are here to stay</h3>In the age of credit cards and Apple Pay©, it’s easy to think of checks as a thing of the past, but that’s not the case. In 2019, the Federal Reserve <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/paymentsystems/check_commcheckcolannual.html">reported</a> collecting 17.5 million commercial checks daily. This translates to an average daily value of $33.1 billion. Checks aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, especially for small businesses. According to the <a href="https://www.pymnts.com/smbs/2016/smb-technology-adoption-reality/">SMB Technology Adoption Index™</a> in Q3 of 2016, 97% of small and medium businesses surveyed were still dependent on checks for sending and receiving payments.We’ve seen similar trends with Earth Class Mail customers. Earth Class Mail customers cash anywhere between $8 million and $20 million in checks every week. Earth Class Mail customers deposit over 60% of the checks our system detects using the check deposit feature. We know how important it is for our customers to cash checks as quickly as possible, so we decided to invest in making it even easier for customers to deposit checks from their mobile devices.Learn more about how our customer, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/how-desire-street-ministries-modernized-their-mail-processing">Desire Street Ministries,</a> uses check deposit to improve their efficiency as a nonprofit.<h3>Get paid faster with check deposit in the iOS app</h3>Now all iOS users can deposit checks straight from their mobile device! Make deposits, track progress, and get paid faster directly from your iOS device. The new check deposit feature will improve your experience in the following ways:<ul><li>The funds you need, in your hands faster. We know that many of our customers are small businesses or entrepreneurs who depend on these funds to run their business. We’re thrilled to be able to help get those funds to you faster and more conveniently than ever before.</li><li>Keep an eye on your money. The check deposit feature offers a timeline for your checks, so you always know the status of your deposit requests.</li></ul>If you aren’t already using check deposit with your Earth Class Mail plan, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/check-deposit">learn more about adding this feature to your plan.</a><h3>Getting Started</h3><ul><li>It’s easy to get started with check deposit for iOS. If you already have check deposit enabled on your account, you can start using this feature at no extra cost. For customers who already use our iPhone app, make sure you update your Earth Class Mail app, and then you’ll be able to see the option to deposit checks.</li><li>Don’t have our check deposit feature enabled yet? Learn more about <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/check-deposit">signing up for this add-on</a> and getting paid faster. If you aren’t using our iOS app yet, you can <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earth-class-mail/id1484077329">download it on the AppStore</a> and start accessing your postal mail and depositing your checks straight from your phone.</li></ul>Ready to sign up for Check Deposit? <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/check-deposit">Learn more about how to get started.</a>

You asked, and we listened. We’re excited to announce that our popular check deposit feature is now available in the iOS app.

Get paid faster with check deposit on iOS. You can now request check deposits directly from your mobile device! Learn more about how to get started.

 Get Paid Faster With Check Deposit on iOS | Earth Class Mail

Get Paid Faster with Mobile Check Deposit on iOS

On July 31st, the Earth Class Mail operations team and I were excited to see our new scanning technology, the Falcon, finally in production. We watched it quickly scan an envelope and automatically notify one of our customers about a new piece of mail.The Falcon will increase the clarity and readability of our customers’ scanned envelope images and automate the sorting process. That means customers receive faster notifications about new items and easier to read envelopes. The Falcon is an <a href="https://digitizeyourdocuments.com/falcon-scanner-series/">OPEX scanner</a> designed exclusively to digitize postal mail with high-quality data capture and compliance controls.The Falcon will also improve the throughput of scans every day. As a result of the improved readability of the scans, our sorting accuracy will increase. Moreover, the Falcon will also reduce the manual effort of our operations team in sorting and scanning mail.The increased speed and efficiency save us effort, which ultimately gives us the ability to offer customers more value at a better price. We have already started passing on some of these benefits to our customers by <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/read-your-postal-mail-from-anywhere-with-new-plans">updating our pricing earlier this year.</a><h3>The Old Way: Before the Falcon</h3>When a customer receives a piece of postal mail, our team sorts it and digitizes the envelope. Next, the customer receives a notification about the new item via their preferred channel(s): through email, our mobile app, or web-app. From their Earth Class Mail account, the customer can then choose whether or not they’d like us to digitize its contents.Before we invested in the Falcon, members of our team would manually sort and scan envelopes. Our manual system was reliable, but we knew it could be faster if we were able to leverage automation. Sorting and scanning a piece of mail may not sound like it takes too much time, but it adds up when we’re processing thousands of pieces of mail every day.The sorting process also used to involve our technicians labeling our customers’ postal mail with a sticker. In some cases, that sticker obstructed important, identifying information on the envelope. As much as we tried to prevent that from happening, it was sometimes difficult depending on the size of the envelope. Not being able to see key information could make it hard for a customer to decide whether or not to proceed with scanning a piece of postal mail into their account.<h3>The New Way: After the Falcon</h3>The Falcon has allowed us to automate this process so our customers can read and take action on their postal mail faster than ever before. Of course, our team will continue to give every item the time and care it requires. This update will increase our quality and speed without reducing operator attention to detail.Apart from automation and higher quality scans, our new process has also replaced the physical sticker with a smaller, digitally imposed tracking number that reduces the likelihood of blocking important information.<img className="blog-content-image" width=1124 height=496 src=//images.ctfassets.net/nkeg78xbl0jr/539TOULfv3ANKEYFabw1Ap/316c74dfefcebe3790a08bc3c853f66f/OPEX_Envelope.png />An envelope processed with a digitally imposed label.The integration of new hardware into our workflow also required the creation of a new pipeline. Our software team created it specifically so that our customers can receive their items faster. With this new pipeline in place, customers experience the improved speed of the new process immediately.As a company, we&#39;ve made this important investment in new hardware and process updates in order to give our customers a clearer image of their postal mail, send items to their inbox faster, and streamline the sorting process.<h3>Conclusion</h3>These process improvements will benefit some of the most impactful parts of your Earth Class Mail experience: getting notified about new items and deciding what to do with them. These updates are part of our continuous investment in giving our customers the best possible experience when accessing postal mail online.Looking ahead to 2021, we will continue to make updates to improve the customer experience. We have already made significant changes to our product pricing based on the cost savings we are making from our investment in the Falcon.If you are a current Earth Class Mail customer, you don’t have to do anything to start taking advantage of these improvements. They have already been applied to our operations and you are already reaping the benefits.If you are not an Earth Class Mail customer, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">you can learn more about our virtual mailbox products on our pricing page.</a>

On July 31st, the Earth Class Mail operations team and I were excited to see our new scanning technology, the Falcon, finally in production. We watched it quickly scan an envelope and automatically notify one of our customers about a new piece of mail.

With our new OPEX scanner, Earth Class Mail customers are notified about new items more quickly. Read more about the update.

 Faster Notifications and Easier to Read Envelopes | Earth Class Mail

Faster Notifications, Easier to Read Envelope Scans

<a href="https://www.technative.io/making-the-modern-workforce-as-flexible-as-its-technology/">The modern workforce</a> has more flexibility than ever before. These days, it only takes a smartphone and internet access to enable remote work from anywhere in the world. But without regular access to postal mail, some individuals may feel held back from being truly location independent. Remote workers, digital nomads, and expats need a simple and reliable way to receive and manage their mail while they live and travel abroad.<h3>Introducing MailBox and MailRoom Plans </h3>Managing postal mail while away from your mailbox or outside of a traditional office setting can be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and inconvenient. That’s why we’re announcing new <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">MailBox plans</a> for individuals and small businesses who need a reliable and straightforward virtual mailbox service. We’ve also improved our <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailroom">MailRoom plans</a>, designed for businesses that receive a higher volume of postal mail or that receive mail for a large number of employees.As a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/cio-top-25">leading solution for virtual mail</a> for over a decade, Earth Class Mail has served over 50,000 customers and is well-positioned to meet the needs of individuals and businesses looking for a different way to access postal mail. We provide a proven, modern option for managing postal mail services. With our new plans, you’ll get a permanent U.S. address, 24/7 digital access to your critical documents, and complete freedom from a physical location. <h3>The modern workforce values the freedom to work from anywhere</h3>In the last decade, technology advances in cloud computing have enabled a modern workforce—one that works from home, out of coworking spaces, from another country, or an RV on the open road. Many companies, employees, freelancers, and individuals have <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurelfarrer/2020/05/12/the-new-normal-isnt-remote-work-its-better/#392ae3012405">embraced the agility that comes with remote work</a>. While digital nomads and remote workers no longer need to be tied to a single location, most still need a way to receive and manage their postal mail. Likewise, business travelers, RVers, and others without frequent access to a permanent address need reliable and secure access to their mail while traveling or abroad. Our new <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing/?plantype=mailbox">Mail</a><a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing/?plantype=mailbox">B</a><a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">ox plans</a> give all individuals the freedom to manage their postal mail from anywhere in the world, any time they want. Plans also offer mail forwarding, so that you can ship packages to international destinations without the hassle. Best of all, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">MailBox plans</a> provide the same high-quality service that our business customers expect, all at a price that makes sense for individuals. That means the same high-resolution, searchable PDFs; the same ability to integrate with other apps; and the same <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/virtual-address-privacy-and-security">stringent security measures</a>. <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailroom">MailRoom plans</a> will continue to empower businesses and enterprises to operate their businesses remotely, without having to worry about access to postal mail. <h3>Virtual mailboxes during a pandemic</h3>We have watched the trend toward remote work develop over the last decade—particularly as it has accelerated in the last five years. When we began work on new subscription offerings to meet this demand earlier this year, we could not have anticipated just how relevant and important they would become in a few short months. Like many businesses in the United States <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/how-earth-class-mail-is-responding-to-the-covid-19-crisis">impacted by the COVID-19 crisis</a>, we had to look closely at our operations and move quickly to ensure that we could provide a safe work environment for our employees as well as continuous service to our customers. The crisis significantly changed the landscape of remote work, and we’ve been both fortunate and proud to provide an essential service during this time. We have been here to serve businesses across the world that were forced to close their doors by enabling them to continue to receive and manage their postal mail virtually.Through this time, we’ve become increasingly aware of the need for services like ours. Some individuals and businesses using remote services now will return to more traditional models of work in the future. Others will continue to operate remotely. We’re in uncharted territory, and even businesses that do return to a traditional office setting may want to retain the option to transition to a remote model if they need to do so quickly. In these uncertain times, one thing is clear: the ability to receive postal mail from anywhere, anytime, is increasingly important for both businesses and individuals embracing remote life. We’re here to make it easy.

The modern workforce has more flexibility than ever before. These days, it only takes a smartphone and internet access to enable remote work from anywhere in the world. But without regular access to postal mail, some individuals may feel held back from

Learn more about how Earth Class Mail's MailBox and MailRoom plan can help you access your postal mail from anywhere.

Read Your Postal Mail From Anywhere With New Plans

Audra McMurray spent two decades living the life of a working mom. Then, in 2018, with her children grown and out of the house, she sold her belongings and started her own business—one that would allow her to travel the world helping people. Since then, she’s lived and worked in places like Guatemala and Bulgaria as well as both coasts of the United States.Many people dream of living the digital nomad lifestyle, but for McMurray the vision was more about the people she could help than the places she would work. When she was first starting out, she had logistical concerns that are common for any digital nomad entrepreneur. Where should she register her business? How would she get postal mail? What if someone wanted to send her a check? Fortunately, we were able to help her address all of those concerns.<h3>Summary</h3>McMurray started Causitree after over a decade in marketing and communications at nonprofits and international foundations. She’d also been a committed volunteer. She saw an opportunity to bring her experience and dedication to causes throughout the world—“my heart for their cause,” she says.Causitree is a one-stop shop for organizations that advocate for any cause. Whether it&#39;s muscular dystrophy research or hunger relief, McMurray does whatever they need to help grow their cause. The company works with organizations on everything from logo design to rebranding campaigns.McMurray could operate Causitree from a computer in her Oregon home. But she knew that to do the work she wanted to do, she needed to have “boots on the ground.” Going to the cause so that she can “live there and feel it,” is especially important, says McMurray. “Especially with grant writing, you really need to feel the cause.”To truly commit herself to this important work, McMurray needs the administration of her business to be as hands-free as possible.<h3>Challenges</h3>McMurray knew she needed to spend time on the ground inside her clients&#39; organizations. That meant she’d be traveling all over the world while starting and running a new business. She also needed to be able to do all the things a traditional business does—have meetings, send invoices, receive mail, and <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/check-deposit">deposit checks</a>, all while on the go.Of course, she would also need to access her own postal mail while abroad. After all, McMurray wasn’t just a business owner. She was also an individual digital nomad. So she set out to find a solution that would allow her to read her postal mail no matter where she was.<h3>The Problem at Large</h3>According to a <a href="https://s29814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/StateofIndependence-ResearchBrief-DigitalNomads.pdf">2018 study by MBO Partners</a>, nearly 5 million Americans are traveling the world as digital nomads. Over 17 million people in the United States hope to become digital nomads in the future.Digital nomads embrace technology as a way to travel around and work from anywhere, but postal mail can present a challenge. A traveler will still receive tax documents, official letters from government entities, or other unforeseen but important pieces of postal mail. And if the digital nomad is running their own business, like McMurray, they may also receive paper checks or invoices.Digital nomads and expats sometimes ask a family member, friend, or neighbor to handle their mail. Unfortunately, there are several limitations to this approach:<ul><li>The person handling the postal mail has to make judgment calls. Is this important enough to scan and send along, or can it go in the shredder? Answering repeated questions about whether or not to send redundant insurance statements can get annoying. On the other hand, one mistakenly shredded document could be a disaster.</li><li>Handling postal mail takes time. Anyone who has a stack of unopened envelopes on their counter knows that opening and sorting through postal mail can feel burdensome. Passing that task along to a friend or family member hardly seems like a gift.</li><li>For any number of reasons, a traveler might not want their mother or friend reading their postal mail. This is inevitable when relying on a third party.</li></ul>Any traveler that wants easy, private access to their mail can use a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">virtual mailbox</a>. But the benefits are even greater for an entrepreneur, who may receive paper checks or invoices in addition to personal mail.<h3>Solution</h3>McMurray knew she needed a way to manage her postal mail while she was out of the country, so she started searching for solutions. She also wanted a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/virtual-business-address">virtual address</a> that would allow her to register Causitree in Delaware with a physical street address. And she wanted to be able to receive paper checks and easily deposit them.She found Earth Class Mail right away, and everything about the company spoke to her. Plus, the price fit her budget. “I was just starting this business and leaving a full-time, high-paying job,” says McMurray, so finding a solution that fit her wallet was understandably important.<h3>Results</h3>Like many new entrepreneurs, McMurray was overwhelmed in the early months of starting her business. She signed up with multiple companies and services and implemented new processes. And of course, she was moving to another country at the same time.She appreciated how simple the setup was for Earth Class Mail. “In the midst of figuring out a lot of other things in my life, it was very, very simple. I felt very comfortable,” says McMurray.Since onboarding with Earth Class Mail, McMurray has actually thought very little about her postal mail. That’s been a significant benefit—“peace of mind knowing that someone is receiving my mail and handling it with care,” says McMurray.“If I want something scanned and shredded or scanned and saved, it’s just all neatly put in a box that I can access 24/7,” she says. “I know everything is there in a neat package when I need it. I never, ever have to worry about my mail.”The virtual address also allowed McMurray to register her business in Delaware, which may provide her some tax benefits. Without a virtual address, she would’ve registered her business in a state where she had a residence. That of course was possible but not preferable. Besides, she notes, the virtual address route is “so much better and easier. No one has to touch my mail—no family or friends. It stays professional.”McMurray’s also been impressed by the fast customer service. Any questions she’s ever had about her virtual mailbox or the check deposit process have been answered with a quick email within 24 hours.“I wouldn’t consider using or even searching for another service. There’s no reason to go elsewhere. Earth Class Mail is like the [original provider of] virtual mail.”Causitree specializes in personal customization after thoughtfully grasping the soul of the cause or business you&#39;re growing. Regardless of where in the world you are, our digital expertise is global. No matter the miles between our partnership, Causitree will get a true feel for your needs to better customize a plan that&#39;s perfect for success. From a simple logo to a full blown re-branding campaign, no cause is too small, no cause is too great for Causitree to grow. All causes are welcome.

Audra McMurray spent two decades living the life of a working mom. Then, in 2018, with her children grown and out of the house, she sold her belongings and started her own business—one that would allow her to travel the world helping people.

Audra McMurray, a digital nomad and the founder of Causitree, is able to run her business from anywhere thanks to her virtual mailbox from Earth Class Mail.

 This Founder, Digital Nomad Reads Her Mail Anywhere | Earth Class Mail

How This Digital Nomad, Founder Reads Her Postal Mail Anywhere

For a small, service-based business, the phrase “time is money” isn’t just a well-worn cliche. It&#39;s a fact. Every minute spent on administrative tasks is time not spent bringing in revenue. Business owners must balance the cost of outsourcing against the time required for client-facing activities.When Daniel Hoang started <a href="https://www.nineteen80.co/">Nineteen80</a>, a strategic management consulting firm, he brought with him 15 years of consulting experience. But running a business as a solo-entrepreneur (solopreneur) was new to him. He quickly learned that it’s important to be strategic about what tasks to do himself and which ones to look for strategic partners to help with. Daniel found that tasks like handling postal mail and checks could easily be taken off his plate and free him up to focus on growing his business.<h3>Summary</h3>Hoang, the Founder and Chief Storyteller of Nineteen80, started his business in 2019. He saw the evolving future of professional services and wanted to be part of the disruptive change. So he dreamed up Nineteen80, a management consulting and creative agency. Nineteen80 helps clients drive progress through articulating clear strategies, developing change management procedures, and producing communications and content campaigns. Hoang’s vision is “a world where elite tools, techniques, and talent are accessible for all.”<h3>Challenges</h3>When Hoang registered his business as a limited liability corporation (LLC), he used LegalZoom and filled out a form. The form required a physical mailing address, so he added his home address.He soon learned that registering an LLC with a personal address meant that his residential address would be listed on the Secretary of State’s website. That meant his personal information was available to anyone and everyone who searched for the business. “I didn’t want people sending [me unsolicited] mail or showing up to my personal residence,” says Hoang. “I knew I needed to find a solution.”His search led him to a solution that would solve challenges he didn’t know he had and create opportunities to build a more efficient business, right out of the gate.<h3>The Problem at Large</h3>Small business owners, especially solopreneurs, are responsible for every aspect of their business. In fact, they often complete all the tasks themselves. If they want to scale, they must find ways to prioritize revenue-generating tasks.This often means finding strategic partners who cannot only remove the administrative burden but also improve their business processes.That’s why many solopreneurs and entrepreneurs look for virtual address and digital postal mail providers when they’re first starting a business. A virtual address meets a very real business need: having an address to register a business with when there is no physical office. At the same time, a digital postal mail provider can relieve a busy entrepreneur from administrative tasks like dealing with postal mail or manually <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/check-deposit">depositing checks</a>.For solopreneurs like Hoang, having the time to focus time on client work or business growth can make a big difference to the bottom line.<h3>Solution</h3>For Hoang, Earth Class Mail was the solution to a number of problems. The catalyst for his search was finding a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/virtual-business-address">virtual address</a> so he could <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/use-virtual-address-to-register-business">register his business as an LLC</a>. Once he got started with Earth Class Mail, he ended up valuing the time-saving benefits and the legitimacy provided by a virtual address as well.To find a virtual address, Hoang started where many people would: Google. “I was forming this business for the long run, so I wanted someone that was going to be around. I didn’t want to have to go back and change my address if someone went out of business or cut their service line,” he says.When he found Earth Class Mail, he saw a company with longevity. “I was familiar with <a href="https://www.shoeboxed.com/">Shoeboxed</a> (a subsidiary of Earth Class Mail) before, so I knew this wasn’t a fly-by-night company.”Even though Hoang wasn&#39;t originally looking for this feature, Earth Class Mail’s check deposit functionality became one of the big selling points for him. He immediately saw how it could reduce his administrative workload.Once Hoang chose Earth Class Mail, he was ready to get started. Hoang shared that he frequently signs up for a software program or a service, tries it for a day or two, and then drops it. “With this one,” he says, “someone held my hand early on and said here’s how you do it. It really helped me adopt Earth Class Mail.”<h3>Results</h3>Hoang has a clear picture of what his daily life would look like if he’d never signed up for Earth Class Mail: piles and piles of paper.“In my home, I get a mountain of personal mail that I haven’t processed. It’s just sitting there,” he says. “Begrudgingly, once a month I sit down and open all the envelopes. Then it’s ‘Oh, I missed this. I didn’t do this.’ So much of my life is digital. I have to sit there and open envelopes, figure out what I need to do, and then do it. Then I have no archive, no record of it.”Hoang started out looking for a virtual address so he didn’t have to publicize his personal address. But the biggest benefit of using Earth Class Mail has been having all his documents in a safe, secure place online.“A lot of other services you look at have a very basic system. Earth Class Mail’s system is enterprise-quality document management.” Hoang’s company is lean right now, but he sees the possibility of something larger in the future. He likes that Earth Class Mail allows you to sort, organize, tag, and search through all your documents. “Having access to that kind of capability as a small business is a big deal,” says Hoang.He can pull up the app on his phone and look for what he needs. “Otherwise, it would be filed away in a box in my office, and I’d have to dig through to find what I need,” says Hoang. “The scanning is impeccable. I can’t replicate that myself at home. I appreciate knowing that if I click &#39;shred,&#39; I’ll have a perfect record of this thing in a scanned format, and it’s going to be there forever.”Hoang’s virtual address has also brought legitimacy to Nineteen80. “Anytime when I’m interacting with someone, I can send them my physical address, my phone number,” says Hoang. “I [have] a legitimate business, and it’s a legitimate address.” It’s increased his confidence in business interactions.And the check depositing service that Hoang wasn&#39;t even looking for? That’s allowed him to better serve his clients and get paid faster.“If people have the ability to mail me a check, I get payment a lot faster than if I force them through an online payment system,” says Hoang. Many of his clients don’t want to go through the onboarding process for a new payment system. “I had some clients that were happy to hear they could just write me a check and be done.” Plus, he saves hours of processing and handling time whenever a check comes in. “Every hour I spend doing something that’s not client-facing—that’s revenue lost.”And at the end of the day, Earth Class Mail matches Hoang’s lifestyle and how he runs his business. “The whole prospect of physical mail seems really antiquated to me,” says Hoang. “My Earth Class Mail inbox takes this whole analog world and just digitizes all of it. I’ve never opened an envelope for my business. I get a scanned image of [all of my envelopes]. I can search for my actual physical mail. I have no file room at home. It’s really cool.”<a href="https://www.nineteen80.co/">Nineteen80</a> is a storytelling consultancy and agency created to help companies affect positive change. They do so through a range of business disciplines and consulting methods. Nineteen80 believes in a world where elite tools, techniques, and talent are accessible for all.

For a small, service-based business, the phrase “time is money” isn’t just a well-worn cliche. It's a fact. Every minute spent on administrative tasks is time not spent bringing in revenue.

Consulting agency Nineteen80 needed a virtual address to register as an LLC, but they found added value from automating postal mail and check depositing.

 Nineteen80: Registering an LLC With a Virtual Address | Earth Class Mail

From Registering an LLC to  Automating Postal Mail and Checks

The security of your postal mail is crucial. A few pieces of paper can hold significant amounts of private information and personal data. That’s why security and privacy are vital to the operation of any digital mail provider. At Earth Class Mail, keeping your postal mail safe and secure is our number one priority.For many of our customers, accessing postal mail online is a new concept, so it’s not surprising that many of you have questions about security. However, using Earth Class Mail to access your postal mail online actually has some security advantages over relying on a physical mailbox. From monitoring our processing facilities to the privacy of a virtual address, our products are designed with the security of your confidential information in mind.<h3>Every step of the process protects your confidential information</h3>How we physically handle your postal mail is a major part of securing your confidential information. We start with a high bar for hiring and training our technicians, and follow that up with strict requirements for our facility and handling processes. Thanks to these measures, we are able to safely digitize postal for thousands of customers.<h4>Thorough employee requirements</h4>Every member of the Earth Class Mail team must pass a thorough background check and complete an intensive security training. Every staff member is also Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) certified.Being HIPAA-certified means our employees are trained and trusted to handle sensitive documents, including personal health information. In fact, many of our largest customers are <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/visionary-law-group-goes-digital-with-earth-class-mail">law firms</a>, <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/reveleer-brings-first-in-industry-solution-to-healthcare-market">healthcare organizations</a>, and other companies that handle confidential information on-behalf of their employees. These companies trust us with their postal mail because they know we maintain the highest standard of security and privacy.<h4>Secure facilities and item tracking</h4>Your postal mail is collected at an Earth Class Mail address from across the United States, and routed to our secure processing center in Beaverton, Oregon. The center is access-restricted and monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Cameras are also placed throughout the building and all visitors are logged and escorted throughout the facility.All envelopes or packages are assigned a unique number to track and log that item through its lifecycle. Every staff member has an individual login, and every item is logged to show when and where it was processed. Your documents are always secure because we keep a thorough record of how every piece of postal mail moves through our facilities.<h4>Digitizing your postal mail</h4>When you receive a piece of postal mail, it goes through a process called induction. Induction involves scanning the envelope and uploading an image of it into the cloud. That image is then imported into your account dashboard. From your dashboard, you have the option to scan the contents of the envelope, deposit any detected checks, or ship, shred, and store anything you’d like.We often get questions about the actual digitization process. Your postal mail is only unsealed when you request that the contents of an envelope be scanned. After digitization is complete, the envelope and its contents are immediately placed in a new, sealed envelope. Our system for digitization is designed to process your postal mail securely and efficiently, and only exposes an envelope’s contents for the few seconds it takes to complete the process.<h4>Partnering with the USPS</h4>In order for us to legally receive your postal mail on your behalf, we are registered with the USPS as a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA). All new customers must complete a notarized <a href="https://help.earthclassmail.com/hc/en-us/articles/206507307-What-is-a-USPS-1583-form-and-do-I-need-to-complete-one-">1583 form</a> in order to begin using our services. Filling out a 1583 form gives us permission to accept and open your postal mail on your behalf as your designated CMRA. This process also ensures that we verify the identity of all new customers.These thorough security and oversight measures ensure that your private information is protected every step of the way.<h3>Protecting you from the vulnerabilities of physical mailboxes</h3>Relying solely on a physical mailbox can leave you susceptible to identity theft. In fact, last year, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) <a href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2020/mail-theft-stimulus-check.html#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20Postal%20Inspection%20Service,30%2C%202019">reported</a> 2,076 mail-theft related convictions.<a href="https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/how-to-reduce-the-risk-of-identity-theft/">Identity theft specialists</a> advise people to check their postal mail daily and even put a lock on their mailbox to make sure that their identifying information is safe from theft. They also recommend shredding documents that have any identifying information and storing important documents (like tax returns, medical documents, paystubs, etc.) in a locked storage box.Storing physical documents without protection can also put you at risk for loss through catastrophic events, like fire or flood. The last thing anyone wants to deal with in the midst of a crisis is trying to figure out what sensitive paperwork has been destroyed.Using Earth Class Mail as your digital postal mail provider means you can protect yourself from many of these risks. We offer all of these services without you ever having to touch an envelope. We can also securely shred your postal mail after it’s digitized and uploaded into the cloud, so you won’t be left vulnerable to identity theft.<h3>Conclusion</h3>We know how important it is to keep your important documents safe and confidential. From securing our facilities to requiring our employees to become HIPAA-certified, we have designed our process to protect your postal mail at every step of the way. Outside of our thorough security practices, your Earth Class Mail account brings you a number of advantages over relying solely on a physical mailbox.

The security of your postal mail is crucial. A few pieces of paper can hold significant amounts of private information and personal data. 

Keeping your postal mail secure is our number one priority. Read more about the security practices that help keep your confidential information private.

 Keeping Your Postal Mail Safe and Secure | Earth Class Mail

Keeping Your Postal Mail Safe and Secure: A Look Into Our Security Practices

For most companies, growth creates not only opportunities but also challenges. Successful organizations must decide where to focus their resources when growth makes their current systems unsustainable. Should they develop new internal processes? Or find a strategic partner?For California-based SaaS company Reveleer, the decision point centered on their postal mail. The volume had become so high that they realized they needed to innovate and enhance and speed up their process. They began seeking technology solutions to drastically speed up mail processing.<h3>Summary</h3>For more than ten years, Reveleer’s platform has allowed health insurers to better track member data. In a healthcare system that is both highly regulated and privately operated, data sharing among medical providers and insurance companies is critical but inefficient. The more resources insurers pour into things like retrieving medical records and auditing codes, the higher their operating costs.Reveleer saves insurers time and money by enabling them to obtain and manage complex data in a cloud-based platform for their compliance, quality improvement, and risk management programs. The SaaS company continues to seek opportunities to provide their customers greater efficiency and accuracy so insurers can better manage their risk.The company’s most recent offering is a solution that automatically summarizes medical record data for HEDIS (a health plan quality measurement tool). This offering is powered by Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology. While NLP has become well-known through products like Alexa and Google Home, its use in this context, pioneered by Reveleer, is a first in the industry.Bringing a new product to market takes significant resources—for any company. In the healthcare industry, the regulatory hurdles alone can stall forward progress. Reveleer was able to bring this product to market by focusing on their core competencies—building software tools that support health insurers—and finding a technology partner to enhance mail processing.<h3>Challenges</h3>Leadership at Reveleer wanted to continue driving innovation in the healthcare industry. However, with dozens of insurance providers as customers, their operations team was in need of a solution to speed up the process. They had a choice. They could make significant investments to strengthen their mail processing function, or they could find a technology partner and stay focused.<h3>The problem at large</h3>While many in the healthcare industry have transitioned to electronic record management, paper documents are still common, including postal mail. Plus, health insurers and medical providers face an issue that many industries do not—personal health information is highly sensitive and protected by law from disclosure. Any efforts to streamline mail processing of healthcare documents must be compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).Healthcare organizations that go paperless with their internal operations may struggle to implement that decision across the entire business if they continue to receive paper documents from providers, regulators, customers, or members. Digitizing mailed documents requires scanning, uploading, and sorting—time and money that could (and should) be redirected toward their primary areas of expertise.Manual in-house integration of paper documents into a company’s existing digital platform can also cause delays and inaccuracies in customer-facing information. No matter how diligent an employee is, labor-intensive processes like data entry and multi-document scanning are ripe for errors, like misplaced pages or transposed numbers. Avoiding these types of issues requires companies to design and implement complex systems, a process that often isn’t an effective use of their resources.<h3>Solution</h3>“We decided our best bet was to focus on improving our platform and seek a partner that could invest and innovate in the area of mail processing,” says Jay Ackerman, CEO and President of Reveleer.The company looked at several solutions, assessing them based on their technology, reporting abilities, and organizational alignment.“We believed in the Earth Class Mail business model,” says Ackerman. “We saw a company committed to innovation and found a strong culture fit with the company leadership.”“Getting started was clean and straightforward. We were able to go live very quickly,” says Ackerman. The Reveleer team created mailing addresses and customer accounts, gave guidance on the types of sensitive documents they would receive with the Earth Class Mail team, and connected the Earth Class Mail portal to the Reveleer platform to automatically pull scanned mail.Reveleer’s postal mail is now <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailroom">scanned</a> and uploaded so they can easily access it online and share it with the necessary stakeholders, such as their sales, operations, or accounting teams. Because Earth Class Mail’s mail processing team is <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/company/security">HIPAA-certified</a>, any healthcare information Reveleer receives is handled in compliance with relevant law.Ackerman and the Reveleer team have been impressed with how quickly they’ve received their mail. “The turnaround time from when the mail hits [Earth Class Mail’s] loading dock to when it’s in our portal is fast,” he says.<h3>Results</h3>Reveleer chose to prioritize investing internal resources to mission-critical projects, like bringing its NLP solutions to market. “Earth Class Mail is allowing us to focus on developing and improving our platform so that we drive greater customer ingenuity and shareholder value,” says Ackerman.For Reveleer, the tradeoff is paying off. By working with a strategic partner like Earth Class Mail, they&#39;re able to concentrate on their core mission. Reveleer is well-positioned to build on their recent successes and continue their expansion into an industry that’s only going to grow.Reveleer empowers managed care organizations nationwide to take control of their risk adjustment and quality improvement initiatives. Reveleer has been named one of <a href="https://www.reveleer.com/blog/latka-most-promising-saas-california">the most promising SaaS companies in California</a>. The company has also been named to the Inc. 5000 and in the top 100 fastest-growing private companies in Los Angeles by the LA Business Journal.

For most companies, growth creates not only opportunities but also challenges. Successful organizations must decide where to focus their resources when growth makes their current systems unsustainable.

Learn more about our new pricing plans that are designed to offer customers more and our new leadership team on the Earth Class Mail blog.

 Reveleer Brings a First-in-Industry Solution to the Healthcare Market | Earth Class Mail

Reveleer Brings a First-in-Industry Solution to the Healthcare Market

<h3>Summary</h3>For 30 years, <a href="https://desirestreet.org/">Desire Street Ministries</a> has provided spiritual and community support to under-resourced neighborhoods. Founded in the 9th Ward of New Orleans to work directly with the community, the nonprofit, now headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, expanded its mission to coaching and caring for ministry leaders across the south. With modernized operations and a remote workforce, Desire Street Ministries helps leaders develop thriving, sustainable urban ministries.<h3>Challenges</h3>In early 2020, Desire Street Ministries began preparing to reduce their overhead costs. One way they did so was to move from a large office with steadily increasing rent to a more affordable Atlanta coworking location that caters to nonprofits. To make the move, they had to make some operational changes that would ensure their team could work as remotely as possible.“We had an antiquated server in the closet running Windows 2008 and clunky solutions,” says James Gadsby, COO and Development Director of Desire Street Ministries. “Over the past few years, we migrated all our platforms to the cloud and upgraded our technologies. We were looking for more ways to automate administrative tasks, especially those with labor-intensive processes. We would rather our team be working with our leaders and supporting our donors instead of scanning checks and batching them for deposit.”The Desire Street Ministries team also had anxiety about how moving offices would impact their mail processing. “We’ve moved once since I’ve been on staff, and another time about five years prior to that,” says Gadsby. “With every move, the mail change process has always been a challenge.” They wanted a mail solution that would remove the possibility of difficult office moves in the future.<h3>The problem at large</h3>While much of our lives are digital, small regional nonprofits still send and receive a lot of postal mail—in particular, donation checks. Many nonprofits send out paper newsletters or appeal letters with return envelopes enclosed. Those checks in the mail often make up a significant portion of their operating budget and must be carefully cataloged and deposited. If a nonprofit doesn’t have regular access to its mail, delays in depositing checks can mean a disruption to the organization’s ability to continue its work.Organizations, including Desire Street Ministries, scan the envelope and the check whenever they receive a donation so they can refer to the record when they’re sending out tax letters to donors. These details are important—if someone writes a check on December 31st, but the postmark on the envelope is January 2, the tax benefits do not count until the next year.The staff time required to carefully scan and keep track of mail, including scanning and depositing all of the checks, can take a big chunk out of a small organization’s resources. The work, though tedious, needs to happen, so nonprofits often look for ways to improve the process.Nonprofits, like many businesses, are also attempting to modernize their processes and create more opportunities for remote work. They experience the same pressures from employees that want work-life flexibility, and they experience the same benefits from creating efficiencies and technical redundancies in their processes.<h3>Solution</h3>Desire Street Ministries looked at numerous options to automate their <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">postal mail</a> and <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/check-deposit">check depositing</a>. “Earth Class Mail had the full suite of solutions that could help us achieve both automation to remove manual tasks and support for a remote workforce. It was the best choice with the deepest and greatest breadth of offerings,” says Gadsby.Moreover, Earth Class Mail also had the integrations Desire Street Ministries needed to hit the ground running. Gadsby had already brought the nonprofit fully digital in terms of document storage. He shared, “That integration with Dropbox just made it much simpler.”Automatic check processing was also a huge selling point for Gadsby. The nonprofit originally planned to use Earth Class Mail for mail processing and then use a bank lockbox process for checks—where checks are sent to a lockbox at a bank, and the bank processes the deposits. As they started evaluating solutions, Gadsby saw that Earth Class Mail offered automatic check deposits as well. “The fact that it was bundled together made it a strategic decision for us.”Gadsby began testing the Earth Class Mail solution in January 2020 by including the address on some return envelopes in appeal letters. “We loved it from the beginning,” he says. “Our plan was to ramp up the process slowly through the spring. But on March 13th [when COVID-19 social distancing began in the Atlanta area], we went fully remote and updated our address everywhere as fast as we could.”Gadsby was able to assure donors that Desire Street Ministries would continue getting its mail, including donation checks, while the team worked remotely. “It’s been a tremendous lifesaver for us,” he says, “to keep all this process flowing and not miss a beat.”“Having all of our platforms in the cloud, including our physical mail, and having deposits done for us has enabled us to continue getting the necessary funding to keep our operations going,” says Gadsby. “Otherwise, there would have been all this anxiety of trying to figure out how we were going to handle everything that was happening.”<h3>Results</h3>For Desire Street Ministries, timing has been everything. Taking their postal mail digital was part of their operational improvement plan for 2020, but it became critically important once the COVID-19 crisis began. “The key thing for us,” says Gadsby “has been continuity of our operation without disruption. Our Board of Directors is thrilled with our ability to keep the organization going without missing a beat. We have access to what we need. It’s more cost-effective for us. It’s freed up our staff to be more efficient and focused on our core mission, not dealing with time-consuming administrative tasks.”After signing up, Gadsby was impressed by the onboarding process, which involved a call with an Earth Class Mail representative. “She answered all our questions, helped us with configuration settings, and did real-time setup,” says Gadsby. “It was enormously helpful.”Gadsby also really appreciates that as the COVID-19 situation evolves, he doesn’t feel rushed to get staff back in the office or unnecessarily jeopardize employee safety. “We have all the solutions that we need in the cloud and digitally so people can continue doing their work from home safely.”

For 30 years, Desire Street Ministries has provided spiritual and community support to under-resourced neighborhoods.

Learn more about how nonprofit Desire Street Ministries worked with Earth Class Mail to automate check depositing and postal mail processing.

 How Desire Street Ministries Modernized Their Postal Mail | Earth Class Mail

How Desire Street Ministries Modernized Their Postal Mail

Managing your postal mail doesn’t have to involve sorting through a giant pile of envelopes on the kitchen counter. Fortunately, virtual mailboxes are the go-to solution for modernizing your postal mail. Making the switch to a virtual mailbox means you’ll get to enjoy less paper clutter, the freedom to move or travel freely as you wish, and the confidence that important mail won’t fall through the cracks.At Earth Class Mail, we’ve scanned over 10 million pieces of mail to give our customers the flexibility to travel the world or work from anywhere without hesitation. If you haven’t already taken the leap, let us walk you through what a virtual mailbox is, who it’s for, and what questions you should ask before you choose a provider. <h2>What is a virtual mailbox?</h2>A virtual mailbox is a digital mailbox service that contains scanned copies of your postal mail, which you can access from your computer, tablet, or phone. Wondering how you can access your postal mail virtually? Here’s <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/how-virtual-mail-works">how it works</a>: <ol><li>You pick a physical address from a provider’s list of available addresses. That becomes your virtual mailing address. </li><li>Your mail is received by the virtual mailbox provider, where it’s scanned and uploaded so that you can view it. Some virtual mail providers will accept packages and forward them to the address of your choice.</li><li>Decide what you want to do with your mail. Some companies provide the option to store your mail, share it, shred it, or connect with other apps — like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Quickbooks Online. </li></ol><h2>Who should get a virtual mailbox?</h2>A virtual mailbox can be particularly useful for people who work remotely, who value location independence, travel extensively, or live abroad. <ul><li>Freelancers. If you’re a home-based freelancer, you may not want to put your home address on your website or invoices. A virtual mailbox allows you to keep your home address private while sharing a professional address with clients. </li><li>Expats. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2018/05/31/the-12-things-every-expat-needs-to-do-before-moving-abroad/#45c740e96b6b">Managing your mail while in another country</a> can be a hassle. Just because you’re living abroad doesn’t mean people (and businesses, the government, your student loan servicer, etc.) stop sending you mail. The last thing you want is to miss an important bill, check, or notification because you’re not in the country. In the past, you may have listed your address as your parents’ or a friend’s house and asked them to let you know if something important arrived. With a virtual mailbox, you have access to all of your mail, 24/7, wherever you are.</li><li>Digital nomads. If you chose a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/hvmacarthur/2020/04/09/the-age-of-digital-nomads-remote-work-is-here-to-stayso-how-do-we-embrace-it/#4b4407234d15">location independent lifestyle</a>, the need to continue managing postal mail shouldn’t hold you back or create unnecessary anxiety. Using a virtual mail solution means you know you’re up to date on your postal mail and that important communications won’t fall through the cracks.</li><li>RVers. Living as an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-live-in-an-rv-year-round-2020-1">RV nomad</a> is becoming increasingly popular. RVer Michelle Schroeder-Gardner shared with Business Insider that one of the most common questions she gets about her lifestyle is “how do you receive mail?” If you’re choosing an RVer lifestyle, you may have seen people talking about forwarding mail to friends or to specific RV parks that you intend to visit. With a virtual mailbox, you don’t have to rely on friends or wait until you get to a specific location to open a letter. Your mail will be available on your computer, phone, or tablet whenever you need it. </li></ul><style data-emotion-css="1ig3iyf">.css-1ig3iyf p{text-align:center;}</style><style data-emotion-css="161lqj7">.css-161lqj7{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;background-color:#E6F1F7;box-sizing:border-box;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;font-size:16px;-webkit-box-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-pack:start;justify-content:flex-start;margin:2em 0;max-width:100%;padding:2em;width:100%;}.css-161lqj7 p{text-align:center;}</style><div class="css-161lqj7" width="100%"><style data-emotion-css="elm1gq">.css-elm1gq{background-color:none;border-radius:0;height:72px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;width:72px;}</style><img alt="quote icon" class="css-elm1gq" src="/images/icon/quote.svg" width="72px" height="72px"/><div>In launching a new business, one of my favorite partners was Earth Class Mail.</div><style data-emotion-css="14rv7t2">.css-14rv7t2{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;box-sizing:border-box;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;font-size:16px;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin:1em 0;max-width:100%;padding:0;}</style><div class="css-14rv7t2"><style data-emotion-css="zvy1fy">.css-zvy1fy{color:#2C3040;font-family:"Mulish",sans-serif;margin:0;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;line-height:24px;text-align:left;visibility:visible;}@media (max-width:959px){.css-zvy1fy{font-size:16px;line-height:24px;}}</style>Daniel Hoang<style data-emotion-css="liaymt">.css-liaymt{color:#2C3040;font-family:"Mulish",sans-serif;margin:0;font-size:16px;font-weight:400;line-height:24px;text-align:left;visibility:visible;}@media (max-width:959px){.css-liaymt{font-size:16px;line-height:24px;}}</style>Founder, Nineteen80</div></div><h2>A virtual mailbox may be a good fit for you if…</h2><ul><li>You want a better solution for managing your postal mail. If you have a giant stack of unsorted mail right now, then a virtual mailbox might be a good choice for you. A virtual mailbox will not only reduce your paper clutter, but also turn your mail into searchable PDFs so you can always find what you need. </li><li>You want to keep digital records of important documents. You can avoid the time-consuming process of scanning in documents that may not be the best quality. With a virtual mailbox, you’ll get every document as a high-resolution, searchable PDF. And if you want any original pieces of mail, you can just request they be forwarded to you or physically stored.</li><li>You travel frequently. If you travel a lot, for work or pleasure, you might get tired of asking your neighbor to pick up your mail or putting it on hold at the post office. Especially if you receive packages regularly, having a virtual mail solution with the ability to accept packages can be useful. Once you know you’ll be home for a bit, you can request the packages be sent to your home address.</li></ul><h2>Questions to ask when choosing a virtual mailbox provider</h2>Now that you’ve decided that you’re interested in a virtual mailbox, here are some questions to ask: <ol><li>What addresses do they have? One of your first considerations will be the <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/virtual-business-address">virtual address</a> that you choose. If you’re a freelancer, you may want a street address that you can also use to <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/use-virtual-address-to-register-business">register your business</a>. If you’re an expat or an RVer, you might be happy with a P.O. box. Maybe you want to have a virtual address in the city you consider “home,” or maybe you like the idea of having a virtual address in a place you’ve never lived but have always loved—the options are plenty.</li><li>What actions can you take on your mail? To get the most value out of your virtual mailbox, ask whether you can see a demonstration of the product to understand the scope of functionalities available to you. If that’s not possible, be sure to find out: <ul><li>In what format will you receive your mail?</li><li>How does the service provider treat packages and checks? </li><li>Can you easily export your information to other applications?</li><li>What are your options for organizing your information?</li><li>Can you have multiple users on your account?</li><li>Can you search for documents within the platform?</li></ul></li><li>What network and physical security measures do they take? Ask service providers what they do to <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/virtual-address-privacy-and-security">safeguard their customers’ private information</a>. Find out: <ul><li>Do they rely on local partners (like local businesses or postal shops) for mail intake or they have independent operations? While local partnerships might increase the number of addresses available to you, they may reduce the security of your mail. </li><li>Are the people handling the mail items trained to handle confidential health and financial information?</li><li>Are there security systems in place at the facilities that receive and store mail items?</li><li>Do they have back-end security measures in place to keep your data safe?</li></ul></li><li>How quickly can you access your information? One of the major benefits of using digital mail and document solutions is accessing information quickly, in useful formats. Find out: <ul><li>How long will it take to see your mail contents from the moment you request an item to be scanned?</li><li>Is there an option to automatically scan all content?</li><li>How long does mail forwarding take? </li><li>Can you access your mail on a mobile device?</li></ul></li><li>What is included in the plan? Of course, you want to find out the price of a plan, but you also want to understand exactly what’s included for that price. Price comparison of different services isn’t always apples to apples. Think about what features you will need (mail scanning, mail forwarding, storage, shredding etc.) and make sure you understand the pricing structures associated with those plans and features. </li><li>Do they provide other services you need? For instance, some virtual mail services also offer the ability to <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/check-deposit">automatically deposit checks</a> or pay bills received in the mail. These additional services can help you get money faster and reduce the possibility of late payments. </li></ol>A virtual mailbox can help create flexibility and efficiency in your life, but only if the service you use prioritizes those values. Think about how you want a virtual mailbox provider to improve your experience managing your postal mail, and use these questions to find a solution that can meet your needs.

Here are the questions you need to be asking when looking for virtual address and online mail management solutions.

Choosing a virtual mail solution? Start with these questions. Keep in mind how it will interact with your team, existing processes, and more.

Choosing a Virtual Mail Solution? Start Here | Earth Class Mail | Blog

What is a Virtual Mailbox? (and How to Choose One)

Earth Class Mail, an online service for accessing postal mail, today announced updated pricing to deliver more value to its customers and welcomed a new leadership team.Over 50,000 individuals and businesses have used Earth Class Mail to reduce the burden of managing paper mail. “Earth Class Mail has given us enhanced control and security of our postal mail,” said Jay Ackerman, President and CEO at Reveleer. “Being able to manage paper mail online has allowed us to scale and focus on driving innovation in our platform.”During the COVID-19 crisis, the company has enabled its customers to adapt quickly to remote work.“We are so glad that we decided to subscribe earlier this year,” said James Gadsby, COO of Desire Street Ministries. “We routed all of our new mail through Earth Class Mail ahead of an office move in July. We love this solution and are already telling others about it.”<h3>New Pricing Gives Customers More </h3>After listening to customer feedback, Earth Class Mail launched new pricing that provides an increased amount of service for its price point.The company’s new <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/mailbox">MailBox plans</a> are created for individuals and small businesses that need a reliable and straightforward virtual mailbox service. Its <a href="earthclassmail.com/mailroom">MailRoom plans</a> are designed for businesses that receive a higher volume of postal mail or that receive mail for a large number of employees. “Our customers want the freedom to manage and access their mail from anywhere. Earth Class Mail has been providing customers with online access to their postal mail for 15 years and we are excited to offer customers more value with our new pricing,” says Earth Class Mail’s new CEO, Fergus Burns. <h3>New leadership dedicated to improving customer experience </h3>To support its dedication to maximizing value for customers, Earth Class Mail has also made additions to its leadership team. Fergus Burns, with over 25 years of experience developing customer-centric products at companies like Amazon, Criteo, and Microsoft, has joined as Chief Executive Officer. Mike Brown, a retired Air Force Colonel, and Fighter Pilot who’s led teams at companies like AtHoc (acquired by BlackBerry), BlackBerry, and Chargify, has joined as Chief Revenue Officer. Gwen Murray, a marketing leader with experience driving customer engagement at companies like L’Oreal, Amazon, and Shyft, joined as Vice President of Marketing. Frank Aguilar, a product experience leader who has worked for brands including Disney and Amazon, has joined as Director of Customer Experience. Andrew Luxem, a 12-year Amazon veteran, joined as Director of Product Marketing. Finally, Peter Frasco, an Army Veteran who also spent time at BlackBerry, has joined as Director of Software and Infrastructure.Building on a track record of delivering industry-leading products and services, the organization’s new leaders are dedicated to improving the everyday lives of Earth Class Mail customers. Note: This content was originally published on June 23, 2020 on <a href="https://www.prweb.com/releases/earth_class_mail_launches_new_pricing_to_offer_customers_even_more_value_welcomes_new_leadership/prweb17223025.htm">PRWeb.com</a>.

Earth Class Mail, an online service for accessing postal mail, today announced updated pricing to deliver more value to its customers and welcomed a new leadership team. Over 50,000 individuals and businesses […]

Earth Class Mail Launches New Pricing | Earth Class Mail

Earth Class Mail Launches New Pricing

If you jump into a discussion about the future of remote work after COVID-19, someone is sure to say, The cat’s out of the bag. They wouldn’t be wrong. At the height of the pandemic, <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/311375/reviewing-remote-work-covid.aspx">Gallup polled people</a> who were working remotely about their plans for the future. Only a quarter said they want to return to an office or workspace. Half of the respondents said that if it were up to them, they would continue to work from home. If employees have anything to say about it, remote work is here to stay.The rapid transition to remote work opened a window into a possible workplace future that many employees wanted but few employers were ready to embrace. The 2019 State of Remote Work report by OWL Labs found that 81% of on-site employees want or may want to <a href="https://www.owllabs.com/state-of-remote-work/2019">work remotely</a>. And now, the cat is definitely out of the bag: remote work didn’t destroy organizations. Employees didn’t sit at home all day and play video games. In fact, in the midst of extraordinarily unconducive circumstances, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/05/04/coronavirus-pandemic-might-game-changer-working-home/3061862001/">they did the work that needed to be done</a>. So what happens next?Companies, government agencies, non-profit organizations—and even individuals—will all have to grapple with how remote work will factor into their new workplace. Because even for organizations that want to return to the office, there is no going back to the way it was. <h3>Will remote work become the norm?</h3>Before the pandemic, about 30% of employees in the United States <a href="https://www.owllabs.com/hubfs/Owl%20Labs%202019%20State%20of%20Remote%20Work%20Report%20PDF.pdf">worked remotely full-time</a>. Those lucky few enjoyed flexibility coveted by many, especially those in the millennial workforce. Websites and companies sprung up focused entirely on helping people find remote work. People wanted the flexibility to travel, stay home with their kids, go to the gym in the middle of the day, or work in their pajamas. In many organizations, working remotely was a privilege afforded to those who reached a certain seniority level or adequately justified their need to work elsewhere. COVID-19 turned this system on its head. Since the beginning of the pandemic, employers and employees have had to provide justification for having people not work remotely. Gartner estimates that almost half of employees will <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/webinars/3984314/remote-work-after-covid-19-new-normal-or-pandemic-experiment-">continue working remotely</a> after businesses fully reopen. Of course, many jobs can’t be done remotely, especially those in the service industries. While the conversation around remote work can sound like a discussion about the future of all work, that’s not the case. No matter how many jobs go (or stay) remote in the coming months and years, there will always be positions that must remain in an office setting or an otherwise physical location. However, there may be far fewer of those positions than many employers had initially believed. <h3>Overcoming barriers</h3>In the last few months, both employers and employees have pushed through any resistance they had to remote work. Historically, one of the primary barriers for employers has been discomfort with the lack of oversight. Many employers worried about employee productivity in settings without managerial supervision. Being forced into a remote work situation has shown many employers that their employees can get results working from home. Perhaps they learned what many studies have shown: remote workers are often more productive than their in-office counterparts. A 2020 Gartner study showed that remote workers show <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/webinars/3984314/remote-work-after-covid-19-new-normal-or-pandemic-experiment-">higher levels of discretionary effort</a> and higher enterprise contribution, meaning they not only perform their tasks but also contribute to others’ performance. Managers that were concerned about their ability to encourage collaboration, monitor employee productivity, and maintain a connection to their team have found ways to do all three. By using cloud-based tools and implementing <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/6-communication-best-practices-for-your-remote-team">remote work best practices</a>, some have realized improvements in their productivity and relationships with employees. Companies that have long been creating services for remote workforces have stepped into the current situation ready to provide support—from video conferencing and whiteboard collaboration to <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/virtual-business-address">virtual addresses</a> and <a href="https://growrk.com/">home-based ergonomic workstations</a>. Organizations that envisioned remote work somewhere in the distant future now see the immediate possibilities, regardless of a pandemic. <h3>Health concerns about returning to office environments</h3>According to Gallup’s poll, even employees who would be interested in returning to an office environment are hesitant to do so because of continued concerns about the novel coronavirus—or any future pandemic. Employees aren’t alone in their worries. A company’s ability to handle a suddenly remote workforce is very different from its ability to handle a sick and highly contagious one. Experts are already weighing in about the <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/will-coronavirus-end-the-open-office-floor-plan/">increased danger of open-concept offices</a>, still highly popular in many office buildings. Even issues like elevators, shared kitchen spaces, and ventilation systems may need to be addressed. For some companies, creating a safe office environment may prove more challenging than transitioning to a remote workforce.<h3>How organizations will capitalize on remote work after COVID</h3>Even organizations that were previously resistant to remote work are beginning to see how it might provide value to their bottom line and their employees. <ul><li>Take advantage of cost savings from reduced office space. Allowing employees to work from home can reduce or eliminate the expense of office space, creating significant cost savings. Employers are exploring many different options, from closing down the office entirely to reducing workspace and scheduling alternating “in-office” days. One employer is considering designating one day a week as a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/04/why-many-employees-are-hoping-to-work-from-home-even-after-the-pandemic-is-over.html">company-wide in-office day</a> so that people can have meetings and do things that may need to be done in person. In this arrangement, a company could maintain a significantly smaller space and still have physical headquarters. </li></ul><ul><li>Access broader talent pools. Once companies get over the hump of remote work resistance, they realize that employing remote workers significantly increases their talent pool. Depending on an organization’s geographic location, hiring in other areas could also reduce payroll expenses. For instance, companies in New York City could offer salaries that someone in a less expensive community would happily accept but would be insufficient for an employee attempting to rent a New York City apartment. </li></ul><ul><li>Reduce employee attrition and develop more productive workforces. According to  <a href="https://www.owllabs.com/hubfs/Owl%20Labs%202019%20State%20of%20Remote%20Work%20Report%20PDF.pdf">Owl Lab’s 2019 Report on Remote Work</a>, “workers who work remotely, at least some of the time, are happier, feel more trusted, less stressed, are more inclined to recommend their employer to a friend, and are less likely to leave than their [office-bound] colleagues.” On-site workers report working longer hours because it’s required, and more remote workers say they’re doing so because they enjoy their work.</li></ul><h3>How employees will capitalize on remote work after COVID</h3>The conversation around the future of remote work from an employee perspective has centered around <a href="https://www.owllabs.com/state-of-remote-work/2019">work-life balance</a>. That’s a frequently-cited benefit, but survey data suggests that there’s a lot to like about being a remote employee. <ul><li>Enjoy both geographic and temporal flexibility. Remote workers can often work where they want and sometimes even when they want. This isn’t just about the digital nomad lifestyle where a remote worker is logging onto their email from a hut on the beach (although that’s certainly one element of it). Remote work allows someone who can’t afford to live in New York City to take a job with a major publishing company. A marketing executive who needs to move back to her hometown to care for aging parents isn’t limited by the job opportunities there. </li></ul><ul><li>Reduce commuting time. One of the most-cited reasons for wanting to work remotely is eliminating a daily commute. The average American spends <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/04/why-many-employees-are-hoping-to-work-from-home-even-after-the-pandemic-is-over.html">almost an hour commuting to and from work</a> every day, over 200 hours commuting each year. During the pandemic, people have been able to use those <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/04/why-many-employees-are-hoping-to-work-from-home-even-after-the-pandemic-is-over.html">hours of returned time</a> to get more work done, hang out with their families, take up new hobbies, or get a bit more sleep. </li></ul><ul><li>Reduce friction between work and home responsibilities. Someone who works from home can take a few minutes after a conference call to pop a load of laundry into the washing machine. They can walk the dog while they’re on a client call. Especially for working parents, the ability to intersperse the workday with quick tasks can make evenings with kids more relaxed and enjoyable.  </li></ul><h3>Transitioning to remote work post-COVID</h3>Since the COVID-19 crisis began, organizations and their employees have learned on the job—how to use cloud-based file-sharing programs, collaborate with colleagues over video calls, manage employee productivity through email and Slack, and hire and onboard without in-office interviews. They’re more prepared than ever to make this transition. However, companies may need to replace interim measures with longer-term solutions. The pandemic drove a rapid shift to remote work, and it did so without the need for nuanced decisions about the details of a company’s remote work policies. Anyone able to do their work remotely was expected to do so. As the economy reopens, companies will need to define their guidelines and protocols for remote work. A few key questions can guide that process:<ul><li>Will the default working environment be home or office? Do employees need to request the ability to work remotely?</li><li>Will remote work be available equally to all employees, or do options need to be individualized for specific roles?</li><li>Do remote employees need to be “at work” at particular times during the day?</li><li>What tools and metrics can be used to measure employee productivity and performance?</li><li>How will the organization maintain continuity and connection between in-office employees and remote employees?</li></ul>The landscape has changed. Employees have gotten a sneak preview of working remotely, and many will not want to go back. Companies that capitalize on that new reality will have a significant competitive advantage over those attempting to return to “business as usual.&quot;

If you jump into a discussion about the future of remote work after COVID-19, someone is sure to say, The cat’s out of the bag. 

Will organizations expand remote work after COVID-19? Or was this a temporary experiment? Get our take on the future of remote work.

The Future of Remote Work for People and Businesses (After COVID-19)

The Future of Remote Work, after COVID-19 Pandemic

About 50% of all small businesses in the United States are home-based businesses. They come in every shape and size — from landscape designers freelancing out of their garages to a 30-person app development firm with employees all over the country and no physical headquarters. As different as they may be, they all have at least one thing in common. Each company has to decide what address to use to register their business.  The decision isn’t as straightforward as you might think, and if you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you’ve figured out that using a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses">virtual mailing address</a> is the best option for your business. But if you’re still on the fence, this article will help guide you through the pros and cons of your various options (like using your home address) as well as how to get and use a virtual address to register your business.<h3>Why you shouldn’t use your home address to register your business</h3>If you’re starting a business from your home, you may be inclined to use your personal address when you register with your local Secretary of State’s office. After all, your home will be your office. But using your home address has some significant drawbacks. <ol><li>You don’t want to entangle your business and personal affairs. If you’re registering your business, then you’re likely creating a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation — probably to get the benefits those structures provide, like a shield from personal liability. Smart move. Unfortunately, if your company was ever involved in a lawsuit, the court would look for things like separate bank accounts and addresses to determine whether a liability shield is appropriate, i.e. whether your business and personal life were actually separate. Let’s be clear: registering your business using your home address isn’t going to bring the Feds knocking on your door. But if you experience legal issues in the future, you’ll be glad that you kept your business and personal affairs separate.</li><li>The address you use to register your business is public. Anyone can look it up on your local Secretary of State’s website. Publicizing your home address increases your susceptibility to identity theft. Between 7 and 10% of the U.S. population falls <a href="https://www.consumeraffairs.com/finance/identity-theft-statistics.html">victim to identity fraud</a> each year, and sharing personal information online makes you more susceptible to attack. Even if your information remains safe, you may open yourself up to having an upset customer knock on your door while you’re having dinner with your family. </li><li>You may be prohibited from operating a home-based business at your home address. Some homeowners’ associations, condominium or apartment associations, and municipal ordinances ban people from operating businesses out of their homes. The reason for these bans is generally to avoid the activity of a business (traffic, customers coming in and out, etc) in a residential area. Many home-based businesses don’t have any of that activity, especially if you’re providing a service that involves sitting in front of your computer at a desk. However, using your home address as your business address may open you up to complaints or citations.  Make sure you know what the rules are where you live before you get started. </li></ol><h3>Why should you register your business with a virtual address?</h3>At this point, you’re probably pretty clear on why you shouldn’t use your home address to register your business. But why should you use a virtual address? The answer is simple: getting a virtual mailing address for your business protects your private information and keeps your business and personal affairs separate. Of course, your business address does much more than serve as a registration location for the Secretary of State’s office. You provide your business address to many people, in dozens of places:<ul><li>On your invoices</li><li>When you register your domain name for a website</li><li>On communications with customers (For instance, <a href="https://help.campaignmonitor.com/include-a-physical-address-in-your-campaign">anti-spam laws in the U.S.</a> require any business sending marketing email communications to include their business address at the bottom of the email.)</li><li>On contracts or purchase orders with vendors</li><li>When you open a business bank account</li><li>To be on online review sites, like Google My Business or Yelp</li></ul>If you’re going to be using a business address in all those ways, you might as well have it work for you. A virtual mailing address adds flexibility to your business operations by allowing you to check your mail from anywhere in the world — sitting on your couch or on a bicycle tour of the Irish countryside. Wherever you have internet access, you have your mail. With a virtual address, you can easily share mailed documents with colleagues or clients and <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/virtual-address-privacy-and-security">save important information securely in the cloud</a>. Plus, you can be sure you’ll never miss an important piece of mail. Now, let’s take a minute to talk about PO boxes. Some home-based businesses rent a PO box to avoid providing their home address when they register or on other business documents. Unfortunately, not all states allow businesses to register with a PO box, and a PO box can’t give you the flexibility that a virtual mailing address provides. Learn more: <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/blog/how-to-run-a-small-business-without-an-office">How to Run a Business Without an Office — 2020 Small Business Guide</a><h3>Can you use a virtual address for a registered agent?</h3>LLCs and corporations must have a registered agent in the state where their business is registered. A registered agent is someone that you designate to receive specific important documents on your behalf—for instance, documents from the Secretary of State’s office or “service of process” documents if you’re ever involved in a lawsuit. Each state creates its own rules about registered agents. In most states, you or another individual from your company can act as the registered agent as long as you have a physical street address within the state. However, someone would need to be present at that address during working hours to sign for important documents, and the registered agent’s address is publicly available on the Secretary of State’s website. Because someone must be physically present for a registered agent’s address, you may not be able to use a virtual address. Check with your local Secretary of State’s office to be sure. Online companies like LegalZoom offer <a href="https://www.legalzoom.com/business/business-operations/registered-agent-overview.html">registered agent services</a>, as do many local businesses and attorneys. <h3>How to register your LLC or corporation with a virtual address from Earth Class Mail</h3>You can get a virtual business address within a matter of minutes. <ol><li>Choose the Earth Class Mail <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">virtual address plan</a> that best meets your business’s current mail needs.  </li><li>Click the “Buy Now” button and enter your name and email address. </li><li>Choose a <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/addresses">virtual address</a> in the state where you’re registering your business.  If you’re choosing a virtual address that’s a PO box, check with your local Secretary of State’s office to confirm that you can use a PO box address to register. Earth Class Mail’s PO box virtual addresses work the same as our street number virtual addresses.</li><li>Fill out a USPS Form 1583, a form required by the Federal Government before any third party can gain access to your postal mail. You’ll need to have the form notarized with two forms of identification. Tools like <a href="https://www.notarize.com/">Notarize.com</a> move the notarization process online so you can take care of this process entirely from home. Then send the original form to Earth Class Mail. </li><li>Once you receive notice that your virtual address is set up, visit your local Secretary of State’s website and use the virtual address to register your business. </li></ol>If you’ve already registered your business using your home address, don’t fret. You can always change it, and now is the perfect time to get that personal information off a publicly available website. <a href="https://www.earthclassmail.com/pricing">Start here</a> to get your virtual mailing address.

About 50% of all small businesses in the United States are home-based businesses. They come in every shape and size — from landscape designers freelancing out of their garages to a 30-person app development firm with employees all over the country and no

Using a virtual mailing address to register your business protects your private information and gives you greater flexibility. Learn more.

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