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So You Want to Talk About (Virtual) Mail?

A Virtual Mailbox is both a perk for your clients and an opportunity for operators to increase their revenue streams and income without expanding their physical footprint. Keep reading to learn more about this game-changing and revenue-generating asset.

  • By Rose Rivera
  • November 20, 2023

Virtual Mailbox 101: What Is It and How Does It Work?

  1. A Virtual Mailbox is a digitized log of a person’s physical postal mail.
  2. When mail arrives at a location (ie. coworking space, property management mailroom, or mail centers), it gets sorted and scanned by the facility operator, who should be CMRA (Commercial Mail Receiving Agent) compliant.
  3. A digital copy of envelopes and packages is then uploaded onto a mailroom management software where renters can examine and make requests (ie. forward, open, destroy) 24/7 from any device and anywhere in the world.

Postal mail handling and management have changed significantly in the past few decades and continue to evolve. Years ago, if you wanted to ensure you got your mail while you were away from home, you had to rely on a friendly neighbor or a family member. Now, with the introduction of Virtual Mailboxes, all you need is your mobile device or computer. 

In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the ins and outs of Virtual Mailboxes. From the seamless transition of physical mail to digital formats to the convenience of accessing your mail from anywhere in the world, we’ll delve into the key aspects that make Virtual Mailboxes your next best add-on.

How Does a Postal Mail Management Software Work?

A Virtual Mailbox serves as a digital record of an individual’s correspondence arriving at an operator’s facility. This digital solution offers flexibility and convenience for individuals, digital nomads, and businesses, allowing them to access and manage their mail from anywhere with an internet connection. This is a typical workflow for a postal mail management platform:

  1. Mail Arrives: Physical mail gets delivered.
  2. Mail is Handled (with tons of care): The operator receives a renter’s physical letters and packages, scans the exterior of each mailpiece (with a mobile app), and uploads the digital images to a secure mail management system.
  3. The Virtual Mailbox: These digital snapshots are uploaded to an individual’s or a business’ secure platform (aka Virtual Mailbox) to be examined at any moment from any device.
  4. Your Client Decides: From an app or web browser, your renter decides what actions they want to take with their mail, from open & scans to shreds. It’s their mail, their rules. With PilotoMail, the operator can define a cost for each of these actions and thus create new revenue streams.

Why it Matters for Your Space to Have a Digital Offering

In recent years, the workforce has swiftly transitioned into a more digital space. A decade ago, the concept of a “digital nomad” seemed very new and something only a few people dared to do. Today, it’s almost the norm. According to Statista, the number of digital nomads in the US alone exceeded 15 million in 2021, and since then, this figure has continued to rise. By having a digital office offering, you cater directly to the millions of remote workers who are looking for the security and reliability that Virtual Mailboxes, as an extension of Virtual Offices, offer.

Here’s why it’s a game-changer and a lucrative revenue opportunity:

  1. Global Accessibility: Is your client sunbathing in Bali? Sipping espresso in Rome? No problem. Mail is at their fingertips, as long as you serve as their Virtual Office provider.
  2. Enhanced Security: Unlike physical mail, which can be lost or stolen, virtual mailboxes serve as a digital safe, it’s always there. Plus, having a digital log of your mailroom reduces liability by keeping track of every piece of mail that lands in your office and becomes your responsibility. It is the easiest way to reduce human error and maintain a controlled space.
  3. Efficiency Like Never Before: Streamline how you handle mail to free up time to work on other operational tasks, or better yet, sign up new clients!
  4. Scale Your Business Beyond Your Square Footage: With mail management software, you can focus on growing your business without worrying about the limits of your space. Virtual Mailboxes are an incredible way to double, triple (or quadruple, it’s up to you!) the value of your existing space.
Want more reasons why you should offer a Virtual Mailbox? Here are our top 3 reasons why you should be providing virtual mailboxes to all your clients.

A Virtual Mailbox is not just a perk for your clients, and a revenue opportunity for you as an operator, it’s also a step into the future of work. We’ve seen the shift in working models, and the desire to get away from the traditional office take shape in the last 10 years. Virtual mailboxes, as an extension of virtual offices, are simply the natural progression of our industry. 

About PilotoMail

PilotoMail is a mail management platform that creates recurring revenue streams for mailrooms through postal mail handling automation, and virtual mailboxes for the remote workforce. Property managers, coworking spaces, mail centers & registered agents can handle large volumes of mail efficiently, comply with all postal regulations, and increase revenue from their existing footprint effortlessly.

If you're interested in learning more about the Commercial Mail Receiving Agency designation, sign up for our next webinar on Compliance 101 below.

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