As a rule, traditional postal mail delivery is a reliable way to receive all of your business mail, bills, accounts receivable, etc. But what happens to your important business mail in the event of a postal strike, or you find that the system has become unreliable? Thanks to technology, this is no longer a problem. There are digital solutions that will allow you to receive your mail regardless of what the postal service is doing. There are, in fact, several solutions at your disposal to ensure you can send and receive important mailings.
Virtual PO Box
Virtual PO boxes and addresses have become a popular way for businesses to send and receive mail, especially those that are ‘home’ based. Virtual mailboxes can give your business a more professional image and you won’t have to worry about mail disruptions in the event of a postal strike. You mail can be scanned, emailed and forwarded to you without delay. A virtual PO box comes with a web-based mail application, so you can check your mail wherever you are: in a coffee shop, in your home office or halfway across the world while on vacation. You can streamline your business processes, cut down on costs and increase revenue with a simple change in how you send and receive mail. There is great peace of mind knowing you will never have a lost piece of mail again.
Switch Your Accounts to Digital Delivery
Most utility companies now have e-billing services; that is, they can email your monthly bill and you can pay it online. This makes the need for postal delivery obsolete in this regard. It’s not just utilities that can do this for you; most companies can now email accounts payable documents, receipts, important documents, etc. All you need to do is scan them, print them or file them as needed. Marketing materials, trade publications and more can all be handled online via the web and email. To make the switch, simply call your suppliers, utility companies and other contacts and tell them you’d like to go paperless.
Seek Private Mail Carriers
Private companies like Purolator, UPS and FEDEX are reliable backup sources in the event of a mail disruption. They can transport important documents, packages, letters and more across the country and around the world. Often, they can do it faster than traditional snail mail. A Nigerian start-up company has found a similar solution for their notoriously unreliable mail service. You may have to pay a bit more, but you can’t put a price on reliability and quality service.
Relocate Your Business
Is your business located in a specific area that is known for unreliable service? Have there been regular reports of missing parcels or important letters and other communications? While it may not be ideal, you may want to relocate your business to a location that is more secure and reliable. A dedicated mail infrastructure may be a better choice if you rely heavily on traditional mail services.
Some people believe the post office is slowly going out of business, partly because it’s becoming irrelevant. When it’s running at its best, the post office is surprisingly efficient and their processes and systems are doing a good job at keeping up with technology; however, with services like virtual mailboxes and private companies, mail delivery may just be a thing of the past within the next few decades.
