Do
you dream of living and working from a laptop at any location in the world?
Want a professional-looking business without the hassle of sorting mail and
looking unprofessional?
Traveling
while running a business may seem like a wonderful way to combine work and
freedom, but as anyone who's actually tried it will tell you, without the right
tools and tricks it quickly becomes a logistical nightmare.
You
can use this guide to figure out the solution to the biggest challenges and
obstacles, allowing you to streamline your travel workflow and still maintain a
high level of professionalism.
What
you'll discover:
Why
remote workers need virtual addresses
How
virtual addresses can change your workflow
Hidden
benefits that most people don't know about
How
to choose the right provider for your needs
Why Remote Workers Need Virtual
Addresses
Remote
work is on the rise. 22 million Americans are now 100% remote workers and 18.1
million Americans identify themselves as digital nomads. This trend is only set
to increase, with 57% of workers stating that they would like to work remotely
(if possible).
The
problem with working while traveling is that you can easily create logistical
nightmares, damage your professional image and holding back your productivity.
Let's
take a look at some of the biggest problems.
Miss
Important Mail
This
is something that will occur sooner or later. You're traveling in Southeast
Asia for three months. Your bank sends you an important notice to your old
address. Your accountant wants tax documents. A client is trying to send you a
contract.
Do
you have any idea where all this mail is going?
Unless
you've set up mail forwarding, all of your mail is simply going to end up
getting lost, delayed, or sent back to the sender. This obviously creates
significant problems for any business.
Look
Unprofessional
When
you put your hotel address on your invoice, or use your parent's home address
as your business registration, it looks extremely unprofessional. Clients don't
trust random people that could easily be working from a beach somewhere (even
if you actually are).
If
you want to look and feel like a legitimate business, then you need to have a
proper business address.
Compliance
Issues
Don't
be surprised. Most places require a physical address when you register your
business. A P.O. box won't cut it. This means that most digital nomads have
significant challenges registering:
Business
bank accounts
Meeting
tax requirements
Accessing
financial services
All
of this is eliminated with a single virtual address.
How Virtual Addresses Transform
Your Workflow
Virtual
address services can provide you with a real street address in your desired
location without having to physically be there. The benefits of these services
for your travel workflow extend way beyond just mail forwarding, though.
Centralized
Mail Management
Virtual
addresses handle your mail in a way that you can easily manage it.
Real-time
notifications when your mail arrives at your virtual address. You get photos of
the outside of the envelope so you know what mail you care about before it's
sent.
Mail
forwarding directly to wherever you are located at the time. You can be in
Bangkok or in Barcelona, your mail will still follow you there.
Digital
scanning of important mail so you can get those scanned copies within a couple
of hours of delivery rather than waiting for weeks.
Professional
Business Presence
Virtual
addresses provide you with the instant credibility you need to truly make it as
a business. It's now possible to:
List
a prestigious business address on your website
Use
it for your business cards and marketing material
Legally
register your business
Keep
personal and business correspondence separate
The
result is that you start to look and feel like an established business even as
you travel the world.
Simplified
Logistics
Operating
a business while on the road is complex. Virtual addresses remove one major
logistical headache by:
Address
consistency for all of your business needs. Your banks, vendors, and clients
will always have the same address on file.
Less
paperwork since you're no longer having to constantly update addresses with
different organizations.
Streamlined
tax compliance since you have a permanent address to use for all of your tax
needs.
Hidden Benefits Most People Miss
Most
people think of virtual addresses as simply a mail forwarding service, but in
reality, they have way more to offer.
Access
to Premium Locations
Want
a Manhattan business address without Manhattan rent? Virtual addresses can
allow you to establish a presence in some of the most prestigious areas at a
fraction of the cost.
This
is especially valuable for:
Client-facing
businesses that need credibility
Companies
that serve specific geographic markets
International
businesses wanting a US presence
Privacy
Protection
One
of the main points that many people miss out on is the privacy and identity
protection that a virtual address provides. Instead of using your home address
on public-facing business documents, you can provide your virtual address.
This
means:
Your
personal residence is protected
Clients
can't show up on your doorstep unannounced
You
mitigate identity theft risks
You
have clear work-life boundaries
Scaling
Flexibility
If
you want to scale your business, your virtual address can be adapted to you.
Need presence in multiple cities? No problem. Want to test new markets? Simple.
Get
virtual addresses in the target markets and test them out. No need for physical
offices.
Choosing the Right Virtual
Address Provider
All
virtual address services are not created equally, so you will want to find the
best one for your needs.
Service
Features
The
best providers will offer you:
Mail
scanning and digital delivery – A must for remote workers
Package
acceptance – If you get business shipments
Phone
answering services – Adds an extra level of professionalism
Multiple
forwarding options – Flexibility for different types of mail
Location
Options
You
want to ensure the provider you pick has addresses in locations that work for
your business. Some of the most popular options are:
New
York for financial services
Los
Angeles for entertainment and tech
Delaware
for business incorporation
Florida
for tax advantages
Pricing
Structure
Different
providers will have different pricing structures. Some will have:
Monthly
fees plus per-service charges
All-inclusive
monthly rates
Setup
fees and additional service fees
Compare
the prices and calculate your total expected costs before you sign up.
Security
and Compliance
You
want to be sure that your provider:
Requires
completion of the USPS Form 1583
Is
fully licensed and insured
Follows
data privacy regulations
Handles
documents securely
Making the Switch
Ready
to transform your travel workflow? Here's how to get started.
Find
providers that operate in your desired location. Read the reviews and compare
services. Most providers offer month-to-month plans, so you can test out the
service.
Complete
any paperwork requirements. Providers will have you fill out the USPS Form
1583, which gives them legal permission to handle your mail.
Update
your address for important organizations. Change your address on your bank,
credit cards, insurance companies, and with any government agencies.
Set
up your mail preferences. This is where you decide what gets scanned,
forwarded, or held.
Wrapping It All Up
Virtual
addresses are no longer a luxury. They are an essential component for any
serious remote worker and digital nomad. They solve the fundamental problem of
running a professional business without the geographic limitations and enable
you to have complete freedom in your travel.
The
statistics don't lie. With the growth of remote
work and the mainstreaming of digital nomadism, virtual addresses are
becoming table stakes for all location-independent professionals.
