If you have a small business and you do not yet have your own physical premises, you may have considered using your residential address as a contact address for your business. But wait! Before you go and publish your personal details for the whole world to see, there is another option at your disposal – mail forwarding services.
What Are Mail Forwarding Services?
Mail forwarding services provide you with a “virtual office” address that you can give out to anybody that might need your address, such as your customers or suppliers. When letters are sent to your virtual address, they are forwarded onto you – often by post or email.
Why do you need a Mail Forwarding Service?
- Privacy- If you do not wish to disclose your home address, then mail forwarding services are a great solution. Using a virtual office as your business address gives you peace of mind in the knowledge that your residential address cannot be accessed by anybody and everybody.
- Prestige- Mail Forwarding Service providers are generally based in prestigious locations, such as London’s “Tech City” for example. This means your company can give a strong first impression (without the costly overheads).
- Convenience – Having somebody there to sign for your mail at all times means you have more time to focus on your new business. Time is money after all!
What documentation is needed to set up a Mail Forwarding Service?
Mail forwarding service providers are obliged to comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations. As a rule, you will need to provide two pieces of documentation in order to set up a Mail Forwarding Service – a proof of ID and a proof of address.
Common proof of ID documents are a passport or driving license, whereas the proof of address will usually be a utility bill, bank statement or similar document.
That’s about all there is to it. The mail forwarding service is a simple solution that can really make a difference in those crucial early stages of a business.
