Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum (unless you’re an astronaut). For the rest of us, it usually begins when we’re frustrated enough to fix something. Sony’s Walkman? Born from a desire to listen to music on a plane. Domino’s pizza box? An answer to mushy pizza in a paper bag.
And the enterprise virtual mailbox? That spark came from entrepreneurs and office managers drowning in envelopes — chasing checks, contracts, and compliance documents across three time zones.
From Start-Up to Scale-Up
US Global Mail began like any scrappy start-up — with a simple mission: help people manage their snail mail like email. Twenty-five years later, that idea has evolved into a fully digitized, AI-powered mailroom that helps enterprises manage thousands of mail pieces each month securely and effortlessly. We’ve learned a few things along the way — not just about running a business, but about what it takes to grow one.
Along the way, a few truths stuck:
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Be your own customer. If you wouldn’t use your product on a hectic Monday, it’s not ready.
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Ship the smallest useful thing. Add features when they save time, not because a competitor has them.
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Attention is rented; trust is owned. Great marketing opens the door; great operations keep the account.
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Delegation beats heroics. Systems scale. Late nights don’t.
Those lessons solved a founder problem first… and then an operations problem for every office manager who handles 500+ pieces of mail a month.
Where Growth Quietly Stalls (and How Mail Gets In the Way)
Growing companies don’t lose time in one dramatic place; they leak it in tiny drips: a contract stuck in someone’s in-tray, a check that went to the wrong floor, a missing vendor notice nobody knew arrived. Multiply that by departments and time zones, and momentum stalls.
That’s why the “mailroom” can’t just be a room anymore.
What an Enterprise Virtual Mailbox Actually Does
Think of an enterprise virtual mailbox as “mail that behaves like data.”
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Receive at a real street address.
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Digitize incoming mail so you can see it—fast.
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Decide: open & scan, forward, hold, or shred—by item.
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Route to the right people or folders automatically.
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Track every action so you have a clean audit trail.
It’s not a shiny feature—it’s quiet infrastructure. The kind that removes friction you stopped noticing because you were busy.
Set up a virtual mailbox or mailroom now. Think of it as the least expensive employee you’ll ever have. For one thing, you can begin free for 30-days. Assuming you can’t get enough of our customer service and will forever remain a loyal customer, you can always change to a different plan that allows for larger quantities of recipients, companies and scans.
What’s a virtual mailbox?
But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself. What exactly is a virtual mailbox? It’s a mail service that does it all so you don’t have to. Instead of picking up the mail, your letters and packages are sent to one of our US mail processing facilities. Everything is automatically scanned and securely uploaded to your USGM account, where you can decide what you want to do with it. Your account and the items and packages associated with it can be managed through your password-protected inbox.
- Want to see what’s inside? Request a scan and we’ll get right on it.
- Want to forward an item to another address? It’s a click away.
- Want your incoming checks to be sent directly to your bank for deposit? We can do that automatically.
When you subscribe to an enterprise plan with US Global Mail, we’ll even securely shred and recycle your junk mail. Every day. You can even notify us if you want a document securely shredded.
This should go without saying, but we’ll put it out there anyway: if you’re comparison shopping for a virtual mailbox, check us out head-to-head against our competition – and don’t forget to check the reviews!
Know thy competition. You definitely have competition. Even if you’re simply competing with the time someone normally spends gaming, you’re still hustling for that action. The smart move is to visit their website and/or store. Buy from them. Return your purchase to stress test their customer service. When you do customer research, ask your participants to rank the competition and find out where you fit on that continuum. If your competitor is doing something right and making money from it, there’s no shame in adjusting your vision to accommodate a smarter, more effective idea. Don’t forget to check their customer reviews too.
A word on reviews
They’re important. (Ok, two words.) Whether you’re looking for a new plumber or virtual mailbox service, chances are that you – like most people – are more likely to buy if you read glowing customer reviews.
You want to be assured of seamless mail service, of gallant (and you-oriented) customer service representatives. Reviews on Google, Trustpilot, Site Jabber and even the Better Business Bureau are your gold standard.
That said…you can’t believe everything you read.
Just like every person in the history of the planet has had a bad day, every company gets a bad review. Look for a preponderance of good reviews very lightly peppered with a bad review here and there. There’s a world of reasons someone might pick up their pen with poison intent, and most have very little to do with the company. But if you do see that a majority of reviews about a company you’re researching are negative, it’s probably best to seek out a different virtual mailbox company.
As a matter of fact, US Global Mail was recently honored as the #1 Mail Scanning Service in the world by Top Consumer Reviews magazine.
Don’t be shy about asking for a review from your very first customer. People want to know what other people are doing – and how well or poorly they’re doing it. As mentioned, people are much more likely to buy when they see positive reviews. Asking for honest feedback is also a great, old-fashioned way to get to know your customers a little better.
Entrepreneurs around the planet know and employ the services of US Global Mail and have been quite specific in their reasoning. You can see some of our reviews here. We highly recommend you visit the aforementioned reviews websites via the aforementioned links too.
Business Class Mail
Living and working from the open road or a coworking space overlooking the Caribbean, means a physical US address – not a P.O. Box – will be advantageous for you.
First, there’s your professional image – or brand if you prefer – to consider. When you use a US-based address, it shows the world that you are serious about your business and that you are committed to serving your customers.
- Your brand can’t wait. Your image matters as much as your reviews. When people talk about your business, they’re talking about you. That’s why you should embody your company when you’re with customers. (Also, your logo should be professional. Don’t cheap out.)
- Second, a virtual business mailbox will save you money. Paying a staff to sort your mail doesn’t make financial sense. Renting an office space in the US, or anywhere else for that matter, can be debilitatingly expensive. Especially if you live in an urban center where the insanity of the real estate market constitutes the most prevalent form of small talk. (I’m looking at you LA and NYC!)
- Third, a virtual business mailbox can help you stay organized. When you receive mail electronically, it’s easy to keep track of what is important – and dispose of what isn’t. We’ll even forward checks to your bank.
- Never pass up a chance to promote your business. When you do, remember that people buy benefits. Not features. For example, when someone purchases a virtual mailbox, they’re buying convenience and security. When they purchase a virtual mailbox from US Global Mail, they’re also enjoying up to 80% off international shipping rates. (See how we slipped that little promo in there?)
Small Business Is Big Business
According to PayScale, the average small business owner income is $60,648 per year. But, total earnings can range up to $127,000 per year!
Whether you’re an intrepid digital nomad, a founding father (or mother) or fall somewhere in-between, that kind of money can be a game changer!
Of course, those are the smart and successful businesses. The ones that survive the early years by bending technology to their will and letting customers do the same to their ears.
We hope you’re able to put our hard-won lessons to work.
If you’re in a sharing mood, we’d love to hear what you think is the most valuable piece of business advice you’ve ever received.
Don’t forget to share this with someone who could use it!
