Back when my startups were under the radar, I wanted to display a mailing address on my contact pages, but not my home address, of course. My assumption is that a mailing address gives customers the impression that you have an office somewhere, even though you're actually working from a folding table in your living room.
I discovered Earth Class Mail. They offer a service that gives you a new mailing address, and any mail arriving at that address is automatically opened, scanned, and available for you to read/shred online. It's a fine service for constant travelers, recreational vehicle users, and others who are always on the go. No need for the neighbors to collect your mail for you.
When I signed up in 2007, the pricing was $9.95/month, and I paid yearly. But I had to cancel last December because the price had doubled. The basic plan offered is now $19.95/month. Here are the pricing details.
You can select an address in one of many large US cities, and you may choose a street addresses or a P.O. Box. To me, a street address is more conducive to a business address. Street addresses require an additional fee, based on the city.
You may have seen the company featured on MOJO's "Start-Up Junkies" where they followed the company and its founder through their journey.
So why did I cancel?
I had come out of stealth, and my customers knew that I wasn't a big company, so even though an address would have been nice to have, it wasn't really needed to keep up the charade. And over 2 years no one ever sent a letter. It was nice having that address, though, in case someone needed to send me something.
Photo courtesy rachaelvoorhees CC BY-SA 2.0
Next post: why you should never see a credit card