These days running a simple Google search for a drop box location is more likely to bring up results for the cloud based storage provider and file-sharing service of the same name (Dropbox) rather than information about those ubiquitous blue boxes owned by the United States Postal Service one used to see fairly regularly on US streets.
If you laboriously type in ‘post office drop box location’ though you will be directed to several websites that provide lists of the remaining USPS drop boxes still in active service, including the USPS list and you’ll immediately notice that most of them are now located at post offices. Gone, it seems, are the days of being able to do a simple drive-by to drop off your mail in your local drop box conveniently located within a few miles of home or on your way to work, often without having to step outside the comfort of your own car.
If you’re a business owner with a large volume of mail coming and going it’s all enough to make you want to find an easier alternative and I’m happy to say these do exist. They’re referred to variously as mail drop services, drop box services or commercial mail receiving agencies (CMRA) and they generally offer a wide range of postal services as well as a convenient and permanent postal address which is handy for e-commerce and mail order businesses.
Some of these services in fact do everything for you from selling postal supplies to sending and receiving your mail for you, including courier pick ups and drop offs, provide dedicated phone and fax lines and offer additional email and fax services. And if you want to ‘go global’ with your business there are always offshore options. Business friendly Costa Rica in Latin America for instance is becoming increasingly popular as a great place to set up an international business ‘office’. Sun, surf and a great lifestyle ….
