Forge News and Updates |
If you are an entrepreneur, small business owner, or you are looking to have a business address in a different city or state, a virtual mailbox membership would be a great fit for you! So, you might be wondering: how exactly does a virtual mail membership work?
When you set up a virtual mail membership with Forge, you will be assigned a business address with a suite number. Then, when mail arrives for you, a member of our team will take a photo of your mail item and upload it to your mail portal! From there, you can choose to have the item scanned, shredded, recycled, forwarded, or you can schedule a pickup. This is, of course, a great way to keep track of your mail, but there are actually quite a few benefits you may not have thought of…
1. More Professional Than Your Home Address
If you run a business, you need a professional business address, it’s as simple as that. Using your personal home or residential address for your business gives your clients a first impression that is unprofessional to them and potentially unsafe for you. Utilizing a professional business address is simply the best possible option for your business.
2. Forward Your Mail to Any Address
While you can, of course, forward your mail to your personal address, you may need to forward it on somewhere else! We can forward your mail anywhere you need it to go. Just one more step you do not have to worry about.
3. No Trips to the Post Office
Rather than driving to the post office to check if you have anything in your PO Box, you can simply log into your mail app to check on what is in your box. The mail items will stay in your mailbox portal until you choose what to do with them. Similarly, you’ll have no need to go to the post office for stamps or to forward anything as we can handle that all for you!
4. Bye Bye Junk Mail
Say goodbye to sorting through junk mail and wasting your time shredding, recycling, and scanning your documents. When you sign up for Forge’s Virtual Mail service, you’ll get notified each time you get a piece of mail. Simply tap on the item and then choose scan, shred, forward, recycle, or pick up!
5. One Less Thing to Deal With
In addition to all of these other (more tangible) reasons, it’s mostly just one less thing that you personally have to deal with. For many business owners, it’s helpful to automate or even just take 1 thing off of their plate. Consider a virtual mail membership
6. All Your Mail at Your Fingertips
If you’ve had an item of mail scanned, you can access it at any time via your email. You can also see all of your mail at any time, no matter where you are in the country (or the world!). We know business owners are busy and having electronic access to all your mail whenever you need it is very important! Forge x Anytime Mailbox makes it easy.
7. A Real Street Address, NOT a P.O. Box
Unlike a P.O. Box, you can receive packages from virtually any carrier at a real street address. You will not run into any of the typical issues that may occur when you sign up for a P.O. Box with a Virtual Mailbox.
You can sign up for a Forge Virtual Mail membership for just $39/month here.
Forge News and Updates |
As remote work and flex working becomes more and more popular with a variety of industries, working from home is becoming the norm. But is work-from-home really the best, most productive way to work?
We explore 5 reasons that having a coworking membership is a better and more productive option than working from home.
Working Around Others
Working around others can keep you accountable, especially when they are not working on the same projects you are. Being around a group of motivated, productive individuals can inspire you to make progress on your own work projects and assignments! You may also get inspiration and motivation from learning about their work projects and what kind of goals they are working toward in their line of work!
Less Distractions
Working in a coworking space eliminates the distractions that can come with working from home. No laundry piled up out of the corner of your eye, no dishes to clean, and no other household tasks nagging at you. You can disconnect from home and plug into work in a work-only zone that is more inspiring and less chaotic than your dining room table setup.
Work-Life Balance
When you work and live at home, it can be really tough to maintain a good work-life balance because it can start to feel like you are always at work. Having a separate place to work is vital to keeping a separation between your work life and your home life. There are countless studies that show the importance of having a healthy work life balance for the impact it can have on your relationships, your well-being, and your quality of work. Obtaining a membership at a coworking space gives you the option to get out of your house and have a “true” workday that you can come home from at the end of the day.
Making Personal and Professional Connections
One aspect of coworking that can’t be overlooked is the opportunity to make meaningful professional connections. If you are an entrepreneur, the support and help you get from others is invaluable. You may make personal and professional connections who will help you propel your new business, take your current business to the next level, or connect you to someone who can skyrocket your career.
“Co-working also means brainstorming and learning new things every day from your differently skilled co-workers. In the long run, you become knowledgeable, creative, and eventually an industry-leading expert. That expertise will come in handy later in your professional life- You will be completing projects faster than usual by leveraging the skills you are gaining today.” – Facile Things
More Flexibility = More Productivity
“According to the Gartner 2021 Digital Worker Experience Survey, 43% of respondents said that flexibility in working hours helped them achieve greater productivity, and 30% of respondents said that less or no time commuting enabled them to be more productive.”
When workers have options and flexibility in their workday — whether that be with their hours, commute, or workspace — they are often more productive. When we feel like we have agency over our workday, we can get more done. Perhaps a coworking community is a shorter commute for you, or allows you more flexible workspaces to take Zoom meetings and in person meetings… whatever the reason, having access to a coworking space can increase your flexibility throughout your workday, which can in turn increase your productivity!
Forge News and Updates |
For entrepreneurs and established businesses alike, making a decision about office space is no easy task. There are so many options to consider and factors to weigh. Before you begin your search for a home base for your business, it’s critical to determine what you’re looking for: are you going to go with a coworking space or a traditional office?
If you are given the options of an office in a coworking space vs. traditional office work, which suits you better?
One of the most important benefits of coworking is its flexibility as compared to traditional offices. At Forge you can rent an office for one year, 6 months or month-to-month. You don’t have to commit to a long-term lease. And your rent at Forge includes things like utilities, internet, professional business address, meeting room credit, and even coffee.
Flexible lease options give you the ability to use the space on a short-term basis and to grow or shrink your physical space requirements as needed. Coworking offices can offer a more tailor-made solution when it comes to lease and space requirements.
Forge Rooftop Conference Room
Another perk? You can occupy your fully-furnished space right away. Forge private offices come with desks, chairs, filing cabinet, whiteboard and internet… plus a variety of amenities (like unlimited coffee!) and on-demand meeting space arrangements.
It’s not all about the physical space. Coworking spaces mean you have the opportunity to join forces with people with complementary skills and/or people who require your skills. Working from Forge makes it easy to network and grow your business connections and friendships!
Team office at Forge
Now let’s talk about traditional offices…
Leasing a traditional office usually represents a long-term commitment. Also, you need to think about your upfront costs with a traditional office. When you lease a traditional office, you will have to furnish and equip your space. This may also include expensive investments like building out amenities and meeting rooms.
And what about management of the space? You’ll have to take on the task of managing the office which can include maintenance and cleaning.
Not only that, but you have fewer opportunities to network and collaborate. You have less of a chance of connecting with people from other companies or industries.
Whether you’re considering a traditional office or an office in a coworking space, make sure the physical space you choose reflects the image you want to project for your clients, potential employees and partners, and the type of business you’re in!
Interested in touring a private office at Forge? Click below!
Forge News and Updates |
MEET FORGE MEMBER DR. MAEGAN RENEE, a Counselor Education Professor at Grand Canyon University. We are so happy to have her here at Forge!
Q: What’s the last show you binge-watched?
A: The Good Place
Q: Is there a product you can’t live without?
A: Blue Mercury M-61 Skin Care
Q: What’s your ideal weekend in Birmingham?
A: A morning yoga session at the Yoga Circle or hiking at Oak Mountain with friends. Followed by a late brunch at Alabama Biscuit (I love the croque madame biscuit with aioli sauce) and a walk in Rail Road Park with my Westie Charlie! To top it all off, an ideal way to wrap up the weekend would be with a sunset aperitif with friends, a good charcuterie board, and wine on my condo’s roof top!
Q: In addition to your job title, tell us a little bit about what you do / what your company does.
A: I am a Counselor Education College Professor at Grand Canyon University. GCU prides itself on making educational affordable and accessible for all. The school offers both on campus and fully online undergrad and graduate programs.The majority of students are nontraditional students, meaning they work full-time jobs, have families, and are going back to school. The students I teach are working towards their graduate degrees in the field of counseling. Whether they want to become a school counselor or a counselor who works in private practice, I work with them to develop the skills they need to be effective therapists in their communities.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Forge?
A: My favorite thing about Forge is the sense of community but I also love the architecture of the building itself. There is so much natural light it’s an immediate mood boost! Too add, you can’t beat finishing a long work day with the Forge Thursday Happy Hour or hopping downstairs to the food hall for a nice evening glass of wine!
We are so glad to have Dr. Maegan as a part of our community here at Forge!
Forge News and Updates |
You may recognize Katelyn — she used to be the Events Manager for us here at Forge! She is now one of our awesome members with the company Quire Consulting.
Q: What’s the last show you binge-watched?
A: We are currently making our way through Letterkenny rather quickly in the Foote household.
Q: Is there a product you can’t live without?
A: My ember mug – I drink my coffee sooo slow. I might be able to live without it but all my coffee would be cold.
Q: What’s your ideal weekend in Birmingham?
A: I love a chill Birmingham weekend with good food and friends! I’m all for sleeping in and enjoying a slow morning with coffee, a good book, and my cats. Then I love stopping by some of my favorite shops like Thank You Books and Urban Suburban. Throw in some food and drinks from Zaza or El Barrio and I’d say that’s a perfect mix for a great weekend.
Q: In addition to your job title, tell us a little bit about what you do/ what your company does.
A: I am a Design Research Associate with Quire Consulting. Quire is a human-centered innovation consultancy – which means I get to ask a lot of questions, listen to people, and help them solve problems and move their organizations forward!
Q: What is your favorite thing about Forge?
A: The people, of course!
Katelyn is a Design Research Associate at Quire Consulting. Learn more about them here.
