Welcome to an exciting new chapter for the Mail Boxes Etc. store in Shepherd’s Bush! As of April 2024, local entrepreneurs Raj Khullar and Adnan Siddiqui have taken over the reins, bringing fresh ideas and renewed energy to this beloved community hub on Rockley Road.

New Mail Boxes Etc Shepherd’s Bush owners Adnan Siddiqui and Raj Khullar

Raj, who recently bought the franchise, has teamed up with his old friend Adnan, who will be managing the day-to-day operations. Together, they have a clear vision: to support local businesses in Shepherd’s Bush with their import and export needs, while also expanding the store’s design and print services.

Raj shares his enthusiasm:

“Mail Boxes Etc. is the world’s leading provider of shipping, fulfilment, print, and marketing solutions for small and medium enterprises, as well as consumers. With a network of over 1,800 franchise locations in 48 countries, we are truly global.”

He continues,

“Mail Boxes Etc. is one of the few chain store outlets expanding on UK high streets. We believe this growth is driven by the increasing number of ecommerce businesses looking for professional shipping solutions and postal mailboxes separate from their home or operational addresses.”

Raj and Adnan are committed to making international shipping hassle-free for their customers. They handle the complexities of choosing the right shipping partner for each package and assist with documentation to minimise delays.

Their packing solutions are ideal for those dealing with fragile items, and they also specialise in securely sending sensitive and high-value documents.

For businesses operating from home, the store’s mailbox services offer a perfect solution, allowing entrepreneurs to keep their home addresses private. Raj adds,

“I’m excited to bring these services to the people and businesses of Shepherd’s Bush. We aim to help local entrepreneurs and established businesses expand their reach globally.”

Mail Boxes Etc. (UK) Limited becomes part of the MBE Worldwide community  

Mail Boxes Etc. (UK) is now part of the MBE Worldwide network, in a move that adds the UK and Republic of Ireland to the existing community of countries whose networks are directly operated by the global master licensor. MBE UK & Ireland, which has 153 stores, will join Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Poland, Portugal, US, Canada, Australia and The Netherlands – making up the 1,667 MBE branded locations, of the group’s 2,800 global service centres in 53 countries worldwide.

MBE UK & Ireland will retain its current management team and its headquarters will remain in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.

Simon Cowie, chairman of Mail Boxes Etc. (UK) Limited, believes this is an exciting development for the MBE UK & Ireland franchise system: 

“Combining forces with MBE Worldwide creates unique opportunities for synergy with our colleagues, harnessing their strong franchise-based experience to support our franchise network and grow our business in the UK and Ireland.”

Francis Laryea, managing director of Mail Boxes Etc. (UK) Limited said: 

“This acquisition demonstrates the MBE Worldwide commitment to growing the Mail Boxes Etc. brand and network of post, parcel and print centres across core European markets, at a time of trade disruption caused by the impact of Brexit, as well as the global Covid-19 pandemic.”

The acquisition is an attractive proposition from MBE Worldwide’s point of view too: 

“MBE UK & Ireland is an excellent addition to our directly operated countries because of its entrepreneur‐driven, people‐centric, customer‐first business model, which embodies our MBE business and culture. We welcome and are excited to work even closer with the team, to provide high‐value solutions to our business and consumer customers in the UK & Ireland market.”

Paolo Fiorelli, Chairman and CEO, MBE Worldwide

The change is good news for prospective franchisees, says MBE UK’s franchising manager, Heather Hannant: 

“This is a great time to join the MBE network in the UK or Ireland - entrepreneurs will be reassured by the size, strength and expertise brought by MBE Worldwide.”

For Mail Boxes Etc. products and services

To find out more about a Mail Boxes Etc. franchise

To speak to a member of the MBE team

MBE Worldwide is a leading third-party provider of shipping, fulfilment, print and marketing solutions and operates under different complementary brands: Mail Boxes Etc. (except the US & Canada), AlphaGraphics, PostNet, Spedingo.com, Print Speak, Pack & Send and Multicopy.

To mark International Women’s Day this year we spoke to MBE franchisee Anne Balfour, who switched from a senior management role in the global textiles industry to local entrepreneur when she purchased her Mail Boxes Etc. store in 2013.

Born in Scotland, Anne started her career in clothing manufacture for a major multinational corporation. She quickly rose through the ranks to a senior management position that saw her working all over the world. No stranger to business challenges, when Anne decided it was time to switch careers she opted to go from global to local and from managing hundreds of people to being her own boss.

“I was looking for a complete change,” she explains. “The world of textiles wasn’t fun anymore and I wanted to be closer to home. But in terms of what I was used to, the contrast couldn’t have been greater.”

Anne was already a customer at her local MBE store, and a chat with the area manager about the business model got her thinking that this might be something she could turn her hand to. “What I liked about it was that you weren’t just doing one thing. I looked at different stores and noticed how each of them had its own character and mix of services, either because of the area or the experience of the franchisee.”

The chance to buy a going concern appealed to Anne. “The store in Stirling was really successful and when I found out it was for sale this seemed an ideal opportunity for me, rather than starting from scratch.

“I know from experience that if you have the right staff you can do anything. There were three excellent staff already in place and two were graphic designers, which is a major focus for the store.”

A great team

With a great team, a handover from the previous owner and a good knowledge of the basic business tools, Anne quickly got to grips with running the store. “I also trained in MBE stores in London, Glasgow and Edinburgh – it was great to see how these very different businesses worked.” She also has the ongoing support of area franchisees Pepe and Gill Bascetta, plus the team at head office: “There’s always someone to turn to who has the knowledge or experience to help you.”

Being the decision-maker didn’t concern Anne at all: “I had to have a lot of initiative in my previous life. But being your own boss is different in other ways. You underestimate how difficult it is to get away from the business – you never really want to go on holiday. And it’s important not to get too bogged down in the day-to-day, or you’ll never grow the business.”

She has no regrets: “I don’t think you can work for someone else once you’ve been self-employed,” she says. “If I make a wrong decision, it’s my own fault. If I make a good decision, I get the benefit.”

Local hub

After a lifetime of travelling the world, Anne now likes the fact that her store is a hub for the local community. “We are one of the businesses where people say ‘I was recommended to come to you.’ We are problem-solvers, so that does embed you into the community. We have smaller businesses that sell whisky and ask us to deal with the shipping. Then there are the regular customers who come in for photocopying. Some of the local architects come in every day to do scans of their drawings. It’s a chance to catch up and help with other services if people need them.”

The main income stream for Anne is graphic design and print, with shipping coming next, followed by mailboxes. “We have a lot of trade clients, from small businesses like plumbers, architects, pubs, cafes and hairdressers all the way up to major hotels like Gleneagles. Plus, of course, our personal customers.” Fulfilment is another successful business line: “Customers hold stock with us and call on it when they need it, or we mail it out for them.”

New challenges

While Covid-19 has affected Anne’s business, there have been some unexpected bonuses: “Some of my mailbox customers like the fact that their mail is gathered together and sent to them once a week. And on the print side, we’ve asked customers to double their orders and have them delivered rather than calling in to collect smaller quantities. It’s better for them, and better our cashflow because they pay up front.

“Shipping has changed as a result of both Covid-19 and Brexit, but not necessarily in a bad way. We’ve seen a lot more parcels going to Australia, New Zealand and America, for example, because people would normally be taking their presents across with them on a flight.

“A lot of smaller businesses are concerned about all the additional paperwork around shipping – they hope things are going to change, but they won’t, and we’re here to help them navigate that when they’re ready. I make sure I speak to all my customers regularly so they know we’re here when they need us.”

Nothing in your way

Anne doesn’t believe being a woman is a barrier to being successful in business now. “When I started out in textiles it was very male-dominated – that’s just how it was. But I never allowed it to be a thing for me; I just keep moving on.

“I love the fact that there are MBE franchisees from so many different backgrounds – it’s a great cultural mix and there are some fabulous personalities.” Her advice to women thinking of an MBE franchise is clear. “If you want some variety and the opportunity to personalise your business, rather than it being an exact template from town to town, there is an opportunity here. There’s nothing in your way.”

Meanwhile Anne is keen to have her team back in the shop when furlough ends and business starts to return to normal. “I was recruiting last March when Covid hit, so I had to put that on hold. I’m excited about seeing it all coming back, taking the business forward. We are part of the community and we want to keep that community thriving.”

To contact Anne: [email protected]

To find out more about Mail Boxes Etc. services: www.mbe.co.uk

A correspondence address in the Republic of Ireland keeps your EU customers close

From 1st January this year, trading with the EU became more complicated. But you can still Brexit-proof your business. A business address in the EU could make it easier to sell to, and correspond with, your customers there. So why not consider a virtual address in the Republic of Ireland?

Do you need a business base in the EU?

If you need a business address in the EU, our Republic of Ireland locations are a great option. Whether you’re a sole trader, freelancer or limited company, our Republic of Ireland addresses are ideal, and you can buy online at www.mbe.co.uk/mailbox/shop and pay for your Ireland address in £ Sterling.

An EU correspondence address will put you in the same economic community as your EU customers, so you can continue to communicate with them just as before. And a local correspondence address makes sense because you don’t have to maintain a bricks-and-mortar presence in the EU, so you avoid many of the overheads while enjoying many of the benefits. Our business service centre can be your metaphorical ‘door to knock on’.

Keep your EU customers happy

Having a business base within the EU will make selling to, and supporting, your EU customers easier.

With a Republic of Ireland business mailbox from Mail Boxes Etc., you can use our address for all your business correspondence – a prestigious, professional, business-district mailing address for your website, letterheads, business cards and promotional materials.

We will receive all your mail and packages from EU customers, sort and forward it. We will also take delivery of packages from any courier, including signed-for parcels, and hold them until you are ready for us to forward them to your physical address in the UK. We’ll let you know when something arrives for you, and you can email us to check for deliveries too.

Protect your reputation

People like to do business with local firms. Protect your reputation in a post-Brexit world with an EU correspondence address from Mail Boxes Etc. A virtual office address or business mailbox in the Republic of Ireland starts at only £38.00 a month for a minimum rental period of three months. Our trading terms are crystal-clear and our ID requirements match the standards required by regulation – so you know you’re in safe hands.

Trade global, stay local

Brexit has happened, but that doesn’t mean EU-based businesses can’t continue to trade seamlessly with UK customers. Setting up a UK registered business or a British correspondence address will put you in the same economic community as your UK customers, so you can continue to do business with them, on terms they recognise.

A local correspondence address makes sense because you don’t have to maintain a bricks-and-mortar presence in the UK, so you avoid all the overheads while enjoying all the benefits.

Keep your British customers happy

Having a business base within the UK will make selling and supporting your customers easier, across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

With a UK business mailbox from Mail Boxes Etc., (it’s like a PO Box – but better!)  you can use our address for all your business correspondence – a prestigious, professional, business-district mailing address for your website, letterheads, business cards and promotional materials.

If you prefer to set up a UK-based limited company, we'll allocate a dedicated suite number and you can use our address for your UK trading company.

We will receive all your mail and packages from UK customers, sort and forward it. We will also take delivery of packages from any courier, including signed-for parcels, and hold them until you are ready for us to forward them to your physical address in the European Union. We’ll let you know when something arrives for you, and you can email us to check for deliveries too.

Protect your reputation

People like to do business with local firms. Protect your reputation in a post-Brexit world with a UK business address from Mail Boxes Etc. A virtual office address or business mailbox starts at only £40.00 a month for a minimum rental period of three months*. Our trading terms are crystal-clear and our ID requirements match the standards of UK Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – so you know you’re in safe hands.

If you send direct mail to your UK customers and want to keep postal costs to a minimum, ask about our mail fulfilment services. We can print your files, fold, envelope and post on your behalf.

Don’t panic – we’ve got this!

Now that we’ve left the EU, if yours is one of the 200,000 UK businesses that currently trade with Europe, you might be wondering how to Brexit-proof your imports and exports. We’ve put together a quick checklist that should help.

Go with the flow

If you’re concerned about getting your products to customers throughout the EU, we can help keep things moving quickly.

For example, the new regulations have created delays for freight at Dover, and this has affected any packages shipped via road services into Europe. To avoid the chance that your shipments might be caught up in these delays, we can arrange for your goods to be shipped by air. Until everything is smoothed out as regards road freight, the extra cost will be worth it for your peace of mind and to ensure you continue to meet your obligations to your customers.

It goes without saying that we will also ensure your consignments are supported by the correct paperwork to ensure smooth transit through to their destination.

Watch out for EORI

Do you have an EORI number yet? We’re not talking about the donkey in Winnie-the-Pooh – if you are selling into the EU, you need an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number. You can apply for a ‘GB’ EORI number online*. It can take up to a week for HMRC to process, so take action now.

Know your codes & country of origin

Commodity codes, harmonisation codes, tariff codes – what are they? These are the codes allocated to describe the goods you sell overseas. Why do you need them? Because these codes, coupled with an accurate description and value, ensure that Customs are aware of what is being shipped and can automatically calculate any tariffs or charges applicable to your goods as they cross the border with the EU, or any other international destination. Using the right codes will minimise the risk of delay. And don’t forget to detail the correct country of origin of the goods, in case this differs from the country of export/import.

Get expert help

We’ve outlined the basic steps you’ll need to take to prepare your business and protect your supply chains. But perhaps one of the easiest and smartest of these is to work with an expert agent who can steer you through the complexity and deal with customs for your international shipments.

At Mail Boxes Etc. we’re your local shipping experts, and we’ve got Brexit covered. We understand customs, duties and taxes, harmonised/commodity codes and country-specific regulations. We’ll keep your goods moving seamlessly across borders by cutting through the challenges of importing and exporting in a post-Brexit world.

Contact us to find out how we can take the headache out of ensuring your business is Brexit-proof.