Every business starts somewhere and for many of us, it’s our home office, the kitchen table, or the local coffee shop. Even if you end up with a multi-million dollar company, it may be awhile before you can afford office space. So you use your home address until you can, right? Not if you can help it.
Using your home address as your business address can be a dangerous decision. In many situations, your business address is public. You might have it listed on your website or business card. If you’re incorporating, the address is on file at your Secretary of State’s office. Domain registrations require an address on file and just about anyone can find that looking it up online. When you register your business name with the county or buy your business license, these documents require your address and are on public record, too. The last thing you need is for customers, competitors, and just plain crazies to know exactly where you live if they have a deep need to find you at 3am.
Smart small business women use rented mailboxes as their business address whenever possible. The cheapest option is a post office box because they run about $50 every six months, depending on the size you choose. You can also access your mail at all hours of the day and night. You should remember that some companies won’t deliver to PO boxes and that most government licensing and registration processes won’t allow you to use them as your primary business address.
Renting a mailbox from a company that specializes in business mail services costs a little more but worth it. The UPS Store, PAK Mail, and many other independent companies have mail services that give you a real street address. They also forward mail when you’re away from home. You even have the option to check your mail by phone to avoid unnecessary trips to check your mailbox.
If the post office or a mailbox service isn’t convenient for you, consider piggybacking off another business’s address. For a monthly fee, someone with a dedicated office may let you use their office as a business mailing address. Negotiate or barter with local, independent businesses for the best results with this option.
