September 7, 2022 | 6 min read
The street address you use to register your business matters more than you think. Here are some significant advantages you can get from having a suitable address for your startup or small business.
The Factors (and Advantages) that Make a Good Business Address
1. Professional Image
Real estate professionals look for three things when evaluating a property’s value: location, location, and location. When assessing the credibility of your business, people will look at three things: address, address, and address.
Your business address communicates a lot about you to your prospects. It plays on whatever biases and preconceptions they may have. And it matters a lot in forming their first impressions about you and your business.
When customers see that you operate from your home, they may think you lack professional polish and resources. Suppose they see a P.O. Box number as your business address. In that case, it could raise some red flags, and they get the impression that your business lacks credibility.
It’s human nature to look for assurance that your business can deliver on its commitments. A business address in a reputable commercial location sets the tone for you and conveys a professional image.
2. Privacy and Protection
Typically, when you register your business, the address you provide gets published on the Secretary of State’s website of the state you registered the business. This information becomes available to the general public. Private companies that offer business listings can also post this information on their pages.
What if your business address is also your home address? You just made your residential information available to everyone. You’ve spawned junk mail for yourself. You’ve also made yourself vulnerable to spammers, con artists, and stalkers!
When you register a domain name for your website, the provider will also ask for your business address, which gets listed in the WHOIS database. Anyone can access this database. And the privacy protection provided by domain companies can be flimsy.
Every time you fill up a business form – to secure a loan, apply for credit, or get a business license -- you share your address. You also willingly give it away when you hand out your business card or post it on your website and marketing collateral.
3. Access to Business Resources
Most often, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, and local, state, and federal agencies don’t accept addresses with a P.O. Box number.
Using a virtual business address in a business district can be very helpful in accessing the legal and financial resources critical for your business.
4. Keep Things Organized and Separate
If you use your home address for your business, that’s where you’ll receive all your business correspondence. This arrangement could work well for you, but your personal and business mail will get mixed up. At some point, this could get confusing and annoying. It may even turn out disastrous for your business and your personal life.
You’ll want to separate your business correspondence from your private mail. You need a separate business address to receive business mail exclusively.
Now that you know the disadvantages and issues that using your home address or a P.O. Box gives your business, it’s time to explore your options.
The Problem With Leasing Office Space
The ideal, of course, is to lease office space in an excellent location. Then you’ll have everything you need to run your business and not worry about image, privacy, access, and organization. However, if you go this route, prepare for a significant hit on precious cash resources.
Besides the monthly rental cost, you will most likely need to spend more on renovations, office equipment, utilities, signages, maintenance, and other overhead expenses. These quickly add up and drain your finances. It would be better to use your cash on more important things that matter to your business.
Even flexible office space options can be pricey and are not really necessary for you to get your venture started.
Discovering the Virtual Mailbox
A practical, convenient, and cash flow-friendly option is a virtual mailbox.
- A virtual mailbox comes with a real street address to use for your business instead of your home address. You can choose from thousands of prime locations across the US and worldwide — it instantly gives your business the polish and credibility that make a great first impression.
- A virtual mailbox address comes in handy when registering your business, completing loan and credit applications, providing invoices with your business address, and all other transactions requiring a business address.
- A virtual mailbox address adds a layer of protection, insulating your privacy and security while separating your business postal mail from personal mail.
- It won’t cost you an arm and a leg. For the price of a fancy latte, you can enjoy the advantages of a virtual mailbox and a virtual business address!
The built-in features and benefits of a virtual mailbox - professional image, privacy protection, access to resources, and keeping postal mail organized - are vital for your business to thrive. Make sure you sign up for a virtual mailbox before registering your business.
+1 702 935 5664
+61 1800 951 410
