Do You Need a Physical Address for Your Business?
Since they run their company from their house, home-based business owners frequently face a dilemma. In using the home address of an individual as their publicly identified business address, there are both privacy and security concerns involved.
If you're running a home-based company or contemplating starting one, you're probably pondering this problem yourself. You might also consider not using a physical address at all, especially if you run a service-oriented company where you are contacted online or over the phone by customers, and never have to come to your place of business.
Any owners of home-based companies use a P.O. The number of the box as their company home address. Without compromising your privacy or protection, a P.O. Box enables you to send out a business mailing address. But there are also a variety of reasons why you might want or need your organization to have an actual physical address.
Why Have a Physical Company Address?
There are a number of reasons why you may want to have a physical address for your business, such as:
- Trust and credibility. Some consumers steer away from companies that do not provide a contact address or just a P.O. For instance, individuals may worry that companies without physical addresses might vanish without a trace. Being able to provide potential customers with a physical address at which they can reach you, depending on your type of company, can help your business develop both confidence and reputation.
- Professional image. Data released by the U.S., according to In 2011, more than half of the companies responding to the 2007 Company Owners Survey were home-based firms; home businesses in the U.S. today are clearly alive and doing well. However, despite these figures, it may be difficult for a home-based company to shake the picture of the home-based business owner sitting in bed working in his or her pajamas that certain consumers may have. A physical address offers a more polished, professional image for your company.
- Meeting place for clients. Although meeting customers at their business locations or conducting meetings at your local coffee shop is definitely possible, if your business needs a lot of customer meetings, you might ultimately want to have your own place to hold customer meetings. Having a place where you can meet customers often allows your company to create trust and reputation, as well as to boost the professional image of your company.
How to Get a Business Address
Luckily, if you find yourself wanting a physical address, there are a range of choices available. Any of these options, although there is a cost involved, is still much less than the cost of renting actual office space.
- Virtual office space. You get a professional-looking mailing address from virtual office spaces or virtual business addresses, and many also provide additional features and facilities, such as receptionist services and meeting spaces that can be reserved when you need them.
- Mailbox services. You may use the street address of the store with your mailbox number as a suite or apartment number when renting a mailbox at a service such as those provided at The UPS Store or Mail Boxes Etc., rather than using your mailbox number as the address. There is the additional benefit of being able to use their other resources for companies that do a lot of shipping.
- USPS's Street Addressing for P.O. Boxes. The USPS also includes a street addressing alternative that allows you to use either the post office's street address where your P.O. You will find the package, followed by the number sign (#) and the P.O. Box number, or the more conventional P.O. Address to package. For the Street Addressing option, you will need to sign up, so check with your local post office for more information.
- Coworking space. Coworking spaces provide you with a more professional mailing address to use for your business and meeting and conference rooms, almost like virtual office space. Coworking rooms, however, also provide you with a physical room to actually function in, along with the use of shared facilities, such as Wi-Fi. If you find yourself working at the local coffee shop to sometimes avoid the loneliness of working at home, it might be a choice to explore membership in a coworking room.
Are You Ready to Find Your New Virtual Office?
Victory Workspace has been serving professionals in the Walnut Creek, California area for over ten years, and even after the Covid 19 Shelter in Place is over we will be here for you. We offer a large variety of coworking spaces including virtual office space! We are the leaders in virtual workspaces in Walnut Creek because we have an innovative and comprehensive approach to non-traditional workspaces. For forward-thinking business owners and entrepreneurs, a virtual office provides a professional front-end for their business without the cost, commitment, and hassle of renting traditional office space. To learn more, set up your free tour, or inquire about which one of the services might be right for you, reach out to one of our amazing Community Guides at Victory Workspace for more information.
