Small business owners often start from a garage, basement, or home office and then expand as their business grows. Which means they’re using their home as their business address. This may seem like a good way to cut costs, but at what risk? 

A Home Office Address Can Appear Unprofessional

Your reputation can be tarnished by a home address, making your business seem fledgling, fly-by-night, or just “too small.” If you have a super-slick website, but your clients are coming through your bulkhead to get to your workspace, it may have negative implications on your brand and your credibility. 

A Home Office Can Lead to Privacy Breaches

If your home address is listed on your business card or your website – you’re running a risk that your two worlds can collide. What would happen if an angry customer started banging at your door? What if someone you allow into your house is a registered sex offender? What if your business partner started stealing from you – and they have keys and passwords to your home office? These are risks that no business owner wants to consider, never mind encounter.

But you should. 

Here are three ways to protect your home address and mitigate your risk of privacy breaches: 

1. Maintain Privacy with an LLC
If you’ve taken the smart step of separating your personal assets from your business assets by filing an LLC or a corporation, you’re on the right track. But did you know that the information associated with your LLC is available to the public? It’s critically important not to use your home address for any of your official business documents or filings. So, if you’re running your LLC from home, you could still be putting yourself, your identity, and your family at risk. Here are the next steps to ensure your home address is protected. 

2. Create a Business Address by Renting Shared Office Space
When you rent shared office space, you’ll have a comfortable office space to call your own, with a phone and voicemail, high-speed internet, and a brick-and-mortar address. You can use the office address on your website, your business cards – and to create an LLC – and you’ll know that your privacy is protected. With flexible office space, can receive deliveries, mail, faxes, and yes, even guests – while looking buttoned-up and professional. All at a fraction of the cost of leasing costly office space. 

3. A Virtual Address Can Be Used for an LLC – and more!
With a Sobon & Associates Virtual Office, you’ll get a mailing address and local phone number that can be printed on letterhead, business cards and return envelopes – plus you can use this information when applying for lines of credit or vendor agreements. Additionally, you can receive mail, faxes and phone calls – and our staff will notify you when they come in.

A virtual office gives you many of the benefits of a brick-and-mortar office space, without the expensive overhead.  

Get started on your Shared or Virtual Office today... First Month FREE!

Call 203-271-1100 to ask about our Flexible Office Space and Virtual Office pricing or explore options here.