When you launch your home-run business, using your residential address for company mail might seem like the natural thing to do. And whilst it might work for you in the short-term, be aware that there are several reasons why using your home address for business might not be the best idea…
It’s not safe
No matter how hard you try and no matter what industry you work in, it’s inevitable that over the course of your business’s life, you will encounter some unhappy customers or clients. It’s unfortunate to think that this should be a concern – but making your personal address available to anyone and everyone is taking a risk with the safety of you and your loved ones. Using a different address from the one where you live is really the only way to ensure that your property and people inside it stay private and protected.
It doesn’t look great
Anyone can search for a location online and see (with the help of Google’s Street View) that the address that your business is registered to is in a residential area. Despite the increase of home-based businesses in recent years, admitting that your business is run from within or just outside your house gives the impression that your company is either too new, too small or too strapped for cash to cope with paying the small amount it costs to get a business address. It’s a seemingly small detail that has the potential to leave prospective clients questioning whether it’s a good idea to work with you.
It makes it difficult to keep your personal and business life separate
Receiving Tesco Clubcard statements and council tax bills through the same letterbox as statutory mail from Companies House and other important business contacts can make life more complicated than it needs to be. It’s also good for your own sanity as much as the wellbeing of your company to keep a clearly defined line between your business and home life. Many companies who offer mailbox and registered business address services also have facilities that allow you to keep up this principal of separation in other areas. For example, many offer meeting rooms which can be hired out on a hourly or daily basis allowing you to catch up with clients in a neutral yet professional space.
The Workstation offers a range of virtual office services for small businesses, including registered addresses for limited companies. To find out more about our company mailbox packages and prices, please visit this page or get in touch here to find out more.