WHY SOLOPRENEURS SHOULD HAVE A BUSINESS ADDRESS
I love my neighborhood. I love where I live. But I DON’T love people knowing where I live. Why? Because it’s not safe!
Do you remember back in the day when we had Myspace and all of our parents/the media were freaking out about our safety? We were all so afraid of being kidnapped yet now we’re constantly sharing where we are, when we are, and what we have. Remember Kim Kardashian’s legendary Parisian hold-up where she was gagged and robbed after posting her jewelry and location on the internet?
It’s one thing if you have a brick and mortar store location or a remote office somewhere, but when you’re working from home I find it creepy to know that your business address doubles as where you sleep at night.
A few years ago when I wanted to start a mailing list with Mailchimp, I realized that in order to be compliant with the legalities of sending out a mass newsletter, I had to list my address at the footer of every email I sent out. During and after college I moved a solid 8 times in 7 years and knew that none of the apartments/houses I lived would ever be a permanent business address for me. At the time of wanting to start a mailing list, I was living in an apartment with my brother and working from home…and there was no way I was going to publicly list my apartment address on a mass email!
I decided to open a personal mailbox for my business at a local UPS store in town, that way when I would inevitably move out from living with my brother I’d at least have a consistent address listing for my business. Do you know how annoying it was to open an LLC at one address, then apply for a credit card at another, but then have my license listed at another? I now live alone, work from home, and am focusing on growing my email list/sharing more and more on social media for my business- not a great recipe for having people know where you live amirite??!?
Although it’s a yearly business expense (only around $250 or so I think?) it’s great for peace of mind. My business now has a solid mailing address I feel comfortable listing everywhere, and I don’t have to worry about having my packages stolen off my doorstep (something that happens a lot in my neighborhood!) It also makes me look legit listing a street address with a “suite” when I’m really just chillin at home in my panda pajama pants and checking a box once a week.
If you’re sharing a lot of your life on social media, working from home, and having people send you packages/checks/important information to your home- you’re giving me anxiety. Bite the bullet and get a personal P.O. Box or UPS mailing address and avoid the stress of break ins, randos from Instagram, checks going missing, and people just “dropping by” while you’re in your Spongebob t-shirt on the couch eating chocolate.
Why Solopreneurs Should Have a Business Address | Jordan Hefler