Key Takeaways:

  • A brick and mortar address provides credibility and professionalism for businesses, helping to establish trust with customers and vendors.
  • Business owners operating from home often face privacy and security concerns, making a separate business address beneficial.
  • Options for securing a business address include virtual offices, co-working spaces, mailbox services, and USPS Street Address services.
  • Legal requirements for business addresses vary by entity type; LLCs and corporations require a registered agent with a physical location.
  • Businesses should differentiate between physical, mailing, and billing addresses to ensure proper legal compliance and mail handling.
  • Virtual business addresses offer flexibility, mail scanning, forwarding, and professional appearances without needing a dedicated office.
  • Cost considerations play a role in choosing a business address, with options ranging from affordable P.O. boxes to premium virtual office setups.
  • Business owners must ensure their address aligns with Google My Business (GMB) and other directory requirements for online visibility.
  • A professional business address is necessary for business licensing, tax registration, and legal correspondence.

Business Address

Getting a business address is very important for small businesses that want to build a strong image and gain credibility with customers. There are many factors involved in setting up your business’ address.

Why Have a Physical Company Address?

When regarding the actual brick-and-mortar location of companies that are run out of one’s home, the owners usually will face difficulties regarding both safety as well as privacy.

Oftentimes a company owner that runs their business out of their home will question the need to use an actual physical address for their business. The business owner may even think about forgoing even having a brick-and-mortar location, particularly when the business is service-based and operates largely over the internet and phone.

Many small-business owners will utilize a Post Office Box in business publications and correspondence. A P.O. Box permits the owner to have an address for mail but doesn’t have the safety and privacy concerns of using your home address.

However, many people will be wary of companies that do not have a physical address. People might be afraid that businesses with no address, or with just a P.O. Box, can vanish quickly and easily. Having an address allows you to build your credibility as well as trust with customers.

Furthermore, having a brick-and-mortar address listed gives you a stronger professional image. There is still is a common misperception that businesses run out of a person’s home are unorganized and barely functional.

Lastly, getting a physical address will help you if your business model will demand many meetings with customers. You can meet clients at a variety of locations, but meeting them at your own office can be simpler and help you build a strong image and reputation.

How to Get a Business Address

Virtual office spaces and/or addresses are one popular method. Businesses will get a credible mailing address as well as access to a variety of buildings and office services that can be used on an as-needed basis.

You can also choose to use a mailbox service, offered at stores like UPS. You can modify the business address depending on how you would like materials and papers to be sent to you. For companies that frequently use mail services, there are also other benefits as well.

Furthermore, you can also use the United States Postal Service’s “Street Address” service for Post Office Boxes. This service will permit the company to, instead of just using the post office box number as their address, allow the company to use the post office’s street address itself followed by the post office box number.

Another option is to use a co-working office. Similar to virtual office services, you will have access to facilities and services on an as-needed basis as well as a mailing address. Co-working will also provide a physical location, shared with other companies, to use and be based at.

Lastly, you can use the expensive but innovative virtual “EarthClassMail” mailroom. It will give you a physical business address, but they will electronically scan and provide you all the mail that you receive there for easy classification and use. This may be easier than physically handling and storing mail.

Registered Agent Requirements

However, you will require, by law, a brick-and-mortar location if you are creating a LLC, corporation, limited partnership, or LLP. If you form any of these businesses, you will need a registered agent with an address physically located in the state.

  • The registered agent will receive and process legal documents, notices, and papers at the physical address listed and provided to the state.
  • Often a small company, such as a LLC, will have one of their owners be the registered agent. However, because the address is publicly listed, it may compromise your privacy.
  • Furthermore, P.O. Boxes can’t be used for registered agents. The address needs to be physical, as it requires a person to receive and sign for legal notices.
  • If you don’t want to publicly list your personal address for your LLC, you must find a third party to be your company’s registered agent.

Frequently Asked Questions 

  1. Can I use my home address as my business address?
    Yes, but it may raise privacy and credibility concerns. Alternatives include virtual addresses and co-working spaces.
  2. Do I need a brick and mortar address to register my business?
    If forming an LLC or corporation, a physical registered agent address is required. Sole proprietors may use a home or virtual address.
  3. What is the difference between a physical and mailing address?
    A physical address is a real location where a business operates, while a mailing address is used to receive correspondence.
  4. Can I use a P.O. Box for my business address?
    A P.O. Box is acceptable for mailing purposes but cannot be used as a registered address for LLCs or corporations.
  5. How do virtual business addresses work?
    Virtual addresses provide a professional business location, mail handling, and forwarding services without requiring a dedicated office space.

If you need help setting up your business’ address, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel’s marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.