The following is a contributed post.
The Internet age is still going full swing, and this means that you can set up your business from anywhere. You can set up all kinds of businesses from anywhere in the world. Theoretically, this means that you’ll never have to change your address again with your clients because you can use your webpage as your official business address, right?
Wrong. According to Business Insider, clients are more inclined to work with someone who has an actual address. It’s a mark of authenticity. Scam artists often leave out this little detail. Many freelancers avoid it as well because they don’t want it to tie them down. They want to know that they can move any time they want and with little hassle. A posted address would seem to cement you to a single place, but that is not the case.
Determining Your Address
You can choose to list your home address, rented office space, or a PO box as your business address. None of these has to tie you down as you can complete a change of address online if you have to move. It’s all very simple. The big question is which one do you want to use.
The Cheapest Option
Without a doubt, listing your home address as your business address is one of the cheapest options available. Not only does it ensure that you don’t have to pay anything extra for rent but it is also one that you’ll easily remember. The downside to this is that your home address is then out on the Internet for all to see. This means that any creep job or wacko can track you down.
A More Viable Option
The main reason that freelancers don’t turn to rented office space is because of cost. Depending on what state you live in and what city, an office can run at a minimum of $1500 a month. This isn’t ideal for most freelancers at all. Fortunately, the other alternative is far less expensive.
Post office boxes can be rented for a marginal fee. You can rent one from the United States Post Office or you can rent one from an independent company. It gives you a set address as well as an off home location. Depending on the size, your fee might be anywhere from $15 – $175 a month. For most business needs though, you’ll be fine with the smallest option.
The majority of your clients will accept the post office box number. A few may decide to be sticklers about it, but the fact that you have set up a post office box is an indicator that you are at least in business for a little while. To help dissuade people from assuming that you’re a con artist out to steal your money, take it one step further and make sure that there is a phone number where they can reach you. This gives you an even stronger mark of authenticity and assures your clients that they can reach you if they need you.
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