While perhaps not a massive decision, selecting your business address is nevertheless critical to consider.

Of course, when running a business out of your home you’re going to have to put an address at the top of your letterhead. Other than using your home address - which has the potential of having clients show up while you are with your family – what are your options?

Certainly, using your actual home address is an option. Yet, many business owners might seek a more professional image or simply want to separate your personal and work lives.

For consideration, we’ve outlined a couple of additional options below – namely post office boxes and mailbox services.

PO Boxes
Most people know that a post office box (PO box) is a uniquely addressable lockable box located on the premises of a post office station. In fact, in many developing nations, there is no home delivery of mail; therefore PO boxes are the only way to go.

Generally, post office boxes are rented from the post office either by individuals or by businesses on a monthly or annual basis; rental cost varies depending on the box size. While PO box rentals used to be a standard rate, now, a post office can fall into any of seven fee groups by location.

A catch: Only mail and official USPS notices may be placed into a post office box. If you’re a business that often relies on shipments, this could not be possible, unless you use your actual home address as a shipping destination. For more details on the actual service, visit: http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/508.htm#wp1055113.

Mailbox Services
The UPS Store is one example of a mailbox service that provides business owners’ services beyond the traditional PO box. Some benefits include an actual street address, which some businesses prefer to promote a more professional business image. Also, these services provide mail and package notification, forwarding, receiving and storage services.

As you might expect, cost is the biggest differentiator between the PO box and mailbox services. Estimates show that UPS mailboxes and similar services can cost up to three times as much as a PO box.

However, you are receiving additional services; and for some, having a physical business address is important. The best next step is to weigh some of the key factors: cost, professional image, package delivery needs, and the actual volume of mail correspondence you conduct. Considered together, these can help you determine the address solution that’s right for your business’ particular needs.

photo credit: Darren and Brad

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