P.O. Box or Not?

[Mike 64]

For those of you that do not have an office, how do you handle invoices and other things you have mailed to you. Do you have it mailed to your home address or do you have a p.o. box?

[CCPC 26]

I work out of my home and I use a P.O. Box for most of business mail. I believe its a good idea to always keep business seperate from personal. The only downfall with P.O. Boxs is it may make prospective clients a little bit weary to do business with you. Customers like a physical address as to where they can find you if need be. Actually, one of the main reasons I use a P.O. Box is because I rent the house I live in now and would rather not use my home address until I settled in a place I know I will be for a while. Homeownership... I can't wait.

[Jon 533]

I have always had a PO Box even before I was in any business, I like to be left alone and less junk mail.

Besides would you want an irate customer pounding on your door at 2 AM?

Go with a P.O. Box from the Post Office and not an after market company.

[CCPC 26]

Go with a P.O. Box from the Post Office and not an after market company.

I agree. two benifits I like with the post office vs. other mail center options is its cheaper and I have access to the P.O. Box lobby 24 hours a day.

[GymRat 14]

Per my contract with costomers, pay is due upon completion of the job, thus they do not need my address. I don't have a PO box because no payments are sent via mail. I had a PO box at one time for another business, but did not like having to go out of my way to the post office.

John

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Per my contract with costomers, pay is due upon completion of the job, thus they do not need my address. I don't have a PO box because no payments are sent via mail. I had a PO box at one time for another business, but did not like having to go out of my way to the post office.

John

For residential work that may be okay, but what about commercial? They are not likely to be there when the work is completed.

I use a P.O. Box as well.

[Jon 533]

I use the PO Box for ALL MAIL, not just business mail, all bills go there too and my drivers license list only the PO Box as do our checks.

The law has changed thanks to Homeland security, now your drivers license must show your full name and physical address.

I refuse to allow that much personal information to be on my license or any papers or computer.

[aph111 14]

The only downfall with P.O. Boxs is it may make prospective clients a little bit weary to do business with you.

With a P.O. Box there is a physical address nessesary to get one.If a company wrongfully did a client they would not be able to hide behind a P.O. Box..

[CCPC 26]

With a P.O. Box there is a physical address nessesary to get one.If a company wrongfully did a client they would not be able to hide behind a P.O. Box..

Its not about what happens if you did a customer wrong, its about making a prospective customer comfortable with doing business with you from the get go. Once you have done work for them, and they see what your all about, you could run your business out of a tent and they wouldn't care.

[aph111 14]

An explanation of how P.O. Boxes work may help your customer feel more comfortable if the question arrises..

[John T 744]

My Business is ran out of my house so I use my house address. If I ever grow to where I will have an office outside the home then I will use that office address. I always like to deal with companies that have a real address instead of a P.O Box because I am more comfortable knowing where they are and they are truly legit.

Its just my personal feeling on this even though I know the percentage of companies that use a PO Box is high.

If someone decided that they want to break into my home office then they can say hello to me and "Smith $ Wesson" and a few of my other friends that could be hiding there :)

[aph111 14]

I always like to deal with companies that have a real address instead of a P.O Box because I am more comfortable knowing where they are and they are truly legit.

You are creating a sense of false security unless you actually drive to that location and verify company occupancy.

[Mathew Johnson 123]

I use both - Box 295 - 26 Maple Street. I do think people like to see a physical address.

[Scott Stone 604]

I have always just used my home address. I have never had a problem with it.

any people realize that this is a perfect home business, so it is almost expected. I have never had a customer pounding on my door to meet with Mr. Ruger.

[Celeste 341]

We work from home and use our home address......never really seen the need to spend the extra money to have to drive to the Post Office daily. Only problem with using your home address is if you fall into the old adage of "the pressure washer's house is always the last one washed". :0

Celeste

[CCPC 26]

Another reason I have a P.O. Box is that my town requires it. They will not issue you a Occupational license without proof of a P.O. Box. Of course that's only if you run a business out of your home.

Not to beat this horse till its dead, but I think some of you are still missing the point I'm trying to make, but I'm getting a bit bored with this topic so I guess I'll just leave it at that.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

I'm not worried about my customers dropping by as they have no need. However I am not keen on the idea that the competition knows where I am.

[Mike 64]

I think the days of hiding behind a p.o. box should be long over, like someone had mentioned earlier, to even get a p.o. box you have to leave a name and address (not to mention here, you need to show a photo ID) so they have records of who is using the p.o. box and how to find them. For me it's just another way to seperate work from private life. I dont file my work papers with my personal papers, why would I want them to be sent to me in the same box as well? You can get a p.o. box for less then the cost of a cup of coffee everyday. I would also like to think I build a good enough relationship with the client that just because I may use a p.o. box, I wont get turned down for a job.

[tropical wave 22]

You can also use the actual "numerical address" of the post office building itself and use the number of your box which you can add "number" "suite" etc. So instead of your address looking like:

ABC Power Wash

P.O. Box 321

anytown, IL.

If you use the post offices address and your number, it would appear as such:

ABC Power Wash

1000 Main St. #321

anytown, IL.

Its still a P.O. Box, but gives the illusion of an office or "real" place of business if thats what you choose to do.......

Something to think about...............................Mike H

[Mike 64]

So instead of your address looking like:

ABC Power Wash

P.O. Box 321

anytown, IL.

If you use the post offices address and your number, it would appear as such:

ABC Power Wash

1000 Main St. #321

anytown, IL.

I did not know that, thanks.

[Aplus 525]

I use a PO box on my invoices and anything to do with advertising. I don't want my home address listed all over in public view.

[bill3752 14]

Like many of the above, I use a PO Box with no problems - mainly dealing with builders. As Mike said, I like separating biz from home. I go thru all my mail at the PO, which allows me to toss out crap, discard remittance envelopes,etc.

[PressurePros 248]

You can also use the actual "numerical address" of the post office building itself and use the number of your box which you can add "number" "suite" etc. So instead of your address looking like:

ABC Power Wash

P.O. Box 321

anytown, IL.

If you use the post offices address and your number, it would appear as such:

ABC Power Wash

1000 Main St. #321

anytown, IL.

Its still a P.O. Box, but gives the illusion of an office or "real" place of business if thats what you choose to do.......

Something to think about...............................Mike H

That is not allowed anymore. There is a federal law on the books prohibiting using the post office adress. You can thank the con artists post "911" for that. I'm not saying it is enforced everywhere but in my township it is.

[Ron Musgraves 240]

22 years po box

[Howard 50]

Home address along with home phone and cell phone. Have answering machine on home phone telling them leave message or call my cell phone.

Howard

Braden Power Wash

301-904-6258