In this environment of booming enterprises, your business address might help you get a lot more sales in the US market. The best thing you can do for your business is to obtain a US physical address. A new company address is a great idea to set up in the United States of America. This Guide will help you learn about office address registration in the US.
You might be asking if you need a physical U.S. address if you run a non-resident firm and don’t need a physical place, such as an office or a job site.
For non-resident-owned enterprises, having a US mailing address is advantageous for several reasons, including creating a company bank account, building credibility, and removing the uncertainty of whether services ship overseas.
When it comes to establishing a physical address for your business, states have different laws and regulations. While some states are liberal and permit the use of a P.O. Box as a physical address, others are rigorous and forbid the use of P.O. Boxes at all. In this case, you will need business address registration for your US company.
Some laws might also demand that your physical address be different from the address of your registered agent. If your business is subject to legal action, it is also vital to accept the service of process because a lawsuit cannot proceed without giving you the appropriate notice.
What Are Your Options for Getting a US Business Address?
There are several ways to obtain a US physical address. Even while there are costs associated with each of these choices, they are all significantly less expensive than leasing actual office space.
- Virtual Offices or Virtual Business Addresses
A US physical business address can be obtained in a few ways. Even while each of these options has prices, they are all far less expensive than renting genuine office space.
If you reside abroad, these are excellent choices for obtaining a physical US address. It’s ideal since you can still reserve office space if you don’t require it on a regular basis. Since some virtual office providers are international, you can access their workplaces worldwide.
- Mailbox Services
You may also want to consider using the mailbox services offered by businesses like UPS, which let you use their addresses while using your mailbox number as the suite number.
If you ship and send a lot as well, such mailbox services are frequently handy because you can use them while picking up your mail. However, you can only utilize this if you’re in the country.
This service is less useful if you’re a non-resident residing outside the United States because you can’t pick up your mail, unless you have a friend or family member who can do it and forward any important documents and packages on your behalf.
- P.O. Boxes
Other potential options include P.O. boxes offered by the USPS (United States Postal Service).
You have the choice to utilize a physical address rather than a P.O. box address, and you can do so by completing a form. P.O. boxes are only helpful if you are physically present in this area and can pick up your mail from your P.O. box for the same reason as described under mailbox services.
Although many jurisdictions and institutions forbid it, there are tougher regulations governing the use of P.O. boxes as your real address.
- P.O. Boxes from USPS Approved Providers
Many local companies, including pharmacies, supermarkets, hardware stores, and others, offer P.O. boxes for customers. You can rent P.O. boxes from many of these shops because they are Contracted Postal Units.
- Coworking Spaces
Coworking spaces offer you a more professional mailing address to utilize for your business as well as meeting and conference rooms that you may use, like virtual office space. Coworking spaces, on the other hand, also give you access to shared resources like Wi-Fi and a physical workspace where you can do your actual work. A membership at a coworking space can be an option to take into consideration if you frequently work at the neighborhood coffee shop to break up the alone of working from home.
Reasons You Should Have a Physical Company Address
There are several reasons why you might want to give your company a physical location, including:
To build trust and credibility. Customers may avoid companies that just supply a P.O. Box number or no contact information; this is because some customers may be concerned that these companies may vanish into thin air if they don’t have a real address. Providing potential customers with a physical address where they can reach you could help your company establish credibility and trust, depending on the type of business you run.
A location for client meetings. A physical venue is not necessary for many entrepreneurs who operate from home, and they can hold meetings anywhere. To conduct business or complete other tasks, you want a formal setting. The professionalism of your firm will increase thanks to coworking spaces and virtual offices. Some even have sites across the world and across the country, and you are often welcome to use their space wherever you are.
Using a coworking space or virtual office as your actual company address might be a terrific alternative for you when paying a traditional office lease is not practical or essential, whether you need a place to meet with clients, a change of scenery, or just a quiet spot to complete your job.
Needs for shipping and receiving. To assist you in sending and receiving mail and packages, many coworking spaces, virtual offices, and mailbox providers offer mail services. Being able to have your mail picked up and forwarded to you by someone else when you’re out of the country or traveling frequently is a great bonus.
Keep your privacy safe. Using a physical company address that is different from your residence secures your privacy. You’ll want to avoid uninvited and unwelcome visitors at your door if you use your home address as your business address because it will be simple for individuals to look you up.
Registered Agent Services
There is one factor where having a physical address is mandated by law: if you’re launching your business as a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, limited partnership, or limited liability partnership, you’ll need to have a registered agent address in the state where you’ve registered to do business.
Professional registered agent services are designed to be accessible for receiving critical legal process documents, helping with compliance reminders, and even filing annual reports.
In addition to the other services they offer, these firms also immediately forward notices and papers to you. This is especially useful if you are a foreign national and do not dwell in the country. Such services also assist your LLC in staying current with state standards by reminding you to file things, which is another advantage. Furthermore, they maintain a copy of your critical papers in case you lose yours due to unforeseen circumstances.
You will need to appoint a third party to act as your registered agent if you run your LLC from your home and would prefer not to have your home address posted in public records as the registered agent’s address. The third party can be a company that operates as a registered agent or it can be an individual, like an attorney.
Tips and Guidelines for Your Business Address
There are a variety of requirements for addresses as well as factors to consider when deciding where to register. Following are some broad pointers and suggestions:
- It’s important to note that most state or federal filings or registrations do not normally allow the use of P.O. boxes as an address.
- Make sure that the individuals you have chosen to represent your company are qualified to receive any urgent legal, tax, or business notices from the organizations with whom your firm has registered.
- Become familiar with the notices that filing offices may send. Consider using a qualified registered agent to make sure that time-sensitive papers, such as court summonses and tax notices, are delivered to the correct contact person on time and not to a staff member who shouldn’t have access to them.
- Make sure you have the most up-to-date contact and address information on file by routinely auditing the agents and addresses that are on file.
If you need assistance in setting up your company in the US or registering a business address here, you may book a free consult with our Launch Crew!
This guide is part of Company Formation in our Launch Guide.
