On average, small business owners spend $40,000 within the first year of opening their doors. Even if you’ve secured enough capital, this is a shockingly high number, so it’ll pay to cut costs wherever you can.
But sometimes, you’re required to have certain things, such as a business address. If you’re running your company in an unconventional manner and want to protect your privacy, then you can get a virtual address.
As expected, businesses will charge for this. However, can you get a free virtual business address? Read on to find out the answer and more.
How to Get a Free Virtual Business Address
Realistically speaking, there aren’t many options available for truly free virtual business addresses.
The first is to use your own home address. Yes, this is free, but at what cost though? Your residential address will be public information, and this puts you at several disadvantages, including a lack of privacy.
The other option is to ask a friend or family member to use their address. However, this won’t look very professional when potential clients or partners search for your business address. Also, this might inconvenience your loved one.
Low-Cost Alternatives to a Free Virtual Address
There are some alternatives that may technically give you a free virtual address, but you must pay for other services. These may be viable choices to consider instead.
The first is using a private mailbox. This is a low-cost route, and you can get actual mail sent here while getting a “free” virtual address. However, you can’t use a PO Box to register your business, and it won’t appear very professional either.
The second option is to sign up for coworking spaces, which is great if you need somewhere to work anyway. You’ll have to pay some form of membership and/or initial fee, but you’ll get a professional address in a business district in return.
Also, you can check with your local government or chamber of commerce. Often, they’ll have programs to support small businesses, and you can get a virtual business address at low costs.
You can get free trials from virtual office providers too. You’ll get a good idea of whether the services work for you without having to spend a cent. However, once the trials end, if you decide to go with the paid versions, it can end up costing a fortune in the long run.
A Better Alternative to a Free Virtual Business Address
The above options aren’t fantastic, but thankfully, there’s a wonderful alternative: a virtual mailbox from Business Anywhere. Our basic package costs just $20 per month, which is very affordable. No matter which package you choose, you’ll get a professional address to use in the state of your picking (Wyoming, Florida, Texas, South Dakota, New Mexico, or Arizona).
Plus, you’ll benefit from other services that even the basic package has. This includes:
- Up to two mail recipients
- Unlimited mail and packages
- Unlimited scans
- No junk mail
- Mail and package forwarding worldwide
In addition, we’ll scan your mail within two working days of receiving it. That way, you won’t miss out on important communications.
Get a Virtual Mailbox Instead
There aren’t many choices if you want a totally free virtual business address. And those come with quite a few drawbacks, so they’re not worth your time.
A better decision is to spend a little money on a virtual mailbox. Not only does this give you a professional business address, but it also frees you to travel while running your company. With our mail receiving and forwarding services, you can rest easy knowing important mail will reach you, wherever you are in the world.
Sign up with Business Anywhere today if you’d like a secure and affordable virtual mailbox and business address.
