Do I Need a Physical Address for an LLC?

Starting your own company is a dream come true: you’ve put in the work, you’ve brought ideas to fruition, and you’re ready to go… just as soon as you handle all the logistical details and paperwork! One of the questions you will face at this time is whether or not you need a physical business address for an LLC. In Florida, the answer is yes: your principal business address must be a physical. While a legality, there are several other reasons why it is a major asset for you and your fledgling company.

Why You Need a Principal Business Address

An LLC is the easiest way to structure your business in order to protect your personal assets, and you are able to take advantage of tax benefits as well. When you choose this method of structuring your company, you need a principal business address – that is, one that is used to designate your official place of business. It is important when you:

• Open business bank accounts and accounts with merchants
• Register your business domain name 
• Open accounts with vendors and suppliers 
• Receive essential business documents, such as statements, invoices, payments, and bills
• File for permits and licenses
• Send and receiving communications with customers
• List your business on Yelp, Yellow Pages, Google Places, etc.

But many LLC owners do not maximize the protections – starting with the most obvious: their address. If your business is small (e.g., a strategic consultancy or IT repair service you run out of your house), it is tempting to simply use your home address. It’s free, it’s easy, and you can’t beat the commute! But the contact information that you file for your LLC is available publicly on your state’s Secretary of State website. You sacrifice privacy and potentially safety.

Why You Shouldn’t Use a Home Address

There are other issues involved with using a home address as a physical business address for an LLC:

• Many banks and merchants do not accept a personal, residential address as an LLC business address. They typically want to see a corporate or office address. 
• Customers (and anyone else who can use Google Maps) can easily find your home. This can present a privacy/safety issue. You don’t want an angry customer stopping by and coming into your personal space; nor do you want an overly enthusiastic one to pop over at inconvenient times. Another problem is that a home address does not present a professional image.
• There are 38 million home-based businesses in the United States, but despite the prevalence, many clients and customers are likely to associate your home with a less professional image. They’re picturing you on the couch in your pajamas rather than you innovating, solving problems, and creating solutions. Image matters.
• WIthout a professional business address, you may lose credibility with the people you need to grow your business – prospective clients/customers, subcontractors, freelancers, partners, etc. 
• Depending on your city’s zoning laws (and, in some areas, homeowners association rules) and the nature of your business, you may not be legally able to run a business out of your home. 

When you need a physical business address for an LLC, your home address is not the best option. What does that leave? Conventional office space is one route you can explore, but this is often cost-prohibitive for small businesses. Corporate leases are also inflexible, which is not conducive to the ebbs and flows of an LLC – especially one that is just getting established. 

Why Get a Virtual Office Address in Tampa

A virtual office address in Tampa solves each of the issues we have mentioned above, from privacy and safety to credibility and professional image to cost. Office Evolution’s virtual office solutions provide you with a physical  address in the highly desirable Westshore area. It is a simple – and remarkably effective – way to instill confidence in your business.

We also offer live phone answering; while this helps convey the professional image you need, it also prevents you from having to disrupt your work with phone calls. We use guidelines you provide us with and handle the calls. If, under your criteria, they are important, we will send them to you. So, salesperson making a cold call? Don’t waste your time! Key client who wants to talk about a deal? We’ll put them right through!

One of the most advantageous aspects of a virtual office address in Tampa’s exclusive Westshore district is that it flexes to fit your needs and budget. Use the address and phone services, and when you need an office to finish an important project, a meeting room for a client presentation, or a conference room to train your independent contractors, you can reserve the space you need for the time you need it. That’s it. Your business – on your terms. 

Contact Office Evolution

If you need a professional physical business address for an LLC, contact Office Evolution today. We are happy to walk you through the benefits of a virtual office, as well as the other services we can offer on an as-needed basis. Take a major stress off your shoulders – and get back to work!