You give your customers your time, your expertise, your blood, sweat and tears. You don’t need to give them your private home address as well.
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There are a million things to think about when you’re setting up your own small business. From the practical considerations of how and where to work to the emotional stress of striking out on your own, it can be easy to overlook some of the smaller details. Like, for example, accidentally making some private information – like your home address – public.
What is a registered address?
When you register your UK business, it’s a legal requirement that you tie it to a specific address. That information is publicly listed by Companies House and must also be shared on your official business assets, including your website.
That address doesn’t necessarily need to be the same as your trading address. But all your official correspondence from Companies House, HMRC and other government bodies goes here, so it’s important that you can sweep it all up when it comes through. Unfortunately, a PO box won’t cut it legally.
>See also: Protecting your privacy – keep your business address separate
What should I use as my registered address?
So what do you do if you’re setting up shop from home and don’t want that private address to be shared? Or what if you’re ready to start your company now but you don’t know where you’ll be operating from in a couple of months?
That’s where LegalZoom’s Registered Agent service comes in. We’re with you every step of the way as you get your new venture off the ground. As well as dealing with the tricky admin of registering your business with Companies House (and even paying the fee for you), we can offer you the use of our central London address.
It’s a simple, affordable and flexible way to boost your privacy, prestige and peace of mind.
Privacy
We’re not suggesting that you need to transform your home into Fort Knox as soon as you start a business. But as your company takes off, the number of people your registered address is shared with is going to skyrocket – not to mention it will be simple to look up your private address on the Companies House list or your own website.
It’s not just domestic workspaces that could be affected. Even if you’re using separate premises, it can be a pain to receive unsolicited mail to your place of business.
>See also: Start your company the simple way
It’s not paranoid to want to keep private information private. Use LegalZoom as a barrier between you and the public and keep in control of what information you choose to share.
We’ll keep your important post safe for you, sift out the junk and forward it on at a convenient time.
Prestige
First impressions matter. Get the prestige of a central London postcode, minus the pollution and the sky-high rents.
Technology has undoubtedly untethered opportunity. Now, a reliable internet connection and an easy Skype manner are often all you need to inspire confidence in your skills. There are times though when communication comes down to a cold, hard postcode. Wouldn’t an official address in the heart of the City of London help emphasise your professional expertise?
Don’t risk seeming like a bit player in your industry or an amateur upstart. Use our address on your website, business cards, company letterheads and anywhere else you mean business.
Peace of mind
Using our address is just one less thing to think about. Let us take some of the admin strain off your shoulders so you can continue to focus on the big picture.
When your business is in its early stages, it can be difficult to tell where you’ll be working from a couple of months from now. If you don’t currently have official business premises – or you think some office changes are ahead – setting up with our address is one less thing to have to remember to change further down the line.
And if you’re working from home, you’ll know that work/life balance is all about keeping your domestic and professional life nice and separate. When boundaries become blurred, it can be much harder to stay focused on necessary goals or switch off for R&R at the end of another long day.
Using LegalZoom’s Registered Agent service can help you keep that crucial distance by stopping critical business documents dropping through your letterbox alongside the Amazon deliveries and the kids’ party invitations.
We bundle up all your correspondence, filter out the distracting junk mail, and forward it on in one batch so you can deal with it all at a time that suits you (not just whenever it comes through).
So how exactly does it work?
It’s simple to set up, simple to test and simple to cancel if it doesn’t work out for you. We’re only interested in helping you make a success of your business, not in locking you into a service if you don’t find it useful. That’s why we offer a free one-month trial, no strings attached.
Just choose your company name, choose your formation plan and add the Registered Agent service to your basket. If you choose the Privacy or Peace Of Mind package, Registered Agent is included!
- Our central London address appears on the Companies House public register
- We look after any post that comes through for you
- Get rid of any junk mail
- Forward it to any address you choose
We’re currently working on a digital service to make this process even easier. We will scan all your incoming correspondence and email it over instead of or as well as posting so you can stay paper-free.
We’re here to help. Get in touch today to find out how to start a business the simple way.
- Stay contract-free with the monthly £19.99 plan, which you can cancel any time
- Save £40 per year with the annual £139.99 plan
Further reading
The GOAT (greatest of all time) guide on how to start a home business
