Posted by KC Questions on April 03, 2002 at 21:28:30:
You can try contacting your state and local Departments of Economic Development.
LLC business address - Posted by Ken_GA
Posted by Ken_GA on April 03, 2002 at 12:25:59:
Hello All,
I just wanted to say, I have been lurking on this site since last October and went to the Convention last month. I have been impressed w/ the content of the site, the wealth of information and the genuine willingness of all it’s participants to assist the other posters.
I have recently begun to put things into motion and I have a question regarding LLC filing.
I want to maintain as much anonymity as possible when forming the LLC so I don’t want to use my home address on any of the paperwork, if I can avoid it.
I thought that I had heard I could use a Mail Boxes, Etc. (MBE) as a business address. However, when I went to my local MBE, the gentlemen there stated I could only use it as a mailing address. I could not use it for my business address.
Can anyone let me know what is the best way to proceed? Is it OK to go ahead and use my home address? Those of you who have formed your own LLC, what are you guys using for an address?
Any direction will be most appreciated.
Thanks,
Ken
Re: LLC business address - Posted by Tom (GA)
Posted by Tom (GA) on April 05, 2002 at 15:14:00:
You can use a PO Box for the mailing address of your LLC. However, the registered agent address has to be a street address.(for service of process) Both addresses are public record and are available on the georgiacorporations.org web site under the entity name.
You could use your attorney for the registered agent. That would keep your address and name off of the records.
Re: LLC business address - Posted by gskripka
Posted by gskripka on April 03, 2002 at 21:50:14:
I am a banker by day, REI by night. I can tell you that attempting to avoid the use of a physical address for your transactions sends up an immediate “Red Flag” with many institutions due to the fact that it smells as if something fraudulant is trying to be perpetrated. You may have many reasons for remaining “anonymous”, but i would be mindful of the impression that type of behavior gives, esp in dealing with institutions with which you have no history…
Re: LLC business address - Posted by Devon (Buffalo)
Posted by Devon (Buffalo) on April 03, 2002 at 18:01:25:
Hi, at the conference Richard Roop (one of the speakers) had a novel approach. 1. Get a PO box at the post office 2. For your address, put the address of the post office and the number of you po box ie:
Mr Homebuyer - or - Results Homebuyers
215 Post Office Way
city state 11111-4105
Re: LLC business address - Posted by David H
Posted by David H on April 03, 2002 at 16:30:31:
The question is why you would pay much heed to the MBE clerk anyway. What does he know?! Does he read CREOnline?
If you haven’t already named and registered your LLC, pick the name you’re going to use, and open the mailbox with MBE and list the LLC name and your own name as recipients for mail at the address. You have no need to enter into a discussion with the clerk with regards to mailing addresses vs. business addresses. (But if you do…see if the clerk can give you a clear explanation of the difference…)
Once you’ve got the MBE MB, update or simply provide that address for all the registration documents. You may find one spot where the documents won’t accept a PO box, (mebee…say…an address for the registered agent to reach you at), but I’ll think you’ll find that you can provide the MBE address for all the publicly recorded addresses.
In any event, you can’t hide in entirety, because you have to provide a name - probably your own - for serving process to, and that will go on record. I suppose you could make a name up though…
Re: LLC business address - Posted by Ron Coultas
Posted by Ron Coultas on April 03, 2002 at 15:50:21:
MBE should allow it but that is their option. You could have your LLC rent space in your home to legitimize the address and, provided you have land trusted your own home, it will not violate your anonymity. There may also be tax advantages to doing this - check with your accountant.
Re: LLC business address - Posted by gary
Posted by gary on April 03, 2002 at 15:45:23:
I’m new at this. Curious, Why can’t you use a P.O. Box address or can you?
replies
gary
Re: LLC business address - Posted by jim
Posted by jim on April 03, 2002 at 14:54:09:
He apparently didn’t want your business. Go to another MBE or store that rents out mailboxes. I use one of these and it works out fine. Just be sure to pick up your mail frequently as they do not want a flood of mail for one customer.
It is perfectly OK to use your home address, but it won’t provide much anonymity.
Re: LLC business address - Posted by KC Questions
Posted by KC Questions on April 03, 2002 at 14:32:10:
Check to see if there are any business clubs in your area that allow you to use their address. The one that I use lets me use their address for mail, they answer calls for me, and there is office space available by request if I need to meet a client.
Re: LLC business address - Posted by TC
Posted by TC on April 03, 2002 at 19:56:51:
How does this Bussiness Club operate?Do they charge a fee to let you use their address as yours and if so does the USPS not give any probs with it?
This sounds like a great idea to me and would like to look in to it further.Would they be listed as Bussiness Clubs?
Thanks
Re: LLC business address - Posted by KC Questions
Posted by KC Questions on April 03, 2002 at 20:45:03:
The business club that I am a member of only charges $75 per quarter. It was setup to help businesses get off the ground and stay in business. They understand that a lot of businesses fail because of overhead and their job is to reduce the overhead as much as possible so that the business has a chance. They provide fax machines, computers, and a business library. There is also a receptionist who answers calls and will take messages for you. There program I use is called “the incubator” which lets me use an office whenever I need it. This works out great for me since my money is not made sitting in an office behind a computer, but out in the field doing deals. When I need to meet with a client, I just call in to reserve space and afterwards pay a small cleaning fee which depends on the size of the office. This helps to greatly improve the image of my company when dealing with customers since I can meet with them in a professional atmosphere instead of my house, their house, or over dinner (although those methods sometimes work too).
They have full offices for rent, where I would have a specific office that is mine and I would pay rent of approximately $400/month. $300 of that would actually be going toward the office funiture that I would be leasing to own. If I rented the office for 3 years, the furniture would be mine. This is not cheap furniture but, $7k-10k office furniture. The point of that program is so that after three years you would be able to move out of the building into your own location without having to come up with the $10k out of your pocket, just to furnish your new office.
I initially considered leasing an office elsewhere for $200-300/month but I thought about the fact that I wouldn’t be there but a few hours a week since I already have a full time job. I reasoned that I should only be in the office if I need to meet with customer, and the majority of the time that I worked on my REI, I should be out in field. When I found out about this business club, it was a deal that I couldn’t refuse. Another plus about the club is that it is part of the Small Business division of the Department of Housing and Community Development. Since it is a part of and funded by the city government, I am able to meet a lot of helpful people - in fact, I recently found out that the receptionist who takes messages at the club was a section 8 inspector before she retired.
Re: LLC business address - Posted by TC
Posted by TC on April 03, 2002 at 21:05:17:
So if I was to contact DHCD , do they have a specific name that they call this division or would I ask for the Small Bussiness Division.Thanks for your help.This may help solve a small dilema for me.
Re: LLC business address - Posted by TC
Posted by TC on April 03, 2002 at 21:04:48:
So if I was to contact DHCD , do they have a specific name that they call this division or would I ask for the Small Bussiness Division.Thanks for your help.This may help solve a dilema for me.
Re: LLC business address - Posted by KC Questions
Posted by KC Questions on April 03, 2002 at 21:34:29:
I also believe there is a “National Association of Incubators” which lists all of the incubators across the country, and I would be surprised if there wasn’t a list somewhere on the web.