Keeping your business information separate from your personal information

If you own a business, work and personal life can merge into the same thing. You may have trouble keeping shop-talk out of your home, but you should still establish some boundaries to separate your business and personal lives.

Think of your personal and business information. Do you use the same checking account for both work and personal expenses? Do you use the same email address? What about your mailing address? Do you divulge your home address to all your customers and colleagues?

Separating your information will keep you allowing your business to run your life. It also helps establish your own business identity. It shows your customers, vendors, and partners that they should take you seriously.

Here's a checklist for areas you should separate to keep your personal information private:

 Establish your business identity

It sounds obvious to start your business first. But, some freelancers and consultants go years without setting up separate business identities. If you do it from the start, it sets you up for long-term growth. This prevents you from losing time, missing mail, or customers relying on outdated information. 

Register your business name with your local government agencies. This gives you a legal claim to your business name. You can also look into services that can help secure your business name and register an LLC, DBA, or a corporation. Determine which business structure fits your needs. You can explore services available to your business here.

Keep your business finances separate 

It'll be easier to track business expenses with designated checking accounts and credit cards for your business . This will ensure you don't confuse them with your personal expenses.

You can also buy business accounting software or hire an accountant to assist in your budgeting. Being a smart business owner will pay off in the long run and keep you secure should things go awry. A proper financial recording is key to your business' success.

Get a business mailing address

Whether you're running a successful company, a side business, or you're a solopreneur, it will be much easier to have a separate address for your business. This keeps your home address private. If you ever move, it prevents you from having to change all your business information.

Good news: You don’t actually need a physical address to have a separate mailing address. Leasing space in an office building or coworking space can become costly (and unnecessary in today's remote work climate if you’re a home-based business.) Instead of relying on a PO Box and having to run to the post office, you can instead use online mailbox services. A great option to help keep your private address separate from your business is a virtual address.  A virtual business address provides:

• A real street address 

• Security

• Professional edge to your business

• Opportunity to expand your business into new georgraphic areas

You can have all your mail forwarded to your virtual mailbox, making it accessible to you from any device, anywhere. At Earth Class Mail,  we have a vast network of addresses to select from. Use the address as your own and receive your mail digitally. 

Establish a professional image

 You want to set your best foot forward as you present yourself to your customers. Creating a professional image across all media platforms - social, digital, websites - will look better than having your own personal name out there. Your business represents the service or product it gives to the public. Making sure that you exemplify that is very important. 

 Make sure to create your business social media pages and not use your personal profiles. With a business profile on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, you can create engaging content for your customers and market to them. Business profiles also provide analytics, so you can track how customers interact with your content.

 Creating a Google presence will allow your business to be found via maps (location) and lead customers to your website. You can also use these digital and social media channels to place paid ads and generate leads. 

Ready to get your business started?

 If you are ready to get started, one thing to consider for yourself or your business is Earth Class Mail and how our products and services can assist you. Our products help the environment, allow you to travel for work or leisure without worry about halted mail service, and much more! We offer a wide range of plans and pricing that fits your individual or business needs. Learn more here.