Tip Of The Day: Get A PO Box... (Here's Why)

People showing up at a private residence uninvited is stalker freaky IMO.

It's happened to me before too. People also send me resumes and stuff asking if I'll hire them....very strange.

Sounds like taking the initiative to me!

Look, we tell people to "take action" all the time. And in the brick and mortar business world, people frequently show up and ask to speak to someone in charge. Indeed, "privacy" is a nonexistent concept in business - you can't be on the "do not call" list, for example. If you're going to put your personal address on your emails, people will show up. They'll email. They'll fax. They'll call. And because you're a business, that's supposed to be something you can handle.

If you can't, then by all means, get a PO Box. But on the other hand... being accessible is an asset.

Riley hit me up man.

You can also use the Post Office's street address with you P. O. Box, like

123 Main St. (Post office address)
Suite 456
Anytown, USA 55512
(If your P.O. Box is 456 then mail addressed to suite 456 will go to it, using the physical address of the Post Office.)
Try addressing a letter to yourself in this way and you will see that you get it with no problems.

Hey K. Riley, if I show up will you teach me everything you know

Look for me next week, but don't wait up.

Z

Brian "Zanti" Alexzander

Or you could just state specific office hours, and request they call a number you give them before hunting you down, and not just show up.

God, I love Gary Halbert's tips.

Personally, I think everybody has good points here.

Without knowing the full details about what sort of email list he was on, it is hard to make a full judgement call.

I mean, if you are promoting a work at home biz, and telling your subscribers that you work from home, it is a bit weird to turn up at someone's home address. It still seems a little weird to me that the guy went in to his room. I would've thought it would be pretty clear that it was student accommodation when you turned up out the front.

On another note, if you are trying to portray your business as something other than anything run from home, you do need to be prepared for people to try and contact you in ways other than online, whether this be via phone or via people trying to visit your place of business.

For security of mail, I think that it is important that you have a PO Box for business. If you work from home, you may want this to be your only advertised address. However, from a marketing perspective, and in terms of building legitimacy, for a lot of people, a physical street address can boost credibility. In this way, a Virtual Office may be ideal, especially if they have a receptionist who can answer phone calls and take messages.

You can also use a private mailbox like a UPS store or Mailbox etc.

I would never use my personal home address. For phone, you could use a forwarding service.

That is weird though having someone showing up at your doorstep.

Yeah agree man. Should make the distinct split between personal life and business

Well, if you don't publicize your phone number - then obviously
people who want to talk to you won't call first.

I see little merit in hiding from the marketplace - but if you have
a reason to hide, that's your choice. I've made my contact
information public for years and I've never had a problem.

That being said, if you have people sending you a lot of
money in the mail get a PO Box for that.

I don't vibe with the whole fear thing a lot of people have
these days. If you fixate on things like that you reap what
you sow. ("Think and Grow Rich" - chapter 15)

I understand the need to be transparent, and if you are a legitimate business and provide good service then it should not be a problem.

However if you work from home (as many do) then it can be a worry if someone with issues arrived at the family home!

Remember that 2nd life case where someone went from the u.s all the way to Germany to attack someone!

I like the idea of a forwarding address.

It is occasions like this, guns were made for.

That guy does sound a little stalker-like.

hmm....I'll have to think on this as I do want to start list building. I don't want people showing up uninvited, but do take what I do seriously.

That's amazing. I guess people are desperate enough to try and track you down. I think I'll take your advice for my websites.

Agreed. I've had this happen also. Fortunately, the address I used was a UPS Store, which also offers postal boxes.

Well sign of a subscriber on your doorsteps means number of things:
- You're in the right business
- You established yourself as an authority
- People trust you can help them to solve their problems and ready to tell their friends about how great are you.

With some power comes some responsibility. If you want to maintain all above - you might want to invite guy in and answer his questions.
Refusing and building walls between you and customer would mean less opportunities are taken advantage of.

With all that being said - I am not sure how i would personally feel about this happening to me It might scare me or my family - possible.

Gleb

...well said!

This is also why I use GoDaddy's Proxy service so the Whois Info is not public. Back in the Day I worked as a Security Guard in College. Very weird people show up to stalk people... even ordinary people. There is a trade off between safety and being legitimate, but safety comes first.

Thats something i would do. He'll make it just needs to find someone that will mentor him

I use my main office mailing address for this - as well as telephone numbers. Never had anyone show up, but do get some telephone calls now and then.

I think the main point a lot of folks overlook when "Working" from their home is that they are in fact running a business. If you cannot use your home address, then a P.O.Box is nice - but a street address is better in my opinion.

I'm always a little suspect of seeing a P.O.Box for a marketer - unless I know them. To me it's a credibility issue...what are they hiding? I understand the desire for personal privacy, but real businesses don't try to hide their physical location.

To me it says one man shop and not a real business - so it's a risk.

That's not to suggest a P.O.Box is a bad thing, hell, large, well known companies use them all the time for billing and so forth, But with so much skepticism about online marketers these days, it seems like one more credibility issue.

If you have a whole business you have an office, opening hours, receptionist etc.

I'm in this business because I like *avoiding* all of that.

Some days I don't start work til 3pm... I break up my days with video games or long lunches... hanging out with friends... whatever.

Furthermore I love working from home so an actual office isn't only an unnecessary expense... it'd erase half the reason I love this business.

I don't want people turning up on my doorstep, regardless of their intentions. I don't like people trying to sell stuff or religious groups either.

With my niche products, I provide email support. That's it. If I felt compelled I might offer my phone number but email is far easier.

Am I losing sales? Possibly. I don't think it's a big number, but it's worth it for my privacy.

-Dan

Ive had a po box for the past 5 years. It is absolutely essential for business to have an address that is not your home address or similar especially with the exposure IM'ers get on the internet.

You never know who you may cross and end up in a very sticky situation with.

There are some very delusional and dangerous people out there with grudges for not emailing them back within 5minutes. Yep you know those ones.

I agree pretty much with CDarklock above.

Running a business means being accessible. People do weird things. Live with it.

yeah I have had this happen 3 times to me this year. You would think that a person faced with a two hour drive and given a phone number and address would call first but nope!

TIP: I use a PO box at a mall that allows you to skip the PO box # and will file your mail by name so people have no clue their letter is sent to a PO box.

Plus the upside is if they street view the address and see a mall it looks more professional.

Way back in the day I used to publicize my home address, since I set up a full home office from which to do my online business. That went along just fine for years, and I never gave it a second thought.

Then one day I was threatened by a "customer" (long story, not worth going into). He lived not far away and promised to show up at my place of business (my home, of course) and intimated that he would possibly do bodily harm to me or others if he was not satisfied.

I paused, looked at my wife and two young daugthers, then decided that a PO Box would be just fine to advertise for my online business.

I have always used PO Boxes. Started in adult and wanted to protect my staff.

Good advice!

If someone actually shows up at my house...and doesn't ask first... Uhhhh... Probably not gonna like the person they meet...lol

I agree, PO Box is the way to go. Also unlisted phone number associated with your name. As an offline author, I learned this lesson the hard way after my second book was published.

I agree with many points on this thread as you need to be accessible to clients if you are marketing offline, but if you do value privacy or in the case Steve then a P.O box is more appropriate. If you have nothing to hide, don't have a family to worry about then use your address as it looks more professional. If you feel threatened it is your right in the U.S of course with the proper licensing to have a gun available. If the person comes at you with the intent to cause bodily harm, then shoot them and claim self defense if there is enough evidence to show that lethal force was warranted(i.e. person holding a bat or crow bar in their hands, etc.

I agree that people should take action, but to use their judgement before making a trip whatever to the advertised address. You as the marketer should exercise proper judgment as well. I myself welcome people to show up, but that is why I make sure on my website to list my phone number or at least a widget for google voice for people to contact me through...

Yeah. Right.

You're a marketer who wants to have the right to approach people without giving them reciprocal rights.

If you must hide, get off the web and go offline.

Just because certain pooo-litical leaders have decided to rule by the threat of terror does not mean that everybody who gets your address is a terrorist. If you offer a service you should be able to handle requests for that service no matter how they are made. Incompetence is not an option.

Office hours are office hours - I did not see that this guy called outside of them.

It's happened to you twice? Wow! It happens to me twice a month - but then, I offer a unique free service few others can provide so who am I to hide myself away?

This has happened to me before, but at my actual address.

It didn't really bother me, to be honest. Was kind of cool

It did make me consider a P.O. at the time. But it hasn't happened since.

You could use this to your advantage.

Perhaps there is a way to get wealthy, single, attractive, blonde females to show up.

If you figure this out then let me know.

I agree with the OP. To me, that's just WEIRD. If a traditional business and people visit my physical location (which is not retail, mostly shipping), then it's fine.

IM is known as a business where most people work from their homes. So showing up at someone's address is not showing initiative, it's more showing a complete lack of self-awareness.

I'll cut someone some slack if they just drive to the location and think it's a business address. But to follow through and knock on the door of a residence is so strange.

To me, it's not the equivalent of showing up at a business. It's like showing up at the CEO's house.

*wonders if people realize the thread is from 2009*

I agree with using a PO box, UPS store box or virtual mail box for you home based business address.

You guys are all welcome to come to visit my home:

Steven Carl Kelly Enterprises
Post Office Box 2184
Riverview, Florida 33568-2184
USA

It's a large house with big glass automatic doors, and a whole bunch of tiny little apartments inside.

And now I'm actually buying on eonline...