Running a Side Hustle from Home? How to Protect Your Family’s Privacy

Working a side hustle from home is every entrepreneurs dream.

No commute. No set schedule. Extra money coming in while you lounge around in your PJs. But there’s one big downside that most people don’t think about…

Posting your home address as your business address

Yep. As soon as you start a business from home, your address suddenly becomes public record.

Every customer. Vendor. And bot on the internet can find out where you live.

Not cool.

You worked hard to find a nice place for you and your family. The last thing you want is every Tom, Dick, and Harry knowing your address.

Fortunately, there’s an easy fix.

In this post you’ll learn:

1. Why home-based businesses are at risk

2. The privacy risks of using your home address

3. Simple steps you can take to protect your family

4. How to get a professional business address

Why Home-Based Businesses Are at Risk

Side Hustles have never been more popular.

In fact, 45% of Americans have a side hustle right now. That’s almost half of the country making extra money on the side.

And most side hustles are run right out of people’s homes.

The problem is…

When you register your business. Apply for business licenses. Or set up merchant accounts to receive payments. Your address is suddenly published for the world to see.

Your home address will be:

• on government websites
• visible to anyone researching your business
• stored in countless online databases

Essentially your personal residence is broadcasted to the public.

That’s why it’s critical to sign up for an online PO box service as soon as possible. Websites like ipostal1.com/online-po-box provide you with a legitimate street address that keeps your home location hidden. It looks professional on your website and business cards, but doesn’t expose where you live.

You’re probably thinking. “Why would I want everyone who buys from me knowing my kids bedroom location?”

Exactly.

Privacy Risks of Using Your Home Address

Let’s dig a little deeper into how your privacy could be compromised.

Small businesses are frequently targeted by identity thieves. In fact, a recent study done by the Identity Theft Resource Center reported that 73% of small businesses experienced an attack in 2023. A record high.

Identity theft isn’t the only thing you have to worry about either.

Here’s what can happen when your home address is publicly tied to your business:

• Angry customers can show up at your door
• Competitors can find out where you live to harass you
• Curious strangers can request your families personal information
• Spammers and junk mail companies will send you tons of promotions

It gets worse… once your address is out there. There’s no real way to take it down. Data brokers crawl the internet just looking for information about you. Then they sell that information to the highest bidder.

You shouldn’t have to worry about your families safety when running a legit business.

How You Can Protect Your Privacy

The good news is that there are things you can do to both grow your business and protect your families privacy.

Here are some simple things you can do today to prevent your personal information from being compromised.

Sign up for a virtual mailbox service. This is the easiest and most effective method for keeping your business and home addresses separate. Services assign you a real street address that you can use on all your marketing materials.

All mail gets forwarded to your virtual mailbox instead of your home. Many virtual mailbox services even scan your mail so you can view it online. It’s super convenient.

Register your business at your virtual address. In most states you are required to provide a physical address to register your business. Using your virtual address satisfies both requirements.

Use a virtual phone number. Google Voice and other similar services allow you to create a business phone number that forwards to your cell phone. That way customers will never see your real phone number.

Be careful what you post on social media. This may sound silly but you want to be careful about geotagging your location on social media posts. One picture of your home office is all it takes for someone to find you. Keep your personal and business pages separate.

How to Get a Professional Business Address

Need help signing up for a virtual mailbox service? Here’s a walkthrough of the process.

First, browse some popular virtual mailbox services to find one that fits your needs. Don’t worry most services offer the same basic features.

Here’s how it works with most companies:

1. You sign up for the service and select your desired address.
2. Many virtual mailbox companies have addresses all over the country. So you can select one close to your target market if you’d like.
3. Once you’re all set up. Any mail thats shipped to your business address will be sent to your virtual location.
4. You can then decide whether you want that mail forwarded to your home, uploaded digitally so you can view it online, or stored securely for pickup.

Benefits of having a virtual business address:

• Provides privacy for your home address
• Looks better on marketing materials than a PO box
• Separates your business and personal mail
• Mail is accessible through any device with internet access
• Helps you comply with registration laws

Prices vary but most services range from $15-$30 a month. That’s cheaper than a night out at dinner!

Other Privacy Steps to Consider

Want to level up your privacy even further?

Here are a few more tips to help you keep your address under wraps.

Form an LLC. Making your business its own legal entity provides a layer of protection between you and your business. Some LLCs will allow you to use your registered agent address for business mail.

Monitor your online presence. Set up Google Alerts for yourself and your business name. You’ll be notified whenever new online information pops up about you.

Audit your current business information. Go through all of your business licenses, domain name registrations, and social media accounts to see what addresses are connected to them. Update any addresses that need changed.

Use a secure payment processor. Payment processors like Stripe and PayPal provide an additional barrier between you and your customers. Which helps protect your personal bank account information.

Wrap Up

Starting a home business is a great way to earn extra income and learn entrepreneurship.

But you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your families privacy to do it.

Remember: Sign up for an online PO box service. Keep your business and personal addresses separate. And take other smart precautions to protect your information.

You’ll sleep better at night knowing your address isn’t publicly available for everyone to see.