Help! Sole trader with business address problem

N

nancy

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Hi, I'm setting up a new business as a sole trader (initially) and I believe that customer invoices should contain the business address. As this is my home, I don't really want to put that information on the documentation, just so as not to have any 3 a.m. callers! Would a P.O. box number be okay for this, or can anyone think of any other suggestions? Also, if anyone has used a P.O. box before, can you tell me how much it costs and where to get one?
Many thanks
 
After two and a half years of using my home address I have never had any 3am callers. If anyone tried they sure wouldn't do it again. There should be no problem in making it clear when your office hours are. If you are worried about it then put in place an after hours charge. That would discourage callers.

Regards a PO box. There will be days where you will be glad a cheque arrived in your letter box instead of waiting an extra day to pick up a cheque from the box.
 
I don't think a PO Box is a good idea. tHERE IS something fishy about it. I would be reluctant to do business with a company with a PO box as its address.

Look up Secretarial services or Office Facilities in the Golden Pages or use the business address of a friend.

Brendan
 
I have to agree with Brendan on the PO boxes thing, Irish business has a mindset against them while business in Oz for example doesnt. There was a good place in dolphins barn called bank house that will doa mail drop service for you, back in 2000 it was £50 a month AFAIR
 
That's brilliant...many thanks for that advice. What I really wanted to check was whether it is unlawful not to put a bricks-and-mortar address on an invoice, and from your replies, it doesn't seem to be. While my wholesalers and everyone above me in the chain has my address, I'm not keen on putting it on customer invoices at the moment. It shouldn't be a problem as I'm a Web-based business, and once they get good products and service, it shouldn't really affect them returning in the future. Hope not, anyway.
 
A mail drop service might be good for your customer invoices, I think the irish consumer has a hang up about dealing with PO box addresses
 
contemporary said:
A mail drop service might be good for your customer invoices, I think the irish consumer has a hang up about dealing with PO box addresses
Click to expand...

And mobile numbers too from what I've heard in the past.
 
Even if you are web based, you should give your business the appearance of substance. It gives customers confidence.

A bricks and mortar address and a phone which is answered by a person really are essential, if you can afford them.

Brendan
 
Great tips....will settle for a compromise: a mail drop service in addition to a phone line with a real person at the end of it.
 
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