On July 8th, Amazon made an announcement that both intrigued and concerned many, particularly frequent Amazon sellers. That announcement? Sellers’ addresses will now be shown on their own page, as well as their business name.  Amazon’s reasoning sounds innocent enough: “These features help customers learn more about the businesses of a seller and the products that they are selling”.  

Buyers can now benefit from having a physical location and name in the event that they need to take legal action against a seller for counterfeit goods or products that cause harm, and sellers will no longer be able to create secondary accounts after being suspended.  

This is fine for larger brands that sell through Amazon but problematic for people who work from their homes, as this means that their home addresses will be listed. This is especially true for many artisans on Amazon Handmade.

In an attempt to assuage any fears sellers may have, Amazon mentioned in their announcement that this practice is already used in Japan, Mexico, and Europe. This change is to take effect September 1st of 2020.  

Responses have been mixed, with many sellers expressing concern over their personal information becoming so easily accessible.  Luckily, they have alternatives if they wish to keep their personal information from being abused. Read on to learn more.

1. Get a P.O. Box or a Private Mailbox

Instead of using their home address, sellers can switch to a P.O. Box or rent a private mailbox at their local UPS store.  Both will keep your mail and your mailing address secure.  Small business owners will likely benefit more from a mailbox through UPS, especially if they live in a state that requires them to have a registered agent for their business. That is because these mailboxes provide a physical address, whereas a P.O. Box does not. 

Sellers who don’t already have their business registered as an LLC  might want to consider doing so. This will remove their name from their profile and list their new business name instead.  UPS also has the added benefit of accepting shipments from other carriers, such as FedEx or German based DHL, which P.O. Boxes don’t offer. 

2. Invest in An Office Space.

Even sellers who work out of their homes can create a business address.  There are two methods small businesses can use for creating physical office space.  Renting office space helps small businesses get their foot in the door.  Having a separate address and space improves a business’ image.  Before signing a lease sellers need to, first and foremost, examine their budget.  If it doesn’t break the bank some of the next things to consider is how much space is needed, if their location is ideal, and what sort of amenities will be needed to complete the space.  

Sellers could also look into coworking, which means using communal space with other businesses.  Aside from providing a physical address they will have access to standard office equipment such as fax machines and printers, a receptionist, and most importantly coffee.  Utilizing these spaces does not require a lease; the expenses scale according to the size of the business.  Sellers will be provided with a unique opportunity to meet with other entrepreneurs and freelancers, which allows many professionals to come together to network and pool their knowledge.  When you surround yourself with hard-working people, you too are likely to stay motivated. 

So, if the coffee isn’t enough to keep you going, the ambiance will. 

3. Try a Virtual Office

Another popular option is to open a virtual office. Virtual offices provide small businesses with a physical address as well as other benefits a traditional office setting offers such as videoconferencing, a virtual assistant, and provide remote work.  Virtual offices remove the travel obligations that physical offices impose,  which is likely to be especially appealing to those business owners looking to expand their reach. Videoconferencing allows for global communication, so a small business isn’t restricted to local companies for meetings and potential partnerships.  

However, virtual offices can be costly to open and maintain, which may not be feasible for newer small businesses. That said, you may be able to negotiate a month-to-month leasing option for greater flexibility.  Virtual offices are quickly gaining popularity, with some predicting that most if not all business will be conducted through virtual offices.

Conclusion

What steps sellers should take next depends on the size of their business, what type of goods they sell, and whether or not they wish to expand.  There are some who are in favor of this change, but many are understandably skeptical.  Fortunately there are ways to keep your information safe without sacrificing your business.