If you are operating a business from your home and your post office address clearly indicates a home address, you may want to re-think your marketing strategy.

A Rural Route 2 address can plainly say your business might be in a bedroom at home, or worse, in the barn. Does 27 Sleeping Beauty Circle look like a business address to you?

If your business is still at home and your address screams it, get a post office box. There are also companies that rent addresses and forward your mail. You could have a Chicago address and live in Nebraska (although I don't recommend it). A Chicago address might sound better than a suburb (RR #2 Box 2451, Gurnee, Illinois), but keep it within reason. An Internet search for "Mail Forwarding" will give you an idea of how it all works (and costs).

If your on-line address looks like the Tarzan Yell you may want to re-think your web strategy.

What comes to mind when you see an AOL, Hotmail or Yahoo eMail address? Home? Fun? Hobby? Cheap? Stigmas can attach and hold like glue. They are tough to shake. Your business does not need Cheap and Chinsey.

No matter what size your business, you should have your own domain name which, in turn, gives you your own eMail address, even if you don't want to put up a web page. I have been asked how to do this so many times, I wrote a Special Report with step by step instructions. Read about it here http://BigIdeasGroup.com/html/special_reports.html

Experts agree, you need a domain name, but they differ as to whether your domain name should just be your name (BernieSchwartz.com), or be the name of your business (SchwartzPlumbing.com) or be very broad in scope (PlumbingHorizons.com).

My domain, BigIdeasGroup.com has a broad scope but also reinforces my personal brand as BIG Mike. I bet I am the only BIG Mike you will read about today, or this week.

What if your business phone number is also your home phone number and someone else answers, "Heh-whoa? I'll Get my Mom-mee". What impression does that give?

Would you feel comfortable doing business with a firm who's answer machine says "Hi, you've reached Molly, Bernie, Bernie Jr and little Susie, sorry we can't come to the phone but if you...")

Your business should be using a separate number, no matter what the size. Specific ideas on how to have a separate business line and fax number are detailed in my free article "What Does Your Telephone Say?" Send a blank eMail to MailTo:TelephoneSay@BIGIdeasGroup.com.

Your business card can say a lot about your business image, too. Get my article "What Does Your Business Card Say?" MailTo:BizCardSay@BigIdeasGroup.com

Your business address is more than where the mailman delivers the bills. It includes your telephone and your cyberspace image as well. Get all three working for you instead of against you.

?2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com BIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and Small Business Consultant with over 30 years experience, http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

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