starting online retail in an apartment?

**adkot** · 10-24-2007 05:53 PM

Hello fellow members and experts,

I have learned much reading through the forums, but I have not found out how to accomodate a critical aspect of my new business.

I want to become legal part-time online retailer with a business license and all that, but I have one seemingly very large problem... I live in an apartment.

My property manager has agreed to let me start a business, but if I'm to accept light bulk shipments and have a moderate amount of traffic, an apartment seems very impractical.

More importantly, the address of my business will have this blazingly obvious "Apt 222" in it. This is not professional and I fear the image it will portray to my potential suppliers.

I have looked into both a PO box and a UPS store address, but the problem still remains on how do I accept light bulk (or better) shipments?

Does this mean my idea is not feasible and I should consider a different business for now?

Also, I do know of drop shippers. Let's avoid that topic here. I want to be able to have product in hand and ready to go.

Is there a way around this? What are your thoughts and suggestions?

Thank you in Advance.

**richkid** · 10-24-2007 06:00 PM

Do you have a friend or relative that lives in a house, that the products can be delivered too?

**adkot** · 10-24-2007 06:07 PM

Yea, I looked into that too. I live in the bay area (San Francisco) where condos and apartments are prevalent. None of my friends live in a house. My family lives in GA, but their HOA doesn't allow home businesses.

**richkid** · 10-24-2007 06:15 PM

oh ok. I cant think of anything else at the moment then.

**teabenny** · 10-24-2007 09:02 PM

Adkot, just one question. Since we're looking into the same kind of business, I was wondering just what kind of MOQs your suppliers make you order?

Now, what I suggest is you don't say "Apt. 222" in your address. Can you write it instead as (street number)/222? For example, 14/222 Green Street?

And also - you might want to send a letter to yourself to test this out - try adding a made-up name for the complex you're living in. If it doesn't already have a name, that is. My mother did the same with her residential address - the house is an old historical one with a name, so she added the name to the address, and mail still arrived no problem. The address matters more than the name.

So, for example, you might be able to have the address as:

Kot Enterprises
Bay Area Commercial Center
14/222 Green St. San Francisco 90210

I don't know your exact situation, but hopefully this helps.

**richkid** · 10-24-2007 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by teabenny

Adkot, just one question. Since we're looking into the same kind of business, I was wondering just what kind of MOQs your suppliers make you order?

Now, what I suggest is you don't say "Apt. 222" in your address. Can you write it instead as (street number)/222? For example, 14/222 Green Street?

And also - you might want to send a letter to yourself to test this out - try adding a made-up name for the complex you're living in. If it doesn't already have a name, that is. My mother did the same with her residential address - the house is an old historical one with a name, so she added the name to the address, and mail still arrived no problem. The address matters more than the name.

So, for example, you might be able to have the address as:

Kot Enterprises
Bay Area Commercial Center
14/222 Green St. San Francisco 90210

I don't know your exact situation, but hopefully this helps.

That is a very creative idea. I like it how you found a way to make it sound professional.

**adkot** · 10-24-2007 09:40 PM

Wow, very interesting! I am not sure I completely understand though. Did you make up a name for the house she was in? You called it "Bay Area Commercial Center". In the same way, you are saying that I should do a similar trick with the Apartments I live in? Like...

XYZ [Company Name]
Regional Corporate Office [assumed name of my apartment]
4100/222 Norma Way [street name including apt#.]
etc...

That definitely sounds neat. Guess I'll have to see if it works. $.41 is small price to pay. Better than a PO box or something...

But I would still have the problem of where to receive light bulk shipments. A tractor trailer can't exactly drop it off in my garage (which I don't have).

But... let me share what else I have learned today.

My Public Storage down the street will allow me to make UPS deliveries to them. They simply give the delivery guy the key, who then goes to my unit and drops the stuff off. How does that sound? Sounds great to me, as I could now have place for my shipments to be delivered too. As long as the carriers are ok with it, the storage place will even let trailers in! Great! All I'll have now is a "ship to" address. Is that going to be ok?

I'll let you know what more I learn.

As far as MOQs, I have not tried to order anything yet until I have all my bases covered. I expect from $5,000 on up but, honestly I don't know.

Thanks!

**teabenny** · 10-24-2007 11:07 PM

I mean my parents' house is an old building, over 100 years old. It was originally owned by a Scottish doctor, who gave the house a name - you know, like many rich people call their home "Rose Manor" or whatever, so it was with my parents' house.

So yes, what I mean is that you give an assumed name to the apartment complex you're in. I gave "Bay Area Commercial Center" as an example. Many apartment complexes have names like "Sunshine Apartments" or whatever... so you can do one of the following:

XYZ Co.
Regional Corporate Office
4100/222 Norma Way

In that one you're just calling your apartment an office, which is fine.

Or:

XYZ Co.
Hubert Meyer Commercial Center (that's the assumed name for your apt. complex)
4100/222 Norma Way

**adkot** · 10-25-2007 12:53 AM

Hmmm... so my apartments are Rhonewood Apts.

That makes it the Rhonewood Commercial Center?

I'm going to mail a letter tomorrow. I'll let you know what comes of it.

**teabenny** · 10-25-2007 11:13 AM

Cool, yeah. Call it "The Rhonewood Building" or "Rhonewood House" or something. Good luck.

**deep_impression777** · 10-26-2007 04:09 AM

Ypu can go with "Rhonewood Atrium" or "Rhonewood Business Annex".

I was also thinking about renting another place where people can drop their shipments and it seems you already have that idea. Best of luck!

**adkot** · 10-26-2007 08:14 PM

Sweet! It worked! I used:

xyz co
Rhonewood Regional Office
4100/222 Norma Way
city, state, zip

So now I can setup an official sounding home based business... now I'll have to register that with my company.

Next is to try that public storage thing. That may take a few more weeks though.

Thanks teabenny!

**teabenny** · 10-26-2007 10:07 PM

Glad to hear it worked. Best of luck!

**Cole Taylor** · 10-31-2007 11:55 AM

I would either get a PMB at a place like the UPS store to recieve shipments, or use the storage place that will take your shipments. IMO, nothing good can come out of trying to decieving customers/suppliers, etc.

It's fairly standard to use your business name and replace apt with suite or simply use #. Using worldwide headquarters, distribution center, or something along those lines when it's easy to verify that the adress is indeed an apartment is unnecessary.