Content provided by OfficerPrivacy.com
Many LEOs start side businesses to supplement their income, prepare for retirement or explore a job change.
But they didn’t expect to find their name and home address on business database websites. These sites show the owner’s private information for free – without needing to create an account.
When you start a business and fill out the necessary paperwork with your city and state, it will get sold to data brokers – who will then post it on their business database website.
Unlike data brokers who sell their data to people-search sites, these business database websites will not remove your information like people-search sites will.
All of a sudden, what started as an entrepreneurial journey puts these officers at risk of harm from those wanting to target police officers. Now, anyone can identify you as an LEO and a business owner.
They can even find out where you live, plan harm to you or your family or write negative reviews encouraging others not to do business with you.
This only increases your worry and takes time and attention away from running your business. To minimize the risk to you, your family and your business, follow these five steps:
- Use the privacy option when you register your website domain to mask your name and address. Some providers include this for free, while others charge extra.
- Use a P.O. box or other mail service as an address. Use this address on everything you can. Some companies require a street address so use the street address of the post office and your box number as a suite number (if allowed).
- Use a Registered Agent (RA) if you are forming a Limited Liability Corporation. Your RA’s name and address will be shown on legal documents filed with the state instead of your name and address.
- Use a virtual (or VOIP) number for your business instead of your cellphone number to make and receive calls to your cellphone.
- Use a fresh email address instead of your personal email for your business communications. Ideally, this will be an email address at your website domain.
Following these five easy steps will help you maintain your privacy so you can focus on running your business. For more privacy tips, download “25 Rarely Used Privacy Tricks,” a free eBook, here.