In my experience, a lot of it depends on the type of business. When we first started to apply for our various permits for our wine store and online wine clubs we only had a PO Box and a home office. As we moved farther down the process we realized that we'd need a physical warehouse to store the wine if we didn't want inspections in our homes and many other headaches involved with storing liquor in a residential neighorhood. My best advice is to start as small as possible to keep costs down, but keep an open mind for choices that will make it easier to be successful in the long term. In most states (California included) using a PO Box isn't a proble,

You will need to have a registered agent in the state where you register the business. There are companies that do just that - act as the in-state representative for foreign corporations. Once you decide on a state where you want to register the business, you can look for a company to serve as your representative.

Hi X-Hardgainer, Many home-based and online businesses use a PO Box to register their business. Contact your state business entity registration office to find out about specific filing requirements in the state where your business will be formed. Does anyone have experience registering a PO Box?