What is a business identity?

A business identity is the set of contact and branding details that make your side hustle look and operate like a real business, separate from you personally. That usually means a domain, a website, a business phone number, a professional email address, and a business address.

Why shouldn’t I use my personal phone, email, and home address for my side hustle?

Using your personal details is easy at first, but making your business official can put that information on the public record, where anyone can find it. Setting up a separate business identity helps keep your personal contact info private.

What do I need to set up a business identity?

You’ll need five basics: a domain, a website, a business phone number, a professional email address, and a place for your mail to go. A domain gives you a professional email, and a business address keeps your home address off your materials.

What does Northwest Registered Agent’s free identity include?

According to Northwest Registered Agent, the free identity includes a domain, a website, a business phone line, a professional email address, brand protection, and a business address. The company says your personal phone, email, and name stay off the public record.

Can I move my business identity somewhere else later?

According to Northwest, yes. It says the identity is built on open-source technology, so you can migrate at any time.

How to Start a Side Hustle Without Exposing Your Info

Two photos of a woman typing on a keyboard with her hand on a mouse and another of the same woman looking over a table and reading something.

The Side Hustle Detail You Might Accidentally Skip 😮

If it feels like everyone has a side hustle these days (Depop seller! Dog walker! UGC creator!), well, it’s because many of us do: 33% of Americans have one, including 45% of millennials and 43% of Gen Zers, according to a survey from LendingTree of more than 2,000 U.S. adults.

And for your budding business, you've probably considered all of the fun stuff: the idea, the product, the Instagram handle, the branding, the marketing plan. 🌈

But there's one part that often gets overlooked: giving your business an identity of its own. Setting that up means:

Finding a domain
Building a website
Getting a business phone number
Setting up a professional email
Figuring out where your mail goes

Most of us start with whatever we already have: our personal cell, our regular email, sometimes even our home address. And honestly, it makes sense. When you're testing an idea, the last thing you want to do is spend weeks on setup.

But did you know that making your business official can put your personal info on public record, where anyone can find it? Yeesh! 🫨

That's where Northwest Registered Agent comes in. They give new business owners a free identity, and when we say free, we mean free. Here's what you get: