Running personal websites on a company server

[MitchTalmadge]

Thanks BizAdvisor, I appreciate the feedback! I had never thought of the truck analogy before.

[Fundist]

Hi Mitch,

Some really interesting answers here. You need to chat with a lawyer that knows something about businesses. Yours is a common issue that has a very clear cut solution, but there are Bar rules that can step into giving legal advice on forums (not to mention malpractice concerns).

[MitchTalmadge]

Thanks, Fundist. I'll ask around to see if I can find a lawyer that is willing to help.

[Fundist]

Yeah absolutely. This is a very important question - especially when starting a company.

[Harold Mansfield]

Been thinking more about this and while I think we're giving you the responsible, correct answers to keep business and personal separate..what's the real risk?
You get audited and it's discovered that you're writing off personal expenses with company money?
Fine, just list the percentage of cost for the personal sites and log it as salary or income.

What's the other real risk? That something litigious happens and you are forced to somehow allow access to your server which includes your personal sites?
How exposed are you? Is that a real possibility?

This is one of those things that no one would probably ever think to look for or ask about if you hadn't mentioned it.
Is it illegal? Maybe if you were a large company and reporting expenses without divulging it. If a significant portion of expenses was your personal stuff, yeah I'd be pissed and ask for your resignation. But that's not the scope of what we're talking about.

When it's just you and your company and your server, I wouldn't worry about it.
I wouldn't want my personal stuff with company stuff, but that's just me. Then again everything I host on my server is business related in some way.