Virtual Office
Virtual Address: Things to know
As absurd as this concept may sound to someone hearing it for the first time, a virtual address is fast becoming a widely accepted option especially for startup companies, small businesses, and freelancers. Learn more about virtual office address on this article.
A team of experts will get you the answers you need to get started with your business.
A virtual address office service can be used by sole traders, limited companies, with or without a physical business location, or people who need mail forwarding while they’re away or temporarily because they are without a permanent home address. In the UK, the virtual address is a real office in London or any other city of your choice.
From this virtual address, any official mail which arrives there for you could be from official bodies like Companies House, will be forwarded to an address you have previously specified, or scanned and emailed to you. The exact details of the service vary depending on your service provider.
In this article we will explain in detail what a virtual address is, how to choose one and what its advantages are.
What is a Virtual Address?
Despite the word virtual, a virtual address does exist in a physical location and can even be used to receive mails.
The virtual part of the name just points to the fact that your business is indeed virtual but the address you are using is a physical one.
The virtual address is mainly used for official documentation, registration services, and filling of forms. So, even though you are not working in the office space as indicated by your address, you still have an address where your correspondence can be forwarded.
In other words, a virtual office address is a real address with a real house, street, and area codes from where your correspondence can be sent to you via email or courier. It can be found via GPS.
A virtual address is not a registered address…
A registered address may sound like a virtual address but in the real sense of things, they are indeed different.
When you just intend to register with an official body and not be used by a third party, a registered address is applicable. But if you’ll need the address for other purposes, you will need a virtual address.
Neither is it a PO Box address…
Also, know that a PO Box is not a virtual address. While a virtual address is a physical address or office where your mails arrive before being sorted, scanned, and sent to you, a PO Box is a mailbox in a post office.
A PO Box can be provided by your service provider but it does come with a physical address too.
Additional services of the virtual address/office
• You can use your virtual address as a mailing address.
• Mail handling, collection, scanning, and forwarding – especially useful when you are abroad! Your mails will be scanned and sent to you in an email and you get to choose how they should be handled henceforth.
• A professional receptionist will be available to handle calls from your customers promptly and professionally, tailor-made for your business. Your calls can also be directed to your personal phone number when it is necessary.
• A telephone number with a local area code to give credibility to your business.
• Meeting/conference rooms available for rent per your request.
Here are some other benefits to be derived from having a virtual address
1. Helps to keep your privacy private: using your home address may be compromising especially as this information is readily available to anyone who cares to know from the Companies House. It is also less dignifying.
So, listing a virtual office address gives you some form of privacy.
2. Professionalism: when you use a virtual address as a trading address, it presents your business as official and gives an image of professionalism to your clientele.
3. Maintain a presence in a location you are not physically present: you can be situated abroad but need to have an office location in the UK, a virtual address should be your go-to because you don’t have to open a physical office and you still get access to all your correspondence.
This essentially gives you the flexibility to conduct your business from and anywhere in the world.
4. Cost-effective: to be real, the cost of renting an office space may sometimes be overwhelming especially if you are considering locating your office space in a prime location like London. However, with a virtual office, you have access to virtually everything an office space provides including the prime address and business phone number except for the physical space which can be mitigated through emails, videoconferencing, etc.
It also means your employees can work from the comfort of their homes remotely!
5. Affordable prestige: as the director of your business, when you use an address in a prime location, your business automatically gains a prestigious image at a low cost.
6. Effective correspondence management and sorting: with a virtual address, all your mails can be made into digital copies that can be accessed from anywhere.
You also get to avoid spam and marketing mails sent to you incessantly.
7. No long-term commitment: since you can pay per month with a virtual address, you can opt-out of an expensive virtual office and your business will still survive as opposed to the long-term commitment of leasing actual office space at the expense of your profit margin.
8. Avoid the hassles of physical office space: apart from rent or lease fees, some other hassles which include maintenance, cleaning, and other unavoidable building issues can be avoided with virtual addresses.
9. Avoid disruptions: you can easily change your actual location without having to inform long-term clients about it or going through the tiring process of changing office addresses on important documents.
10. Office space and voice mail when needed: some service providers provide you with physical office space when the need arises and it comes with the perk of real people to provide the essentials that you need for the success of your meeting.
You can also have access to voicemail space that may be limited with regular phone service providers.
How to choose and get a virtual address?
- Identify the services you need before searching for providers that offer such so that you don’t pay for services you don’t need.
- Choose an address that’ll make you happy. You’d want your virtual address in a prime location befitting your business.
- Check if there are any hidden fees. Don’t just go for a provider because it looks cheap. Some hidden VATs may make it costlier than the one you overlooked!
- Check out the rating of the provider by their existing customers. You may just save yourself some heartache in the future by doing that.
- Choose a provider that fits your needs, select a plan according to your budget, fill their company contract form and sign off.
- You are golden!
In conclusion
The wide array of benefits to be garnered from getting a virtual address makes it ideal for even the smallest of startups….
How to get a virtual address?
1. First and foremost, make a list of what you need for your virtual office to function well
Choose whether if you need a telephone answering service, meeting rooms, coworking spaces, etc
A team of experts will get you the answers you need to get started with your business.
