Many business owners regard a virtual address simply as the official registered office of their company entered in the commercial register. However, if you choose the right, reliable provider, a virtual office can bring you many further benefits – although not every provider offers the same range of advantages and services.
Address, signage and mail collection
The absolute minimum you should expect from a virtual office is a registered company address that is properly displayed in a public place and complies with the law or the relevant regulations.
The provider of the registered address also takes receipt of post – naturally including registered mail – and then passes it on to the business owner in the agreed manner.
Providers already differ within this core range of services: some offer extras such as notifications of new mail, a choice of ways to forward post to the business owner – including delivery within one day of receipt – or the option of faxing important documents.
Accounting and administrative services
Besides the basic service, most virtual office providers also offer additional services, chiefly bookkeeping (single-entry or double-entry) or simpler record-keeping.
Another type of additional service is the assistance and administrative support offered by the provider.. Providers focus mainly on helping business owners organise their many day-to-day obligations.
A higher level of service comes from virtual offices that, in addition to administrative support, also offer some legal services. These mainly involve help with filings relating to changes in the commercial register, such as a change of registered office or shareholders, or the formation or dissolution of the company itself.
Beware of suspiciously low prices
Offering business owners such an extended range of services naturally increases the provider’s costs, and this is reflected in the price charged for the virtual office.
When choosing a provider, however, business owners should not focus solely on keeping costs as low as possible; they should also be wary of prices that look too good to be true.
Prices that are excessively low or attractive can later take their toll on the quality of the virtual office.
In most cases, a cheap virtual office means a large number of businesses registered at the same address. This can bring numerous drawbacks, such as the provider not offering additional services, or difficulties in displaying your company name at the address. Low prices may also attract companies with dishonest intentions, which can make the entire address untrustworthy in the eyes of the authorities.
Given how much the location of your registered office matters – and how it affects your credibility with business partners and the authorities – we recommend choosing a provider with a smaller client base, even at a higher cost, where you can be sure of enjoying all the benefits.
