How to Get a Virtual Business Address & Why You’d Want One

Categories Business Advice, Companies HousePosted on
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The digital era has brought with it a wealth of innovations that can transform the way you do business.

From online technology that supports long-distance communication and collaboration to advanced hardware that streamlines practices and workflow — the 21st-century has presented the commercial world with a treasure trove of powerful tools ripe for the plundering.

One such innovation that has seen an increasing rise in popularity in recent years is the virtual business address. In this blog, we explore what these addresses are, how to get a virtual business address, and why you’d even want one.

What Is a Virtual Business Address?

A virtual business address isn’t actually a digital space —it’s a genuine location registered to your business. You can even use it when you register your company name with Companies House, providing you commit to renting it for at least one year. You can also use it for other business activities, such as a postal address or as your address when listing your business on online directories.

A virtual address behaves in a very similar way to a PO box. It’s not an office or a place you can go and work, but a location you rent and use for official business process.

Often, your virtual address will be part of a larger property owned by an organisation that rents you a small part of it. This allows you to have a defined and legal address without having to acquire full-scale office space.

How Do You Get a Virtual Office Address?

The process of acquiring a virtual office address is simple. All you have to do is find a provider of virtual office space, such as Mint Formations. You can then arrange a rental plan with them for your virtual office address, pay the associated fees and that’s it — you’ve gained access to your new address.

The process is simple because — unlike the acquisition of actual property — you are essentially just buying an address line rather than a building space. This means there are very few legal elements to deal with. Renting virtual office space is also low cost and low risk, which naturally lends itself to a much easier process.

In terms of business asset acquisition, the complexity of the process is similar to buying a new phone line than it is buying property.

How Much Does a Virtual Office Address Cost?

Physical office space is expensive.

If you’re looking into major cities, you could be paying up to £1500 a month for somewhere in London. Even places like Manchester, Bristol and Leeds could set you back £400 per month.

A virtual office, by contrast, is incredibly cheap.

Prices from Mint Formations for a London virtual office start at £15 per month, with costs decreasing to as little as £7.50 per month when you lease virtual space for a year.

Why Your Business Would Want to Get a Virtual Office Address

Let’s use a virtual office address in London as an example.

London is the hub of commerce in the United Kingdom. The city is home to over 9 million people, and has a GDP of nearly £600 billion — that’s around 17% of the UK’s national worth. It’s a city of incredible scope for businesses and presents your company with a wealth of unique opportunities to reach new customers, attract investors and increase revenue.

But there is a problem.

There are thought to be around 1 million businesses operating in London, contributing to a total of 5.6 million businesses operating nationwide. That means 4.6 million enterprises cannot take advantage of London’s economy.

Or can they?

Today, businesses can establish a local presence and enter markets that operate miles away from where they are based — and it’s all thanks to virtual office addresses. A virtual address allows you to register your company locally, provide communities with local contact information and addresses, and become part of the regional business scene.

The benefit here comes from being seen as a local entity. Studies have shown that up to 93% of people prefer local business to national brands or companies that operate in other areas. This preference is largely down to perceived ease of access, desire to support the local economy and greater levels of trust and accountability. By acquiring a virtual office address and providing that sense of locality, you’ll achieve much better market access than if you attempt to sell services or products as a long-distance or nationwide company.

London isn’t the only place a UK business can see benefits. Any company operating outside a particular economic area could benefit and see better results by registering a virtual office space within said area.

A virtual office address can also be important for small businesses that operate out of a personal home address. If you don’t want your residence listed as your official business address, then a virtual space can help maintain privacy.

Could your business benefit from a virtual office? Mint Formations can help you register your company to a virtual space. Get in touch to find out more today.

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Raj co-founded Mint Formations with business partner Andy Tree in 2017. Mint formations is established to nurture small UK businesses and enable exciting new opportunities for quick growth. As a successful entrepreneur, Raj knows how to start and run a business. He currently resides as a board member of seven successful companies across the world. He is best known for founding Integra Global Solutions, specialists in robotics, automation, and business process optimisation.