Key takeaways
- A virtual office gives online and remote businesses access to a professional business address, meeting rooms, mail handling, and reception services without leasing permanent space.
- Using a commercial address as the registered office at Companies House keeps residential addresses off the public register and strengthens credibility with clients and partners.
- A virtual office address enables a Google My Business listing in a desirable postcode, placing the business in local search results and map packs.
- Meeting rooms and conference facilities can be booked by the hour, giving remote businesses a professional venue for client meetings without a full-time lease.
- Services like call answering, mail forwarding, a local phone number, and business advice are typically included or available as affordable add-ons.
Why Online Businesses Still Need a Physical Presence
Modern businesses can run almost entirely online, and thrive through the internet business culture.
From e-commerce to freelance programming, businesses can easily thrive without booking a commercial location as a headquarters. It's even possible to have a completely remote team, none of whom have ever seen each other in person.
However, there are some things that you can't do with online platforms and virtual communication alone.
Here at GoForma, we know that some aspects of business require a physical location, and many of them are not well-suited to using a home for that purpose. Even if your home is your official HQ, you'd likely rather not share that information with customers or business partners.
The simple addition of a virtual office to your business resources can provide everything you might need from a commercial office, without the hassle or expense of actually relocating your business or renting commercial real estate.
What is a Virtual Office?
A virtual office offers you everything but a desk with your name on it.
It refers to a commercial office in a desirable part of town that does all the things an office ought to. With a virtual office package, you can access mail handling services, host on-site meetings or have a receptionist handle your calls.
The key difference is that the only people who work in the virtual office are office support staff.
Everyone else, including all the businesses and their teams, simply use the office as an address, and as a shared office resource centre. This is incredibly useful for online businesses that have no need to rent commercial office space.
GoForma helps businesses that share the virtual office to save money on commercial rental, and the hassle of actually working in an office. While also providing all the perks of a fully staffed and highly effective office environment.
What an Online/ Remote Company Needs from a Physical Office
For self-employed persons and small business owners, there are benefits to be reaped from having a commercial office.
These include:
- Increased credibility
- Privacy (keeping your residential address private)
- Access to receptionist services
- Flexible access to office facilities
Benefits of a Commercial Address
The first major perk of working with a virtual office is that you can use the office address as the on-record address for your business.
Experienced entrepreneurs would probably know the value of having a prime business address. However, startups may be surprised by the impact this can create.
1. Customers Trust an Office Location
When a customer or business partner looks up your location, having a prime business address can make all the difference in the eyes of a prospective customer.
A commercial physical address builds trust through credibility, and projects a more professional image. Especially if that business address is what's normally perceived as a good location.
2. Commercial Office as Your Registered Address
You can also use the virtual office as your company's official registered address. This is the address of the business location where your company is incorporated.
With GoForma as your registered address, all documents on your business will be delivered to our central London business address location.
3. SEO Geolocation
One of the key benefits of using a virtual office address as the registered address of your business is SEO geolocation.
That's because many online services still benefit from the 'near me' feature in search engines.
It allows prospective clients or business partners to seek out targets based on the physical space where they are located. Virtual offices are most useful when they are located in the heart of the nearest city, especially if you run the business from a home that's located out of town, or in a suburb.
With our virtual office location, your business will appear to be located in EC1 central London, surrounded by potential clients. As businesses increasingly go digital, the value that a well-placed SEO geolocator pin brings to your virtual office in London can't be overlooked.
4. Keep Your Home Address Private
A final bonus to the virtual location is that your home address no longer has to appear anywhere in any business documentation.
You won't need to list your personal / business address on the website, business partners won't need it to send packages or mail. Even if you are still running the business from your home, your home address will be kept private.
Hosting Clients in a Virtual Office
Of course, the benefits of working with virtual office packages doesn't stop at simply having access to a virtual office address. You'll also gain access to a physical workspace and office amenities that are all part of our virtual office service.
GoForma's virtual office package provides access to elegant meeting areas, conference rooms, mail handling services and professional reception staff.
5. Conduct Meetings in a Real Office Space
When you need to meet a new client, you're unlikely to want to hold a meeting at your home. Yet, meeting up at a cafe isn't always conducive either.
With our virtual office, you can access formal meeting spaces, where clients will feel comfortable and relaxed. You'll also be able to access a range of office equipment if needed.
6. Book a Conference Room When Needed
Whether you're holding an all-hands staff meeting to cover important business plans, or meeting with a group of prospective clients or business partners, you can easily access conference rooms that are booked by the hour as part of our virtual offices and virtual business address services.
Our conference rooms and meeting spaces are well-appointed and fully equipped, which lends credibility to your business.
7. Unexpected Visitors Greeted in a Real Office
Let's say a customer comes looking for you unannounced, and arrives without an appointment at your business's listed address.
Here's where our virtual office address offering comes into the picture.
Rather than arriving confused at your home and wondering if they have gotten the wrong address, your customers will instead arrive at a well-appointed office and be greeted by our receptionist.
The Perks of Having a Virtual Office
Online businesses often miss out on the niceties of working in a fully staffed city office, such as having a receptionist handle your routine calls and emails, a working mail room, or access to other business professionals to ask for advice.
At GoForma, we strive to provide these services to online businesses as part of our virtual office subscription:
8. Phone & Email Reception Services
We are fully staffed with the support personnel that every office needs to survive.
Our receptionist is available to answer your business calls and emails, and will only send along the important details so you're able to focus on running your business.
9. Business Package & Mail Forwarding
A key concern for businesses using a virtual office is having their mail or packages delivered to their virtual office address, and not their home address (where they're mainly working from).
That's not something you need to worry about when you sign up with GoForma. We receive all of our virtual office customers' mail personally (not through a PO box), and we also offer a mail forwarding service, so that once the packages arrive at your listed address, they will be sent on to your functional address promptly.
This ensures that you get all your mail and packages where you need them through our virtual business address service, while still gaining all the benefit of using a commercial address.
10. Local Telephone Number
While phone locality hardly matters in a functional sense, it can lend credibility to your business among local clients. When you join our virtual office, you will also gain the benefit of a local business number that prospective clients are familiar with, and trust.
11. Unlimited Business Advice
Every business owner, big or small, new or established, needs advice from time to time. Particularly when navigating the maze of paperwork and taxes that keep a business afloat.
Not all virtual offices offer this service, but some may offer access to, or advice from their own team of financial and legal staff. At GoForma, we'll gladly provide you with unlimited practical advice and small business resources on how to navigate your finances and the small business legal landscape.
How a Virtual Office Brings It All Together
A thriving online business is a powerful thing in today's world, but you still need a commercial office as your headquarters.
With our virtual office service, you don't have to break the bank or uproot your operations to acquire a physical office space, yet you'll be able to enjoy the benefits that come with having a prime business address.
