Virtual offices allow companies to save money by renting space in an office building that doesn’t exist yet. Companies can rent virtual office addresses online and use them to represent themselves in business directories and other online resources.
Starting a company can be both an easy and complicated process. For a company to be fully registered, it will need to have some required items. These items include:
- The company name: when starting a company, the owners should have a name for it. The name should be unique to the company and registered to the companies’ names.
- List of all the directors and members: having a list of all the directors will help anyone else who is not in the company to know who the directors and members are
- Insurance and licenses: an insurance company must insure a company. A company must get the required certificates and licenses from the government.
- Addresses: Before a company is registered, it must have an address. The address can be either physical or virtual.
Why is a business address important? What are the types of addresses available for businesses? This article will give you more insights on addresses and the importance of companies and businesses having them.
Types of addresses
A company needs to have this address once it starts operating. It is the official address of a company. The Companies House registers the registered office address. For a company to run in the UK, it has to have an address and get registered. Once a company has a registered office address, the address is used for communication purposes. The registered office address is made known to the public. It helps people to know the exact location of the company in case they need to make any returns or visits.
Once a company has received the registered office address, it should appear in the places below:
- The company’s website: the office address being on the company website will help potential and returning customers to get in touch with the company easily.
- Company invoices and order forms: it will help customers to know the exact location of the company
- Business letters and emails: your registered office address should appear in these documents. It will help customers reach out to you faster
- Brochures and marketing material: when marketing your business by using brochures and other marketing materials. The registered office address should appear there.
Residential address
The residential addresses of all the directors and any other person with significant control in the company have to be listed on the public register. The residential addresses will only be visible to the police and credit reference companies.
Officer Service addresses
All the officers and persons with significant control of the company have to provide a service address. The service address is where any important documents will be sent. The Officer Service address should be made visible to the public. The officer service addresses are made public on the Companies House website.
Shareholder’s Contact addresses
All the shareholders have to have their addresses written down in the Share certificates, membership certificates, or the dividend voucher. The shareholder contact address is shared on Inform Direct. The shareholder’s contact address will not be sent to the Companies House.
SAIL Addresses
The Single Alternative Inspection Location (SAIL Address) is needed when a company starts its operations. The SAIL address is where the company keeps the statutory records. The records are made available for public inspection.
Shipping address
A company’s shipping address will come in handy once business commences. The shipping address will help a company accept deliveries and customer returns.
Do companies need business addresses? Here are some reasons why a company should get a business address as soon as it is registered.
Professionalism and credibility
Customers look for several things in companies. A company address is one of them. A company should have a business address because it will make a company look professional. Having a business address will give a company a sense of status. For most customers, a company with a professional work address shows that the company is serious in its dealings. More people will be drawn to companies with professional work addresses.
Having a professional work address will also make potential and current customers have confidence in your company. This will in turn attract more people, which will mean more business for your company. If a company has a physical address, the customers will be sure it is a legit business and they will even want to invest in it.
Convenience
Having a business address will be convenient for the company. A company can separate business from personal mails. The business address will ensure that no personal mails are mixed. For physical addresses, a company can get rental spaces from mailing services. It will also be convenient for business owners who want to expand their businesses and companies.
Security Measures
A business address is important for the security it provides to a company. Companies’ mails and documents are kept safe if a company uses the physical mailing system. Mailing companies have advanced security measures, which help to protect company documents with important information.
A company PO Box will provide security to the items a company might be sending to customers. The risk of having packages getting lost will minimize. There will be fewer chances of packages and goods being stolen. This will help business owners to run their businesses efficiently.
Meeting place for clients
A physical company address will make it easier for you to meet your current and potential clients. Instead of going to a hotel or renting some space for client meetings, a company can get a physical address. The physical shop can also act as a market area where customers can also shop while having meetings.
A beautiful physical space will make your customers comfortable and they will have more trust in your company. The space will also create a good image for your company, which will in turn attract many customers to your business. A physical address will be a meeting point for your customers and partners too.
Saves time
Having an address will help company owners save time. The address should be well known. This will help a great deal when it comes to deliveries. Deliveries will be made on time. The employees will have a lot of time on their hands if they get the deliveries done right.
Customer satisfaction
Customers love companies that are efficient and meet their delivery deadlines. Having a business address will help a company have better communication with the clients. Customers are satisfied with companies when deliveries are done on time. Customers will also be satisfied if they have a proper channel where they can return the goods in case of any issues.
Protects privacy
Privacy is very important in any business. When a business starts, it is important to get a business address. Most businesses use their home address at the beginning of their businesses. This poses a great privacy threat to them. Once people know a business owner’s physical location, it poses a danger. People can take advantage of that; break into the house, and steal.
Having a separate physical address of the business and that of your home will help in keeping your home private. People will not have access to your private home and it will provide some security to you and the people living with you.
Zoning Restrictions
These are the rules set regarding conducting businesses at home. In some cities and states, conducting business with the home as the physical address is prohibited. This usually happens because the local authorities are trying to protect the residents from disturbance.
When starting a company, a business owner should go to the local authorities to inquire about the zoning restrictions. This will help one to decide on whether to start a business there or not. If the local authorities do not agree to people having physical business addresses in private residential areas, a business owner should look for another physical address.
Improves SEO rank
Having a business address will help your business improve its search engine optimization (SEO). SEO helps businesses to grow. While advertising your business, you need to have a few extra things for it to be well accepted.
Most customers search for businesses or companies with physical mailing addresses. For a business, this is one of the most important things it can have. Get a physical address, a virtual address, or a mailing address. Once you have your business addresses, make them public. Share them on your social media accounts. When customers do their search, most of them search for businesses with business addresses. If your business has an address, your potential customers will see it faster.
A company owner can get different types of business addresses. They include
- Renting a mailbox: a mailbox will give a business a street address. A business will have a PO Box number. A company can send parcels using the mailbox. It can also receive parcels and envelopes through the mailbox.
- A Postal Box: a company can get this from a local post office. A company can receive postal mails from the postal box. Some postal boxes also receive packages on behalf of companies. Using a postal box is convenient, and affordable and the deliveries are made fast.
- Virtual office space: a business can rent a virtual office space. Virtual office spaces receive mails on behalf of companies. Virtual office space can also offer conference rooms for holding meetings, private offices, phone calls answered by receptionists, and forwarding of mails. A company that rents a virtual office space is professional. It also saves on costs and is flexible.
A virtual office is a great way to stand out from competitors. It’s also a good idea to choose a location that reflects your brand. You might consider choosing a location with a lot of foot traffic, such as a coffee shop or restaurant, so customers can see your logo and branding when they walk by. Companies should open up businesses addresses for the advantages they have. Business addresses are convenient and cheap. They will also make your business look more professional and will attract more customers.
Looking to form your own limited company in the UK, then check out Seed Formations for more information on how you can form one today.