Brick and mortar vs. Virtually Perfect: Choosing between a Home Business Address and a Virtual Business Address
By Bazal Razzaq
Chief Editor
Updated: June 7, 2023
Editorial Note: We earn a commission if you use the services recommended on this page. Commissions do not affect our opinions or recommendations.
- How to set up an LLC as a Non-US resident
- The Power of Partnership: Unleashing The Potential of A Multi Member LLC
- Mastering the Art of Maintenance: Things To Do After Setting Up An LLC
- Exploring the Basics: What is a Single Member LLC?
- C Corp vs LLC – Which Business Structure is Right for You?
- Which is the best state to form an LLC in?
- Unlocking the Benefits of an LLC (Limited Liability Company)
- A Guide to Business License: Everything you need to know
- Operating Agreement 101: A Key To A Successful LLC
- One LLC, Multiple Streams of Income: can you have multiple businesses under one LLC?
- Articles of Organization Made Easy: Everything You Need to Know
- What Is A LLC Annual Report: A Comprehensive Guide for Business Owners
- Exploring Eligibility: Who Can Be LLC Members?
- What Is A Domestic Limited Liability Company?
- What is An EIN, and Do You Need One?
- What Is a Registered Agent, and Why Does Your Business Need One?
- What is a Series LLC?
- How to start a business with no money in 6 steps
- Member Managed vs Manager Managed LLC – Which Structure Fits Your Business?
Starting a business ain’t easy!
Whether you’re going solo or in a partnership, one of the major concerns for any new business is capital and resources. When you’re just starting out, both tend to be limited, which is why most new business owners have no option but to bootstrap their businesses. One of the most costly expenses in any business is commercial space. So, where do startups that wish to avoid workplace costs as much as possible go? Use a virtual address for business or their home as an office or set up?
Have you been wondering that too? Well, you’re in luck because today, we’ll discuss just that!
In this debacle of Brick and mortar vs. Virtually Perfect, our definite winner is being virtually perfect, AKA, a virtual business address. We’re pretty confident in our choice and reasoning regarding this decision, and once you’re done reading our blog, we’re pretty sure you’d feel the same!
What? Why? How? Yes, we do feel your confusion. How are we so direct about our top choice so early on in the blog? Well, it’s because the answer’s pretty obvious. How obvious? We’ll let you decide!
For those unaware, a home business address is your residential address used for business purposes. We agree that using your home address as your registered business location and public correspondence point may save you money. But it sure wouldn’t do a new company any favors. It can make your venture look unprofessional, inexperienced, and shady.
We firmly believe that reputation is everything when you’re an up-and-coming business trying to enter the corporate world.
Having a formal business address, a professional meeting area and all the perks of a physical office space can make things easier for young business setups regarding how your customers perceive you and your mindset.
So, what to do instead? Set up a virtual address for businesses to maintain both privacy and comfort at the same time.
What Is a Virtual Address For Business?
A virtual office address is an actual address for your business different from your home or residential address. They’re an excellent option for businesses that don’t have a physical address or that operate remotely. You can also use your virtual address for business if you have staff that works remotely or work from home.
You’ll still receive your informal home mail at your home address, but all your business mail will go to a professional virtual address provider company. You can pick it up from the provider or have it delivered to your place for a fee. Here’s a quick run-through of what you can expect for the whole process:
- Pick a virtual service provider as your business address.
- Ask for all your business mail to be delivered to the new business address.
- The provider company’s administrative people will receive and sort your mail.
- Choose how you would prefer to receive your mail, through mail forwarding to your home address or in-person pickup.
Simply put, having a virtual business address is like having a pretend office address where your formal business mail is delivered.
Your virtual office address can also include the following:
- Virtual phone numbers,
- Virtual fax numbers,
- Virtual receptionists,
- Virtual office address where your business mail and packages will be received.
What Are The Benefits Of A Virtual Business Address Over A Home Business Address?
Virtual office address provides countless benefits over a home address for your company:
- Professional Image:
A virtual office space often has a prestigious real business address. And a prestigious address gives your business a prestigious reputation. You can put this address on your business website, cards, and other marketing materials.
Clients, customers, investors, and partners prefer to deal with companies with a professional address since it offers more reliability.
- Privacy and Security:
Using a virtual address for business, you can keep your personal and professional lives separate. Generally speaking, using your residential address as your business address isn’t a good idea. Doing so will expose your house to criminals, thefts, or intruders, which may negatively impact your business image.
You wouldn’t want a client stopping by unexpectedly at your home that’s at risk of potential harm. Or your partner sends important documents to a house where things are easily misplaced. Even if no such things were to happen, a home address would still not be “posh” enough for investors.
At the same time, a virtual office address assures your home’s privacy and security and makes your business look more credible and professional to customers.
- Simpler Shipping:
You can use your virtual business address to ship mail and packages anywhere. It’s time and cost-effective and ensures the security and speed of mail forwarding.
Using a virtual office, you can ship important business items, shop online, exchange resources and send your clients gifts and greetings on select occasions. Also, you can choose to store your packages and mail them or forward them to different destinations.
Virtual office addresses manage your mail and packages securely and privately. This service will always keep you connected no matter where you are and, as a result, is safer than a traditional home address.
- Credibility:
A virtual business address enhances your company’s trustworthiness, reliability, and credibility compared to a home address. It ensures your potential clients and customers, banks, lenders, and investors confidence that you’re an established entity rather than a small operation run from a residential address somewhere.
- Registered Agent Service:
An LLC(Limited Liability Company) needs a registered agent to receive all important legal documentation, such as annual renewal forms or service of process notices, on behalf of you and your business. In most states of America, you must have a person or an entity authorized to receive government ordinances, tax forms, and lawsuit notices.
Well, guess what? A virtual office address can be used as your registered agent. All your government documents and tax files will be sent to this address, and the staff present will sign them on your behalf.
- Growth and Expansion:
Even if you work from home or are involved with a startup, your business is never too timid for a virtual office space. If you dream of expanding your business and having an international presence, then a virtual business address is the ultimate solution for you.
It allows you to have a local office even if you’re not physically present, which is impossible with a home business address. It can benefit companies looking to target customers in different geographical locations.
- Less Overhead Expenses:
Lower overhead cost is another core advantage of a virtual business address. With a traditional home address, you’d still have to refurnish and renovate it to look cleaner and more professional. At the same time, with a virtual business address, you won’t have to invest in plumbers, electricians, furniture, hardware, and other amenities required to set up your office space.
When you work virtually, you spend little to no money on maintenance and other amenities. All the cash saved can then be put towards growing and expanding your business.
How Do Virtual Address For Business Work?
A virtual business address is everything you’d find in an office space, minus the actual space! So, how do these virtual office addresses even work? Here’s how:
- Virtual offices function as a single corporate unit, even though they don’t have a physical presence. Their primary users are small businesses and startups that wish to have a physical presence in a select city while reducing overhead expenses and maximizing productivity.
- They also provide everything you require for an office setup, like phone and fax numbers for the company, a postal address, a receptionist, and mail processing features.
- When you really think about it, only a select few companies actually require a permanent office. Because of the pandemic, many businesses now hire remote workers, and their teams operate out of co-working spaces. Furthermore, only some of their employees visit the office on the weekends, holidays, or evenings.
- They need a physical location to receive mail and packages and access to conference rooms for business meetings. These are necessary but only require virtual offices for some time.
Thanks to Mr. Internet, in today’s time and age, you only need a laptop and a solid will to start earning profits. Virtual address for business provides you with the functionality of a physical office location without investing a lot of money in hardware devices and furnishing you’d normally have to if going for a traditional business address.
In conclusion, we hope we have convinced you to make the correct and better decision for you and your business. Trust us, and you won’t be sorry!
Featured Best LLC Services
Northwest Registered Agent
On Northwest Registered Agent’ Website
Highlight
IncFile
On IncFile’ Website
Most Comprehensive
Business Rocket
On Business Rocket’ Website
Frequently Asked Questions
You should hire a good, legitimate registered agent service to get official documentation at your location.
Your Virtual Business Address is substituted for your registered office address. Even though it can be used as your official business address for reference, your virtual address for business is not the same as your actual location. It serves as your office address without even an office.
Yes, we recommend you can and should register your company using a virtual business address.
When setting up a business, a virtual office address protects your privacy by keeping your residential address private. A virtual address improves your professional standing and spares you from paying for an office space or changing addresses if you relocate. No matter where you go, your virtual address will follow you.