1What is a Virtual Office?
A virtual office provides a business address without a physical office space. This means your business can have a strong online presence, and receive business calls and mail, without the need for a physical office space.
2How does a Virtual Office work?
A virtual office provides many of the services associated with a traditional office. Simply contact a member of the team at Grosvenor House, let us know your requirements, and we will put together a bespoke virtual office package. You can of course arrange a tour of the facilities first, to see if they meet your requirements. If it’s right for you, you will set up a monthly direct debit and, as a minimum, you’ll have a registered business address. However, we also provide a dedicated team to manage business administration on your behalf, such as telephone and mail handling & forwarding. You can also hire our meeting and conference rooms and take advantage of our co-working spaces. Typically, these features are available on a pay-as-you go basis so you can use them as and when you want.
3What are the benefits of a Virtual Office?
Benefits of a virtual office include:
- Significantly lower overheads and technology costs.
- Enhanced business image and credibility due to prestigious address.
- Flexible agreements with no long-term contract commitments.
- Excellent business support such as call handling and forwarding, mail handling and forwarding and meeting rooms to name a few.
4Are Virtual Offices legal?
Yes, virtual offices are legal and they’re extremely popular with freelancers and startups, as well as more established businesses. There is no law against the use of a virtual office business address and you can use your virtual office address to register your business with Companies House. You can learn more about the legal side of company addresses from the GOV UK website.
5What are the features of a Virtual Office?
Virtual offices can have an array of features. At Grosvenor House, our virtual office packages often include a registered business address, telephone answering & call handling, post handling & mail forwarding, co-working spaces, meeting & conference room hire. We will design a virtual office package that meets your specific needs. Contact a member of our friendly team on 0121 667 1588 to discuss the creation of a bespoke virtual office package.
6Is a Virtual Office a physical space?
At Grosvenor House, your virtual office address is a fully functional physical space – located in Birmingham’s bustling Jewellery Quarter. It is a physical space you can use as your online business address, receive business calls and mail, and use for business meetings. We also provide co-working spaces and hot-desking facilities which you can use on a pay-as-you go basis whenever you need a physical space to work from.
7Is a Virtual Office a good idea?
Yes, a virtual office is a great idea! Our virtual office space will allow you to keep office costs to a minimum, whilst still taking advantage of many of the features of a physical office (business address, call forwarding service, mail forwarding service, meeting rooms for face-to-face client meetings and co-working spaces). Virtual office services can be a great idea for start-ups, freelancers and established businesses – allowing you to maintain and grow your business, without the often-costly payments for a traditional office space. An extra benefit is the option to select a business address in a prestigious location – Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter is just that, and will undoubtedly boost the credibility of your business.
8Will my personal address be hidden from clients?
Yes, using a virtual office address means your personal address will be hidden from clients – one of the many benefits of using a virtual office address. When starting a business, your registered business address will be visible online via sites like Companies House, Google Business Profile, Bing Places and other directories. This is fine for a lot of companies, but if you run your business from home, you may not want your home address to be available online. In this instance, a virtual office address can be the perfect solution.
9What do I do if a client wants to meet at my office?
No problem! At Grosvenor House, we accommodate face-to-face business meetings. As part of our virtual office package, we provide meeting room and conference room hire. Our receptionist will greet your guests on their arrival and show them to one of our professional spaces – hand-selected to cater to your requirements.
10How do I upgrade/downgrade my Virtual Office package with Grosvenor House?
To make any amends to your virtual office package, contact a member of our team on 0121 272 3643 who will be more than happy to help.
11Can I meet clients at my Virtual Office address at Grosvenor House?
Of course! We have dedicated meeting rooms and conference rooms available for you to host customers. Simply contact a member of the team in advance and let them know your requirements. Our rooms typically include a TV for presentations, a printer, copier, conference call equipment, refreshments – and of course fast wifi! Our receptionists will even greet your customers on their arrival.
12What is the difference between a Virtual Office and a Registered Company Address?
A virtual office address is a trading address and can be used as an address to receive mail and telephone calls. You can also use your virtual office address across your website, invoices, business cards and directories. If you’d like to, you can also use your virtual office address as your registered company address on Companies House.
13Can I use a Virtual Office for Google My Business?
Yes, you can use a virtual office address for Google My Business (now known as Google Business Profile). At Grosvenor House, you can use our meeting rooms and co-working spaces meaning clients can visit you at your virtual office address and so you do have a legitimate physical presence in this location.