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Useful advice, tips and business news.

October 3, 2018
May 5, 2021

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Can I Use a Complete Virtual Office for My Online Business?

There are many thousands of small businesses and solo entrepreneurs that operate their businesses online. This is because virtual office has many benefits.

There are many thousands of small businesses and solo entrepreneurs that operate their businesses online. For the older generation of workers and business owners that operate and work within a physical, bricks and mortar business, it can be very difficult for them to understand that a business can exist solely online.Many people have difficulty believing that anyone can 'do business' where your company does everything online, and has no physical assets or offices. It can be hard for them to accept that in this digital age, running a company online is entirely possible.However, even if you are running a successful company from your back bedroom or from your laptop as you move from place to place on the road, there will be some aspects of it that still exist in the real world. We are talking about business phone calls, business mail and essential legal correspondence coming from HMRC and Companies House.These all need to be handled professionally and in a timely manner. This is where using a virtual office solution can work for you.

Why it makes sense to use a Complete Virtual Office

Although virtual offices have been around for quite a few years now, evolving new digital technology has meant that the services they can offer have changed drastically from what was offered originally.In fact, for anyone wanting to launch a brand-new business idea, they are now able to put 100% of their time and effort into developing and growing it without having to be distracted or have their time diverted towards other essential day to day tasks that need to be done.In the old days, setting up a brand new business meant that the business owner needed to look for offices to rent, lay out a lot of money for deposits and securities for the office space, then go through the quite long-winded process of looking for staff to man the office, such as a receptionist to answer the company phones and take in their business post.The office set-up alone could be a huge drain on resources, and with most entrepreneurs working on a very tight budget, seeing a large slice of their savings disappear on building rent and staffing costs can be very frustrating. Then there is also all of the extra expenses to add on, such as telecommunications equipment purchase and installation, building insurance, gas, electricity and water to supply and pay for, furniture, carpets and curtains to put in to make the place comfortable for the staff.All this extra time and expense paid out even before your business idea has even been launched!Luckily, there is a perfect solution that allows modern entrepreneurs these days to skip all of this expense as well as the time-consuming tasks of setting up and running a physical bricks and mortar office for their business.

Running a lean online business

Using the services of a complete virtual office provider, such as Capital Office, will allow your virtual office to become an essential part of your team. When you want to run a lean business and strip your resources down to the absolute bare bones of what is necessary to run your business, you will quickly learn that one of the biggest drains on your finances will be running a physical office and paying for your full time staff.Why would you do this if you are working from a tight budget when there is a perfect solution all ready and waiting to go in a complete virtual office set up.By choosing to use a complete virtual office service, you can have a very cost-effective way to effectively manage all of your day to day administration tasks that are essential to the successful running of your business – but you will not have to spend a single penny on office rent, equipment costs or staff wages!By outsourcing your admin needs to Capital Office, you can be giving yourself a great strategic advantage. There amount of time saved on sorting out your office can now be dedicated to developing your business idea and getting it launched ASAP.

How virtual office services work

Instead of you trying to answer all of your incoming business calls and sorting your business mail single-handedly, you can be out meeting clients, developing your marketing strategy or working on your plans for expansion.Our complete virtual office services are already set up and running in Central-London and staffed with highly trained, professionals with many years of administrative and customer service experience under their belt. You simply book our services, give us your required information, and we will take care of the rest! There is no having to rent offices or hire staff – we have everything you need and can start working for your business within a day.

Our complete virtual office services can be yours in three simple steps:

  • Sign up now online

Choose a suitable package online and complete our simple online order form in under 60 seconds.

  • Start using the service

Once your registration is complete you will be able to start using our prestigious City Road office address as your own instantly.

  • Your post is processed & calls answered

Once we start receiving your letters and calls we will handle this the way you have asked us too.By choosing our Complete Virtual Office services, you will be benefiting from a strong partnership with us that allows you to concentrate on your urgent projects and meetings, while leaving the running of your office in our safe and capable hands. You can be rest assured that we will take good care of you and your business. Capital Office has been helping entrepreneurs and small business owners to run their companies for many years from our Central-London offices.Why not take a look at our Complete Virtual Office packages and choose one of our flexible plans that suits your needs and your budget. You will be so glad that you did!

Further reading:

What Benefits Can Your Business Get from a Virtual Receptionist?5 Benefits for New Start-ups Using a Virtual Office

October 3, 2018
May 5, 2021

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4 Benefits of Professional Call Answering Services From Capital Office

By using Professional Call Answering Services from Capital Office, you can have a great weight lifted off your shoulders. Find out 4 benefits of this service.

No matter what size of business you operate, you will know that one of the most important tasks involved in running your business is making sure that your business calls are always answered. Not only that, but answered promptly, politely and professionally.While answering your incoming telephone calls may seem like a pretty easy task, many business owners don't give the job much thought. How your calls are answered can often influence how your company will be perceived by your potential new customers. It can take just a few short seconds for prospective customers to form a first impression of your company based on how your answer their call.Ignoring your phone while you focus on completing other tasks can mean potential new and very lucrative leads are kept waiting for you to answer. Keeping people hanging on the phone for too long can cause great frustration. Most people these days don't have the time or patience to be kept waiting on the phone for very long.We understand that your time is also very precious. If you are trying to run your business with a small team of staff, or even by yourself on your own, you will have many other pressing duties to attend to. As a business owner you need to be able to free up your time to focus on finishing off projects, meet with production deadlines, take meetings with current clients or negotiate with suppliers for your essential business supplies or services. It can be incredibly difficult to concentrate on juggling so many different tasks at once, so when your telephone suddenly starts to ring while in the middle of an important meeting or conversation, you will also feel quite frustrated.

Professional telephone manner

Another aspect of being up to your eyes trying to manage all of your day to day tasks is the fact that when you do get to answer an incoming call, you may not answer it in the best frame of mind. If you have been focusing on a project and your mind has been absorbed deeply in your work, you may answer your phone with quite a disinterested voice. To the caller you can sound tired, distracted, irritated or simply fed-up! This doesn't make for a very good first impression, and can even lead the caller to ring off and go in search of one of your rivals for a better customer service experience.Don't let potential new leads fall through the cracks because you don't have the time to answer your telephone. By using Professional Call Answering Services from Capital Office, you can have a great weight lifted off your shoulders. Capital Office are a leading expert business call answering service provider based in Central-London. We have many years of experience helping thousands of small business owners to manage their business telephone calls.Lets take a look at some of the benefits of using our professional call answering services:

Customised answering with your company name

Image is everything in business, especially when you are trying to win new customers or clients, or want to retain your existing customer base and continue to provide them with a high-quality customer service experience.With our professional call answering services, you will have all of your incoming business telephones calls answered swiftly – no keeping prospective new customers hanging on the line. Your calls will also be answered very professionally and clearly with your own company name. This can give your callers instant reassurance that they have reached the right place.Many business owners worry that by outsourcing their call answering, they will be getting someone answering their calls with a simple 'hello'. This is not the case with Capital Office. Our fully trained call answering staff are all very experienced in providing good quality customer services and are fully equipped to respond to caller queries and questions. This is because we take the time to get to know you and your business, so that we become a trusted partner that is here to help support your business and understand your needs.

Fully customised service

When you work in partnership with a reliable call answering service such as ours, you will be delivered with a fully customised service so that your virtual receptionist will know how to respond to your incoming calls. Your company name, byline, logo and preferred greeting can be easily incorporated into how we answer your calls.

A choice of message delivery options

Whether you are planning to go into a day-long meeting with a current customer, or you plan to be on the road for some time and unable to take any calls, we can tailor our message delivery to suit your needs.You can choose how you would like your messages delivered. This could be by forwarding specific calls directly to your mobile phone should you be keen to speak in person to that caller, or if you are awaiting a confirmation message from someone, we can take that message and forward it to you immediately so you are completely up to speed with your project progress.Should you want your call messages recorded and delivered to you at a specific time, such as later in the afternoon after you have finished all of your important tasks, then this is what we can do. This means that you can work all day in peace and truly concentrate on your important tasks and become fully absorbed without the risk of interruption from an incoming call.Having your thought processes or work procedures constantly interrupted can cause a lot of frustration and delay. Your productivity levels can drop, and a constantly ringing telephone can be very disrupting for any other workers in your office or workplace that need to focus on their tasks without any distractions.It makes sense to place your call handling into the hands of a professional company such as Capital Office. We can provide you with a high-quality service at very cost-effective prices. Our services can also save you a lot of money because you will not need to hire your own full-time receptionist and provide them with an office and equipment to do their job. Our virtual receptionists can take care of your calls for a fraction of the price of employing your own staff.

Real London-based receptionists

Another positive benefit from using our professional call answering services is that your incoming business calls will be handled by real-life, London-based receptionists. Many other call answering providers can use outsourced services from overseas call centres. With Capital Office you will get a professional service from our fully-trained London team, plus the added prestige of using a unique 0203 or 0207 London number for your business. This gives instant gravitas to your company because your prospective new customers will be impressed that your business has a London business telephone number.It is a known fact that when people browse the internet looking for a business, they are more likely to trust a company with a contact number that is based in London rather than an obvious residential address phone number. Having a London-based business number is more impressive and creates a more professional image in the minds of people than someone who works from home and uses their home phone number for their business.Why not sign up for our professional call answering services and get your unique 0203 or 0207 London number for your business and start impressing your clients today!

Further reading:

Can I Use a Complete Virtual Office for My Online Business?How To Get a UK Address for your Expat Mail-Forwarding Needs

September 23, 2017
May 5, 2021

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5 Benefits for New Start-ups Using a Virtual Office

Have a closer look at the top five reasons why having a virtual office is key to the successful grounding of a new start-up business and business owners.

The tech industry is booming at the moment, and there are new start-ups taking their first steps into the business world almost on a daily basis. However, just as quickly as new start-ups get going, just as many are floundering. Industry experts will tell you that the key to starting up a successful business is fostering, maintaining a very high level of efficiency, and having a virtual office.Most start-ups have to work to very tight budget constraints, so it makes sense for them to utilise their resources in a sensible way. This means making economic decisions with regards to business premises and staffing levels. These are two essentials that are very draining on your budget, but without them it can be almost impossible to establish and run your business.This is where having a virtual office is incredibly useful for new start-ups. When money is tight and your time is precious, having a turn-key solution that is already set up and ready to handle all your necessary day to day administration and running tasks to allow you to function can be a Godsend.Lets take a closer look at the top five reasons why having a virtual office is key to the successful grounding of a new start-up business.

A cost-effective solution

Let me ask you a question. You have a set budget to spend on getting your business off the ground. Would you like to spend the bulk of your available budget on renting premises and buying office furniture, hiring staff, and spending out on all the necessary insurances to meet current health and safety standards, or would you prefer to spend your money on developing your new product or service?Virtual offices are so very cost-effective, efficient and convenient. There is no hiring or firing to do, no staff training or providing them with facilities such as car parking, toilets, kitchens or staff rooms. There is not office furniture, computer equipment or telephones to buy. You can hire our complete virtual office that has everything you need at very affordable prices. The cost is a drop in the ocean when compared to what you would need to lay out for your own office suite.Plus on top of these benefits, you can easily scale up your services on demand to meet your growing needs as your business expands. So when you would have outgrown your first small office, had you set it up yourself, there is no need to search for larger premises, move your office and suffer the down-time while everything is being dismantled, moved and set back up again. With a virtual office, you simply have more services added to your plan. Easy!

Convey a professional image

You can never underestimate how important image is in business. A new start-up needs to get itself established as a reputable company that must be taken seriously as quickly as possible. To do this, having a good business address with some gravitas makes you look much more credible in the eyes of others, especially those you wish to do business with as well as your business peers.To stay one step ahead of your competition is important if you want to be successful. You can create, establish and maintain a strong and credible brand to attract customers and investors by having your very own prestigious City Road EC1 London business address.

The human touch

There are also added extras that you can make good use of without the need for them to be a permanent fixture of your business. For example, why pay for your own meeting room when it will stand empty for most of the time? Yes, business meetings are important, but do you need to spend a lot of money on renting premises large enough to accommodate a meeting room when it stands idle for the most part?So what is the solution? Our meeting room hire service is something that you can use as and when you need it. This can save you a lot of money, and don't forget that our meeting rooms come complete with a personalised reception service where a professionally trained member of staff will welcome your visitors and settle them in your chosen meeting room. Our high quality unbranded modern meeting rooms are very comfortable, air-conditioned, fully serviced with full rapid speed fibre optic Wi-Fi and cabled Internet solutions and have presentation whiteboards.Although we offer a virtual office solution that is perfectly tailored to suit your business needs, it doesn't mean you are going to miss out on the personal touch. Don't forget that whether you choose to use our complete virtual office service, or just the telephone answering service alone, there will always be a real life human there taking your business calls in a professional and friendly manner. This can convey a great sense of trust and reliability within prospective clients or possible business associates. The level of professionalism on offer with our virtual office services is second to none.

In-built flexibility

Flexibility is key with any new start-up business. As your business grows, you will want to quickly keep apace with your expansion needs. The flexibility that a virtual-office offers is immeasurable. You can upgrade your existing package to include extra services or have larger meeting rooms to facilitate group meetings, AGM's or small conferences. You can comfortably expand and grow at your own pace without having the inconvenience of moving offices or renting larger office premises.

Seamless continuity

Who needs the disruption of having to move office every year or so when there is no need to? With a virtual office solution you can expand your services to meet the growing needs of your business as it expands. Our services will continue seamlessly with no disruption or downtime that would be associated with an office relocation. There will be no need for a change of address on your official business letterheads, invoices and business cards. There will be no need to notify clients of a change of address and no risk of a communication breakdown that can lead to frustration and lost business.With a virtual office solution, you can avoid many common issues that comes with facilitating your own office space, plus you will be saving a fortune on overheads and administration that comes with running an office. You can free your time up to focus on what is important – the future growth of your company.

July 19, 2017
May 5, 2021

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How Flexible and Virtual Offices in London will help to Bridge the Brexit Gap

No matter where your company is based, you can easily bridge the Berxit gap with the help of Virtual & Flexible Office that is based in the heart of London

When the UK voted to leave the European Union back in June 2016, the business world was thrown into turmoil. No one could say with any great certainty what the future would hold for UK businesses, no matter what their size and trading position with Europe. With some experts speculating that the British economy will take hit, many business owners are now looking at ways that they can tighten their belts and make their business more ‘Brexit-proof’.

As we still don’t know what will happen for the vast majority of businesses because the Brexit negotiations have only just begun, what actions you take to ensure the future survival of your business is largely up to you. However, examining your budgets, cutting your expenses and looking for more affordable and flexible solutions is going to be a top priority moving forward. One area where a lot of money can potentially be saved is from within your own work-space infrastructure.

Just about every business owner wants to see their business thrive and expand, but while budget constrains and uncertainty about the future are hanging so prominently in the air, the last thing you want to do is to enter into long and expensive property leases that could be difficult to get out of. The solution to this of course is to look at setting up a flexible way to cover your expanding office and administration needs without actually having the expense or commitment needed to take on full-time members of staff and provide them with office accommodation.

There are already well-established and reliable services in place that you can take advantage of to meet your growing business needs while the country is going through Brexit. From using a simple call answering service to a comprehensive London-based Virtual Office Package where you can combine a virtual PA, mail sorting and forwarding services, and have the use of a modern business meeting room in a prestigious part of London city to meet and greet your clients.

Regardless of the outcomes from Brexit, London will still remain as one of the greatest cities in the world to operate a business from. Although working environments are changing rapidly, especially with the advancement of technology, there is nothing like having a prestigious London based address to work from. No matter where your company is based, you can benefit from using a Virtual Office that is based in the heart of London.

Flexibility is a major factor

While we go through the Brexit process, business owners are going to be faced with market fluctuations on an almost daily basis. Having the built-in flexibility of a Virtual Office service can help you transition between pre and post-Brexit smoothly without worrying about committing your business assets, or tying your business up in long and complicated contracts that could prove very costly in the long-run.

Having the flexibility that a Virtual Office and flexible meeting rooms can offer with mean you have the agility to scale up or down your requirements as you need them. You will be able to meet the demands of a sudden boost in your business without worrying that you have overstretched your budgets. Should market changes and fluctuations mean your need to downsize quickly, then you are not stuck with an unsustainable contract for business premises or face having to lay off staff.

No matter how rough a ride Brexit will give UK businesses, it will still be important for companies to present a strong and steady front if they are to remain competitive in the future. Your image and how people interpret your company still hinges on you offering a bespoke and reliable service. Using a well-established and experienced Virtual Office service can give your company the boost it needs to continue to exude an air of professionalism and trust, no matter what stage we are at with our divorce from the EU.

For entrepreneurs and small businesses

A Virtual Office package is an ideal alternative solution for small business owners or entrepreneurs with restricted budgets. Many small businesses don’t actually need a full-time, fully staffed office. Having a Virtual Office package in place will allow you all the benefits of a regular office but at the fraction of the price of setting up and maintaining one yourself.

Many business owners start off with just mail forwarding and telephone call answering services until they are in a position to afford to set up and run a permanent office. However, very many of them go on to continue using these services or take on a Virtual Office because it is a lot less of a hassle and costs far less than committing to a full time on-site office. With the possibility that physical office space rental may rise sharply post-Brexit, it makes more financial sense to stick with a Virtual Office package where prices will remain stable over the long-term.

It also makes sense that business owners shouldn’t have to pay out to keep a meeting room space that is vastly underused onsite. Using a modern, well-maintained and fully serviced meeting room in the heart of the London business district to meet and greet your clients is going to impress. Hiring an unbranded meeting room allows you to conduct important business meetings in a profession environment where your clients will be totally unaware that you don’t own the building. You get the help of professional admin staff to greet your clients and service your meeting room without the added commitment of having to employ any permanent staff yourself.

A bright future post-Brexit

Flexible work-space hire has grown by 67% in London in the past decade alone and with the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, experts are predicting another sharp rise in these figures over the next few years while the economic marketplace starts to settle down once again. Regardless of Brexit, flexible office space and Virtual Office solutions are not going to disappear overnight. With over 30 years of growth within London, this way of working is looking increasingly more appealing to smart business owners who want to ride the rough waves of Brexit and appear on the other side as a much stronger competitor in their marketplace.

Take a look at our Virtual Office package to see how you can benefit from our professional services.

We can also help you with the following services to assist your business growth and to make your business run more efficiently:

London Address and Mail-Forwarding

Professional Call Answering

Modern Business Meeting Rooms

December 27, 2016
May 5, 2021

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What is a Director’s Service Address?

There are certain responsibilities with being a company director and things to a public register. That’s where the director’s service address service comes in.

Every limited company needs to have at least one director as part of its company foundation along with at least one shareholder, though they can be the same person. There are certain responsibilities with being a company director and certain things you need to disclose to a public register. One of these is an address and this is where our directors service address service comes in.

Limited company basics

A director is just one essential part of the information required to create a limited company. There are a series of pieces of information that must be submitted to Companies House to create a new limited company. These are:

  • The company name – this needs to comply with the rules regarding what you can and can’t call your company, available through Companies House websiteThe address for your company – this can be the business premises or a registered officeOne director and one shareholder – they can be same personMemorandum of association – agreed by all shareholders to create the companyStatement of capital – details of the shares of the company when it is formedArticles of association – company rules about how it will operateDetails of anyone with significant control – this is more than 25% of shares or voting rightsSIC code – standard industry code for the type of business you are creating

As well as registering the details above with Companies House, the company needs to let HMRC know that they will be paying Corporation Tax.Company formation can be done online or using a company formations service such as the one we offer. This means you simply provide the information and we go through all the necessary forms and procedures then provide the certificate to prove the company has been formed.

Being a company director

Being a company director means you will be listed on the public record as being associated with the company. Anyone can become a company director apart from if they have been disqualified under the articles of association, are an undischarged bankrupt, have been disqualified from such a role by court order or you are also the auditor for the company.A director doesn’t have to be a shareholder but they can be both – it depends on the individual and the company. There are also ways to add a director after the company has been formed as well as remove one if they no longer wish to have the role – although there must always be one director listed for the company.

Director’s service address

There are several pieces of information filed on the public record at Companies House for the director of the company. These include name, date of birth, residential and service address, occupation and nationality. This is where the director’s service address service comes in very handy. Your residential address is not a matter of public record but your service address is, and often people don’t want their home address to be available publicly. If you ran your business from home, I am sure you wouldn't appreciate the risk of cold-callers knocking on your door at all hours.Therefore, many company directors make use of our service to use our London address as their service address. The only stipulation with being a service address is that it can receive statutory mail and that it can be found – so it has to be a real 'bricks and mortar' address. Our Directors Service Address is a real address based in the heart of London.Our comprehensive service means we can collect your statutory mail on your behalf and forward it to an address of your choosing. It keeps your personal address from the public record and allows you to ensure no-one can find out where you live through this register.The additional benefit of the system is that you get to use a London address, with the prestige this gives a business. It doesn’t matter where a director lives or where the business is based – they can still use the London address as the director’s service address. It can even be used as the registered office address for the whole company if this works well for the business.

Conclusion

Keeping information such as your home address private is an important step for most people with concerns about security and identity fraud. By using a service address such as ours for your director’s address, you can have the security of keeping information private as well as the reassurance that your mail will be handled in a top quality manner and that you will receive it in a timely manner.

December 19, 2016
May 5, 2021

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Why A Virtual Address Can Be an Ideal Business Solution

A virtual addess is available in several different variations to suit all types of businesses and all points in the business life-cycle. Find out more.

A virtual address is a solution that suits a number of businesses from different industries. It suits the kind of business that don’t have mail handling facilities at their premises or perhaps their business premises are also their home address. It may suit people who travel abroad a lot and aren’t around to check mail or it may simply be that the business doesn’t have the budget for a receptionist or administration assistant. This is where the virtual address service comes in.

What is a virtual address?

A virtual office service is available in several different variations to suit all types of businesses and all points in the business life-cycle. The range of facilities available means that businesses can take as much or as little as they need - from the start up entrepreneur working from the dining room table to the international company juggling dozens of bases in different locations.

The virtual services

The first part of the service is called a virtual mail room. This can includes a number of different services depending on your needs including mail sorting and scanning to email to storage of mail until personal pick-up or bulk forwarding to another address. This includes cheque depositing and a mail forwarding service as well as options such as cloud based accounting services.The second level of service is termed as a virtual office and includes general services such as phone answering as well as company mail handling. Your chosen level of mail-room services can be added on or you can simply have all of your mail forwarded as required. Our Virtual Office services also includes physical services such as the use of a smart, state of the art, unbranded conference room and an office area for physical meetings when you need to do business in person. By using this service, you get to use a prestigious London address for those important meetings.

UK Postbox services

Our virtual mail-room service is a comprehensive service that makes use of the top online mail management service available, called UK Postbox. This service is operated around the world and offers private and confidential mail handling services, much in the way of a PO Box but with several additional benefits.With a normal PO Box, you need an address and the box needs to be within your sorting area. But the UK Postbox service has no such restrictions so you can be based anywhere in the UK. It can receive and action important personal and business documents that will be scanned and sent to you as you choose. Other options include having documents stored on the secure server that you can then print or just view online.Finally, as the service is privately owned, it can offer complete privacy for customers. There are no requirements to release information under the Data Protection Act to give customers an added level of security to that offered by simple PO Boxes.

Extra services

There are also additional services that can be added to the package or taken in their own right if they suit the needs of the business.Private mailboxes are an ideal solution for small businesses and for people that travel a lot due to the nature of their work. They allow the receiving and safe storage of mail and ensure that there is no risk of mail being lost or damaged while no-one is around to collect or deal with it.The virtual address service can also be used for two legal purposes – as a registered office address and as a director’s service address. By using a registered office address service, the business can use a single London address on all of its correspondence, with the added prestige that comes with owning your own central London business address. It is also a practical measure if you work from home or don’t have a permanent business address yet, allowing the business to be registered in one location, regardless where it operates.The director’s service address works in a similar way. Any company directors need to register certain details with Companies House and this includes their address. As it is a matter of public record, some people don’t want to use their home address and have this disclosed to the general public, so instead use a service address for the public record. This service is for that purpose and allows the London address to be used on all official matters. It also helps to keep business cold-callers from arriving uninvited at your door at all times of the day or night.

Benefits of virtual office services

There are other reasons why a business would choose to use one or a number of virtual office services.Top of the list, especially for the mail handling services, is that there either isn’t someone available to deal with mail at the business premises on a daily basis, or the business address is also a home address. Managing mail can take time and also space which some businesses don’t have. Or they may not be in the position to employ someone to do the task and this can result in a haphazard approach to mail handling where important paperwork may be easily missed.Privacy and security are two big issues for businesses and one way to help with both is to withhold the business address from public record, especially if these are private residential addresses. Using virtual office services allows you to do this as well as to be certain that paperwork and deliveries are handled in a secure manner before being forwarded to your chosen address.There is also a great first impression that comes when a business has an address in London, regardless of where they are actually based. This can add prestige to the company and this can help to quickly establish new companies who have recently formed and want to be taken seriously by their new clients.Finally, if the business is based abroad but trades in the UK, virtual office services can offer a London address for those UK customers to correspond with that guarantees the handling of mail in a timely manner and can even handle incoming phone calls from UK based customers.

November 20, 2015
May 5, 2021

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Weighing up Virtual Offices for Start-Ups

As a measure to better control costs, some companies choose to engage services of a virtual office, which offers them many benefits and growth opportunities.

Running a physical office creates considerable expenditure in the budget of novice entrepreneurs. Sometimes, it is even an unnecessary luxury to entrepreneurs who have spent years in the market. However, just because you may be an employee or owner of an SME, it doesn’t necessarily require you to have a physical space to run and manage your business from. That's why many new business owners are turning up to virtual offices.The advances in technology and communication channels have enabled hundreds of people to work from home and to manage business in the comfort of their homes or other places, including parks and cafes. However, although this option can provide numerous benefits (especially in reducing costs and travel time), it also has some disadvantages. If it is not given to good use, it may result in an unprofessional image that can project the entrepreneur in a negative light to potential customers and investors.Purchasing a virtual office gets you a personalised telephone number and professional PA to answer your customers, handling correspondence and most importantly a business mail forwarding address. It is generally believed that being an SME or entrepreneur means you cannot have a first rate office, but thanks to this system, added value is implemented onto your business and can be achieved at very affordable prices.You can enjoy an hour of sleep and avoid morning traffic chaos and a more relaxed approach to your workplace attitude. In the past this was not possible, and you had to move every day to a fixed place to use computers, telephones and other office equipment to keep in touch with customers and employees, whereas today there are attractive alternatives to streamline your work routine.As a measure to better control costs, some companies have chosen to engage the services of a virtual office. The UK has not lagged behind in this trend, which is driven by the rapid development of the service sector and the dynamic growth of the economy.

Here are some advantages of having a virtual office:

  1. Save up to 50 percent of the initial capital of consuming the rent of an office or remodelling an owned office. Therefore, it is ideal for start-ups.
  2. Suits all budgets and professions. With flexible monthly payment plans, the virtual option is easy to manage and control.
  3. It has a commercial address where you can receive mail and which can be printed on your cards or letters. It also has secretarial answering service under the name of your company which can link your calls to your phone or another phone.
  4. When you have a work meeting, you’ll find all the necessary elements to provide a professional image as a boardroom, internet, projectors, coffee service and other amenities will be provided for.
  5. It reduces operating costs because a secretary and cleaning staff, for example, are already included in the cost.
  6. It will often have a beneficial location because regular virtual offices are located in the most important and strategic points of the city.
  7. It gives you the ability to interact with other entrepreneurs and there will also be plenty of chances for you to form a strategic alliance with your virtual neighbours.

But like everything, there are also disadvantages:

Communication: While the tools of today are safe to make smooth communication, there is nothing faster than the conversation of person to person.Absolute dependence on internet: If the internet becomes disconnected for whatever reason, then it is practically impossible to work.Lack of meeting space: Sometimes it is necessary to have a place to meet with clients. This helps to improve the image of the company, at least in the eyes of the more traditional companies.These are some of the issues that come to mind broadly, however today’s climate means we must all adjust our financial belts and so a virtual office represents a major cost-cutting solution.Obviously not all projects can run through a virtual office, such as a mandatory video blog in need of a fixed place of work, at least for the recordings.

Hybrid Possibility

In conclusion, the virtual office is a good choice, although there is a third possibility which is a hybrid between the two possibilities. Here you gain the best of both models, i.e. have a physical office with a small workgroup and secondly, a distributed group. A computer model that comes to mind is to have all those responsible for areas installed in an office, so that each manages their team virtually. In that way, the corporation would be closely related and would be able to make decisions more quickly on the virtual model. As well as the commercial sector, you would be able to take steps in physical space, such as arranging meetings, organising actions, etc.

September 17, 2015
May 5, 2021

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The advantages of having an LLP Company

Could you possibly be thinking of establishing a Private organisation, limited by Guarantee? This article addresses the vital requirements to begin LLP company.

Could you possibly be thinking of establishing a Private organisation, limited by Guarantee? This article addresses the necessary requirements to begin the LLP company.When you are contemplating establishing a firm, it is critical to consider the kind of structure that you pick when you enlist your firm. Without a doubt, Limited by Shares Companies are the most popular type of Company structure known.It offers organisations the opportunity to look more professional and gives the opportunity to have unlimited shareholders.Be that as it may, it is essential to think of the kind of structure that would best suit your kind of business, not what is the most well-known choice. It may be worth weighing the advantages against that of another business structure – this case being a LLP (Limited Liability Partnership).

Definition

The essential meaning of a LLP is a partnership company with at least 2 individuals. Flexible terms of partnership are offered to this business type as well as taxes. It also has its own legal identity thus, if the business were to go bankrupt, the members’ private assets are protected.There are some amazing advantages of registering your firm as an LLP.

The Limited liability of its members

The title is somewhat of a giveaway truly, yet an LLP truly does provide some extremely flexible conditions for its members. This incorporates various distinctive things including:

  • Without major hurdles, members can leave when they want.
  • The liability of members are limited, hence the firm is a Limited Liability Company.
  • By and large, an LLP provides less rigidity in modifying its internal structure.
  • This can be extremely helpful as far as setting up rights, obligations and the formula to use when disbursing profits.

Tax Breaks

Members of LLP are not taxed in the same manner as members of other companies.

  • LLP individuals are tagged as self-employed. This implies that National Insurance commitments are fundamentally short of what it would be in a Ltd company structure – where shareholders are tagged as “employees”.
  • There are more chances to become eligible for Entrepreneurs' Relief as a Limited Company member than there are as a shareholder in organization.
  • There is a higher probability of becoming eligible for Business Relief as a member of LLP.

Allocation of profits

As expressed before in this blog, one of the primary advantages of having an LLP is that it gives more room for flexibility which incorporates the way profits are disbursed to all members.

  • The accommodating nature of LLP terms enables easy modification of things, as long as all members are in support.
  • This also involves the allocation of share capital and profits which is somewhat easy to do.
  • Conversely, a customary limited by shares structure is a great deal more inflexible and any huge modifications must be approached in a formal manner and delivered to the Companies House.

It can be useful for particular ventures

Numerous professional organisations structure themselves as an LLP – undoubtedly an extraordinary number of auditing firms, law offices and other professional organisations will form as an LLP. There are unquestionably solid foundations regarding why this is the situation.As indicated by The Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain LLP:"is currently utilised for budgetary administrations and fund management business. It can be organized to give the administration obliged, whether close control or free regulation, and specifically it can accommodate the distinctive profit and bonus programs found in these sections"Undoubtedly, some non-profit organisations may think of an LLP plan to be better when they intend to go into a sort of joint business with an outsider. So in the event that you feel that your business may fall into any of these levels then it's definitely worth considering when forming your organisation.

Points to Consider

  1. A registered office address should be provided

The registered office address will serve as the official physical location of the establishment and this is where all documents concerning the organization will be delivered to. It must be located within the United Kingdom; however, neither you nor your organization is mandated to have that address as your base – all you are mandated to do is to obtain the permission to use said location from the administrator or owner of the address. The location is usually available on public records and as such, most people prefer not to make use of their home address.

  1. Add a director
  • The person in charge of the daily activities of the organisation is the director. Companies Limited by Guarantee needs a minimum of one individual to work as the director. For every director of an organisation, the following information has to be provided:
  • Name
  • Date of birth
  • Nationality
  • Occupation
  • Town of birth
  • Colour of Eyes
  • Service address – just like a registered office, this would serve as the official address of the director, which could be made public.
  • Phone number
  • Residential address – not to be publicised
  1. Appoint a member

This is similar to a shareholder; however, the term shareholder is not applicable in this case because there are no shares. At least one individual who could also serve as the director is needed. This implies that the company can be established by just a single individual. For every member, the following information is required:

  • Name
  • Phone number
  • Town of birth
  • Service address
  • Colour of Eyes
  1. Appoint a secretary (optional)

If you wish to employ or appoint a secretary, it is acceptable; however, it is not mandatory. If it pleases your company to employ the services of one, the following will be required:

  • Name
  • Phone number
  • Town of birth
  • Service address
  • Colour of Eyes
  1. Upload your own memorandum and articles?

That is it as far as the data that you have to give… unless you decide to upload your articles and memorandum – these refer to the files that state how the organisation is to operate. It's significant that we do of course give our own files that suit the lion's share of companies. The second to the last step in the formation process offers you an opportunity to upload yours.

  1. Check over everything

Every data provided by you can be crosschecked in the summary page. If modification(s) are required, select ‘change’ next to the pertinent area. When you’re satisfied with everything, select ‘Submit’ – your request to create a company will then be forwarded to Companies House. At the point, an average of 3 hours is required to form the company after which an email will be sent to you confirming the formationThat is it; all that you have to give to establish a Company Limited by Guarantee. With this, you should be able to start-up your own Limited by Guarantee Company.

February 13, 2015
May 5, 2021

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Differences between a registered office and a corporate office

The leaders of a corporation are located in corporate and registered offices in different authorities due to a more developed and better chance of profit.

Corporations are organisations established to manage various businesses. They have different legal rights, accountabilities and obligations, apart from members of the corporate office. When a corporation's bylaws are approved, members incorporate them in the most constructive way to meet your business objective and financial interests.Although corporations establish residence in a specific place, they are allowed to locate the corporate offices of the organisation (headquarters where business and transactions of the day is done) in a different area. The leaders of a corporation are located in corporate and registered offices in different authorities due to a more developed and better chance of profit.

Corporate Offices

The corporate offices are where the organisation has its principle place of operation. These offices are generally known as the headquarters of the corporation. The leaders of the corporation such as supervisors, shareholders and the board of directors all work from and are based at these offices. Corporate personnel also work from these offices and seldom from the registered office of the corporation.

Registered Offices

The registered business address is the legal headquarters of the corporation, the place where the company has been formed. Individuals wishing to take legal action against a corporation must submit legal papers such as process notifications, news or demands of the registered office of the corporation. Employees do not usually do business from the registered offices of a corporation.

January 5, 2015
May 5, 2021

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4 Common Service Address Questions

Here we have listed the four common service address questions for for all limited company directors as an authorised address of correspondence. Find more info.

Here are four common service address questions to ask:

1. Is there a difference between a registered office address and a service address?

A service address normally known as a registered office address, is necessary for all limited company directors as an authorised address of correspondence. Their private mail from Companies House and HMRC is posted to their service address. This is or could be situated at any place in the world.However, a registered office address is an official address of a limited company. The mail and other legal documents addressed to such a company would be delivered to the registered office. This type of address has to be in the exact area of the UK where a company or LLP is included.

2. Am I allowed to use my home address as my service address?

There is not a legal constraint that forbids directors from having a home address as a service address. On the other hand, most directors favour maintaining their privacy by not having their home addresses available on the public record.Another favourable option is to acquire a certified Service Address from a company formation manager. This is put on the public record as a director`s chosen service address – all mail is sent to this address and then forwarded to the director at an address of their own choice.

3. Can my company`s registered office be used as a service address?

A service address isn`t exactly like a registered office, but is good enough to use as the equivalent address for both functions, providing it assures the legal needs of a registered office.

4. What mail is sent to a service address?

Only statutory mail that is addressed to a director can be posted to their service address. Nevertheless, directors can utilise the equivalent address as a service address, a registered office, as well as an all-purpose contact address for their business.A service address can be known as a registered office address and is a great way of establishing a prestigious presence in a prominent area.

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