This week, we decided to talk to you about virtual offices and their risks. Of course, this is not the only option, there are many ways to choose your company’s registered office. However, these are important aspects to be aware of if you wish to establish a virtual office or, in other words, to use a domiciliation service.
Domiciliation in short
A domiciliation service allows you to create the legal existence of your company by benefiting from a dedicated business address. However, you do not need any kind of premises and you are not obliged to operate in the same region. Depending on the type of company, for example, shared spaces, additional services may be offered. These include mail management and forwarding, access to meeting rooms, provision of a local telephone number, or even a call answering service. This is why it is sometimes called in different ways. If you hear about virtual offices or addresses, you will now know what this refers to.
What do you have to watch out for?
The reliability of the service provider
If you would like a virtual address in a specific region, start by searching for the various providers offering this service. Take the time to compare them, meet them, and ask for advice from other companies working with them. It is also important to check the financial health of the provider to ensure that the service can still be offered in the medium term. If this is not the case, it could lead to a lot of administrative work, and even costs if you market products for example, and the address has to be changed on each one.
Your company’s image
Choosing a virtual office or address can greatly affect the credibility of your business. Take the time to consider different options in order to find the one that best represents the image you wish to communicate. A well-known address, central or in an area perceived as attractive by your customers, gives a positive and serious image to your business.
The confidentiality
As with any service, it is important to establish a contract specifying each modality, particularly concerning confidentiality. Indeed, if you have a virtual address with mail management and your mail is sometimes scanned, make sure that confidentiality is guaranteed. Moreover, this aspect also depends on your level of confidence in the service provider, hence the importance of knowing him/her well.
And for the service provider?
The risks for the provider are almost the same. Indeed, offering a domiciliation service to a company at risk could greatly damage his/her image. To preserve the credibility, the service provider needs to know each company domiciled in order to ensure its reliability. The financial aspect must also be taken into account so that the solvency of the company benefiting from the service is guaranteed.
Each choice has its advantages and disadvantages. However, at Coworking Neuchâtel, we offer companies that choose us the opportunity to benefit from a central and well-known address in Neuchâtel within the emblematic Hôtel des Postes. Our team informs you as soon as a letter arrives, scans it, or sends it to another address according to your wishes, all this while respecting a confidentiality agreement. We can also provide you with a local telephone number as well as an administrative and call management service.
Would you like to know more? Come and meet us in Neuchâtel!