Is a virtual office the same as a virtual address?

Virtual Offices Make Sense For Start-ups

The business world is constantly changing and the main driver of change is technology. Cloud computing, global connectivity, the internet of things – the “online world”, these are all standard terms that businesses are familiar with - but just a decade or so back in time these terms didn’t even exist.

Among all the new disrupting concepts, a new model of business management has become extremely popular and implemented across the world - the idea of virtual business services. Virtual addresses, virtual offices, virtual assistants and virtual receptionists - these are all virtual business services which provide much the same function of a traditional business model – but without the cost and the rigid inflexibility.

So is a Virtual Office in Melbourne or Sydney etc the same as a Virtual Address in Melbourne or Sydney? While they are partly the same – Virtual Offices usually include more services and amenities. Let me give you an overview of these Virtual business services, I know when I first heard all about them the term ‘virtual’ seemed a bit weird – but now I think it’s a good description.

So what is a Virtual Office?

Virtual Offices are business solutions that provide companies with all the features of a conventional physical leased office space - but without the cost and with much greater flexibility.

These services can include a business address, local receptionist telephone answering, mail and package handling, access to meeting rooms, and administrative services like printing, labelling and even arranging catering for presentations at your virtual office. Virtual office rentals allow businesses to present a highly respected business address plus all the features of a physical office without the financial burden of leasing or owning a physical office. You simply utilise the physical facilities like meeting rooms, co-working spaces, private suites and boardrooms when you need – book and pay only for what you use, instead of spending hard earned cash leasing facilities your business will only use sometimes.

And the expenses of a physical office are considerable. Most businesses lease their office space and besides salaries rent is usually the largest monthly outgoing – but when you add in utilities, cleaning, consumables, furnishings, an-inhouse receptionist, and all the other sundry costs – it all adds up, and so millions of business owners around the word are starting to wonder – “Does my business really need all these expenses?”

A Virtual Address, on the other hand, usually refers specifically to the business address aspect of a virtual office. A virtual address offers companies a highly respected street address without the necessity of physical occupancy and the subsequent expense. This business address is then used used for business correspondence, official registrations with ASIC , and marketing purposes like business cards, websites and online promotions enhancing the company's profile and market presence. It’s primary an address that offers a respected business image.

So one of the key distinctions between a virtual office and a virtual address lies in the scope of services offered. A virtual address (usually) solely provides the business with a respected or even prestigious address, which can be used for legal and professional purposes. In contrast, a virtual office encompasses a broader range of amenities and facilities, providing lots of options that cater specifically to small and medium sized businesses.

Virtual Offices Provide a Professional Image and Credibility

Opting for a virtual office can significantly enhance a company's professional image and credibility. By providing access to a physical business address, local phone answering services, and meeting spaces, virtual offices create an impression of stability and legitimacy, and that’s invaluable for startups and small businesses. It doesn’t matter if your business was only launched last week, a virtual office can deliver immediate credibility with a respected business address.

A virtual address subscription primarily offers just the business address and mail reception services. But don’t be surprised if you find that some providers selling virtual address subscriptions may also provide services and amenities too. There is often a crossover in the use of language and the best way to find out is simply to check what amenities or facilities are offered at the business address. The basic minimalist virtual address offering is just a business address and you come and pick up the mail yourself with no notifications of delivery.

Cost Considerations for Virtual Office Addresses

The big advantage of a virtual business office address is its cost-effectiveness. Renting or leasing traditional office space can be a significant financial commitment, especially for businesses that have just launched – that monthly rental can seem daunting when sales leads are not coming in and funds are drying up. Virtual offices offer a totally different take on the cost of getting your business up and running, allowing companies to put their cash into recruiting talent or developing their services and products rather than a foyer, chairs and a logo on the wall beside the pot plants.

Similarly, a virtual business address provides savings in comparison to renting a physical office space. The actual price differential between Virtual Addresses and Virtual Offices is often negligible because as I have mentioned, you’ll often find Virtual Addresses sold with meeting amenities available for booking at the exact address.

The bigger difference is location. A virtual business address in an industrial suburb of Sydney should be considerably cheaper than a prestigious Sydney virtual business address at an iconic office tower with high floor views of the Harbour.

Virtual Offices Are So Incredibly Convenient

Virtual offices are so popular because they are so flexible and convenient. Businesses can recruit a remote workforce for their virtual workplace without having to bother about renting and outfitting any office space. This is not just cheaper – it’s way faster and speed to market, speed to ship, speed to pivot and speed to scale up are so crucial in today’s marketplace that it can be a matter of barely surviving or capturing market share.

A virtual address is also aligned with flexibility. Businesses can swiftly establish a presence in a desirable location without the price of physical occupancy. When all a business needs is a network of business addresses, the fastest way to achieve the strategy is to subscribe to several virtual addresses – there is no need to scout out locations and make an offer to commercial property leasing agents and then carry the cost of outfitting the office.

Entering New Markets in Australia and the World, Virtually

For businesses looking to expand into new markets, a virtual office can be an effective strategy. It provides a local business address, and leverage that with your local phone calls answered by a local virtual receptionist and you’ve built a regional presence, which can really help establish an authentic foothold in an unfamiliar market. Further building on this adaptive approach with meeting and co-working facilities can be especially advantageous for businesses entering markets with different cultural norms – a virtual office facility with administration teams and meeting spaces can be a great incubator for a new entrant to the market.

Networking with local businesses at your virtual office and accessing the guidance from the local management of your virtual office address will really help you get up to speed with the local business environment.

It's always wise to subscribe to a provider that offers facilities at the virtual address, in business you should always give yourself options and it will impress your clients so much more if they can meet in a stylish boardroom at your own business address.

Similarly, when all you need is just a network of business addresses and nothing more, securing that network by subscribing to virtual addresses is the fastest and cheapest option.

However if you’re really only interested in prestigious business addresses in city CBD’s, you’ll find that those impressive virtual addresses are simply part of the virtual office services that the location offers. It’s rare to find a prestige office tower in the CBD of any Australian capital city offering virtual business addresses without accompanying facilities and amenities. And that’s the current status – Virtual offices as a term is becoming much more popular than Virtual Addresses. It’s really just best to consider that Virtual Offices INCLUDE a virtual business address.

Legal and Regulatory Considerations for Virtual Office Addresses

When it comes to legal and regulatory requirements in Australia, such as registering a business address with ASIC, virtual office addresses are a legal and very convenient option. The mail and package handling at our virtual offices is also comprehensive. We notify our customers whenever there is a delivery and our virtual office services include the option to have your corressponsendence opened and scanned and emailed, with the hard copy documents shredded too – if that is your preference.

A stand-alone virtual business address without mail notification and handling services is also fine to meet the ASIC regulations – but it’s much more useful to subscribe to a service that offers options. You may be overseas somewhere and keen to read your hard copy mail, and its so handy if you just reach out to the team at our virtual address location and ask them to scan the correspondence to you. That’s so convenient!

Finally, on the legal aspects of virtual business addresses, in most countries across the world virtual offices are totally legal. There are a few countries, mostly strict authoritarian entities, that don’t permit virtual office address, but they are few. Nevertheless if you are thinking of setting up an overseas footprint via a virtual office address, always check the local legalities first.

Virtual Offices and Virtual Addresses Are Same, Same But Different

In some countries the term is simply Virtual Offices and you’ll never hear about Virtual Addresses. In Australia you’ll probably here both terms but Virtual Offices as a term is probably more popular. So just to reiterate.

A virtual office usually offers a comprehensive package of services, including a highly respected business address, mail and package handling, the option of local virtual receptionist answering services, bookable meeting, co-working and conferencing space – usually with complimentary refreshments and administrative support if you need it- for copying, printing etc. On the other hand, most providers simply offering virtual addresses usually focus solely on providing a credible business address, and often customers must collect their mail themselves. But as I’ve said, it’s always best to just talk to the provider first to find out what they offer.

And keep in mind that we always ensure every customer passes a comprehensive identity validation process, its simple but it’s a good thing to know that when you subscribe to one of our highly respected virtual offices, you’re in good company.