Are you thinking about setting up an entirely virtual company? This is certainly something that is easier now than ever before. All of your employees can work from home and you do not even have to store your products on business premises. The internet gives you the freedom to start any business you would like.
But, one common question that a lot of business people have when they are starting an online company is; do I need to have a registered address? After all, if you are not working from an office, you may think that this is not necessary. Let’s take a look at this topic in more detail and clear up this question once and for all.
Do You Need a Registered Address?
First of all, let’s answer the most important question. Do you need a registered address for your business? If you are based in the UK, the answer is yes. This rule applies to every business no matter what industry you are in. In addition, the same applies if your company operates virtually. Just because you do not work at an office does not make you immune from this rule.
Your registered address is going to be available for people to see on Companies House and you will receive your business mail here. For example, HMRC will contact you through this address. Again, it is important to stress that you do not even have to work from your registered address. You just need to have one. For example, a lot of people have a virtual office in an affordable office building. This can mean having an impressive and prestigious address for customers to see and where you will receive your mail. But, you are able to operate from home at the same time.
Can You Use Your Home as a Registered Address?
The answer to this question is yes; you can use your home as your registered address. This means that all of your business correspondence will be sent to your home address for you to view. While you may not think anything bad about this option to begin with, it is important to consider the logistics.
First of all, you have to remember that the registered business address for your company is going to be available to view online. In other words, people are going to see your home address. This might not be something that you are comfortable with like a majority of business owners. Indeed, this is going to be particularly true if you have a family or you want to remain private with your online company.
In addition, if you are someone that wants to try to keep your business and family life separate, getting all of your business correspondence to your home might not be the best way to do this. Sure, you work from home. But, if you are constantly getting business mail through the post, this is a reminder of work on your days off.
You also have to consider the professional side of using your home as a registered address. Do you think that it makes clients take you seriously? A lot of businesses believe that it does not give a good first impression and it can make your company look unprofessional. This is definitely something that you want to think about. Customers do examine the smallest of details when it comes to buying products and using services.
Are You Allowed to Use a PO Box address?
Again, we will get straight to the point and say no. You cannot use a PO box address for your registered address. Indeed, a lot of people assume you can since you need an address to receive mail. But, this does not work for a registered office address. It is your responsibility to make sure that the address you use is correct or there could be problems for your business.
Just to be clear, this not to say you cannot still use a PO box for your business. You can receive other mail here or items you want to keep separate and near to your home. It just means that the address is not valid for registering and it will not be where official correspondence is sent to you.
Therefore, before registering your business, make sure that you have an address in mind. This can be an office, virtual office or your home. This is going to be your choice but make sure that you choose wisely.
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