Thanks to advanced and portable technology, starting and running a business without a brick-and-mortar store or workspace is easier than ever.
Still, virtual mailing addresses—physical street addresses without the accompanying space—offer huge value to many businesses.
Despite their growing popularity, professionals often wonder: Can you register a business to a virtual office?
The short answer is yes. Not only can you register a business to a virtual office, but many professionals will benefit from doing so.
Here we explore how you can register a business to a virtual office, the key benefits, and five steps to help get it set up.
What is a Virtual Office? Essential Terminology to Know
A virtual office is a service delivered by providers such as coworking spaces or other firms. They may offer a suite of virtual office services as part of a monthly membership.
These virtual office services offer businesses mail handling options and a virtual mailing address, also called a digital address, virtual address, or remote mailing address.
Simply put, a virtual mailing address is a real-life street address that can receive and send mail on your behalf, even if you do not physically live or work in that location. So, instead of operating at that address as a brick-and-mortar store, for example, you continue to handle all sales online but use the virtual mailing address as your official business address.
4 Key Benefits of Registering Your Business to a Virtual Office
Can you register a business to a virtual office? Yes.
Should you? That depends.
While each business has to evaluate the decision on its own, it’s certainly a strategic decision that can pay off.
Here are four key benefits to registering your business to a virtual office:
- Business Legitimacy and Compliance
Registering your business to a virtual office is a strategic way to verify the legitimacy of your company. Most virtual office services ensure that their addresses comply with state and federal laws for business registration. This means the address can be used for official documents, such as:
- Business registration
- Business-related mail
- Legal documents
- Tax and financial documents
This is not only a more secure option than using a personal address but also legitimizes your operations.
- Increased Professional Appearance
New businesses can instantly boost their professional image with a virtual office address. It communicates legitimacy to your clients, investors, and partners which is crucially important for startups, new companies, or international organizations seeking to establish a presence in the U.S. market.
Further, our virtual office services at The Post can include add-ons like a virtual phone and live answering services which can further increase your professional appearance.
Using a virtual office means you can separate personal and professional lines of communication, which presents a positive image to those you communicate with.
- Access to Services and Amenities
Besides providing your business with a physical address, virtual office providers often offer additional services that support your operations and even enhance the credibility of your business.
For example, our virtual office service memberships at The Post include:
- Mail handling and forwarding services
- Personalized mail and shipping services
- Mail and package tracking and storage
- Digital mail services
- Discounted access to or credits for bookable meeting rooms or event flex spaces
- Inclusion in member community and networking events
- Access to the member portal
Not only are you receiving access to a physical address, but you also have administrative support to help manage your mail and important access to other coworking benefits. Your team may benefit from occasional in-person meetings or attending networking events—all possible with the perks of signing up for a virtual office membership.
- Potential Tax Advantages
Your virtual office can be used for tax purposes, including filing state taxes from this specific address. This may be advantageous if the state where the virtual office has favorable tax laws for your business or industry. Further, you’ll have a centralized, legitimate address to send and receive important documents by mail.
How to Register a Business to a Virtual Office in 5 Steps
With these benefits in mind, let’s move on to the practical: how to register your business to a virtual office. Here are five steps to take:
1. Do Your Due Diligence
It’s important to ensure your virtual office address is recognized as a legitimate business address in the state where you plan to register. Some states have specific rules about what constitutes a legal business address. Regulations also can vary based on business type, industry, local zoning laws, or other variables.
Here in Arizona, for example, both LLCs and Corporations must designate a business address. LLCs are allowed to have an address anywhere and can include a PO Box. Corporations, however, must have a physical address within Arizona. Both addresses are public records—another reason to consider a virtual mailing address instead of your home address.
Make sure you do your due diligence to ensure you’re complying with regulatory requirements, and the virtual office service provider you use is as well.
- Note: The Arizona Corporation Commission has an office in Tucson that accepts walk-in inquiries. They’re a great resource if you have more questions about using a virtual mailing address for your business.
2. Choose a Virtual Office Provider
Take your time to shop around for virtual mailing address providers. You want to select a legitimate business that meets all regulatory requirements and offers services that help your business thrive.
As you look at options, make sure you understand what’s included with your virtual office package and select a provider who offers the support and amenities you need. A coworking space like The Post not only provides a virtual mailing address, but additional services like mail handling, a local phone number, and access to physical office space for meetings.
3. Complete Required Documentation
After choosing a provider, complete all required documentation. This may include:
- Business registration: You may either update forms to indicate a new address or submit new forms to register the business. You’ll want to use the virtual office address as your business address.
- Statutory agent registration: Corporations and LLCs are required to appoint a statutory agent who receives legal documents on their behalf. You will submit paperwork and have the agent sign and accept their appointment. Discuss with your virtual office address provider to set them up as your statutory agent.
- Leases and permits: Depending on your industry, you may need to update or file new paperwork for any operating lease, permit, or certification. They should all have your new virtual mailing address listed accurately.
- Financial documents: Some banks and financial institutions may require additional proof of business operations for opening accounts or receiving financial services, so check in and ensure things are up to date.
4. Set Up Mail Handling
Once all your paperwork is in order, you’ll want to work with your provider to set up mail handling according to the service you bought. Here are a few tips to get started:
- Update your address with important clients, partners, or other people who may send you mail.
- Discuss mail handling options with your virtual mailing address provider to ensure you understand the process.
- Check-in regularly at the beginning to see if you are happy with the service or want to make any changes.
5. Ensure Continued Compliance
As time goes on, periodically check to make sure everything is accurate and up to date. You may need to renew registrations or licenses annually or make changes due to new laws or updates that impact your business.
You can stay up to date by being in communication with:
- Your virtual mailing address provider: Discuss any concerns or questions you have directly with your provider. Here at The Post, we’re always available to discuss your business needs and see how we can better help.
- Your lawyer or other professional team members: More complex questions about your business, paperwork, or general compliance are best directed to a lawyer, accountant, financial professional, or others who hold specialized knowledge. They should be able to keep you up-to-date on any changes that may impact your business, too.
Today, many owners and professionals are asking the question: Can you register a business to a virtual office?
The simple answer is yes. And not only can you register a business to a virtual office, but it can be argued that many should. Utilizing a virtual office address helps boost the legitimacy of your operations, provide access to key services and amenities, and may offer certain tax advantages.
If you’re looking for a reputable virtual office service provider, look no further than The Post. We offer comprehensive services to help your business to the next level. Contact us today to discuss our virtual office and coworking solutions.