Not every business needs a desk five days a week.
Plenty of good firms run from a laptop, a client's site and the passenger seat of a car. What they do need is a proper address, somewhere for the post to go, and a decent room when a client wants to sit down face to face.
That's what a virtual office is for.
What is a virtual office?
A virtual office gives your business an address and some of the services of an office, without renting the office itself.
At The Groves, a virtual office gives you:
- a Manchester business address at Unit 1, Bridge House, 26 Ducie Street, M1 2DQ
- the option to use it as your registered business address
- your mail handled for you
- the ability to book our meeting rooms and boardroom
That's it. No desk, no suite and no long lease.
Who it suits
In my experience, virtual offices suit a few kinds of business particularly well:
- consultants and advisers who spend most of their time with clients
- small practices that work from home but don't want their home address on Companies House
- firms based elsewhere that want a Manchester presence
- new businesses that aren't ready to commit to a suite yet
There's another reason. Your address says something about you. A Piccadilly address beside Piccadilly Basin, a short walk from Manchester Piccadilly station, is easy for clients to find and easy to explain.
Why the address matters
A registered business address appears on public records. If you're running a company from your kitchen table, that usually means your home address is out there for anyone to look up.
Using a business address keeps your home address private and gives your company a fixed base on paper. For a lot of sole traders and small limited companies, that alone is worth it.
What happens to your post
Your mail comes to The Groves and is handled for you, so nothing goes missing while you're out working wherever you need to be.
A professional base without the overheads
For a lot of small businesses, the choice used to be all or nothing. Either you took an office, with the lease, the bills and the furniture, or you worked from home and hoped nobody noticed.
A virtual office sits in the middle. You get the address, the post handled and somewhere proper to meet, without paying for a desk you'd only use one day a week.
Meeting rooms when you need them
This is where a virtual office at The Groves goes further than an address and a mailbox.
Virtual office members can book our meeting rooms and boardroom. The boardroom seats up to 12, and two meeting rooms seat up to 6 each. So when a client wants to meet, you've got a professional room in a good building, rather than a corner of a coffee shop.
Virtual office or office suite?
A quick way to think about it:
| If you... | A virtual office | An office suite |
|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- |
| Want to be part of the building's community every day | Partly | Yes |
Plenty of businesses start virtual and move into a suite when they grow. The Groves has 13 self-contained suites, so there's room to do that without changing address. You can see them on our suites page.
The community bit
The Groves is built for professional firms that introduce work to each other, and the idea is that occupiers win work from each other through introductions and monthly events. A virtual office is a lighter way into that, with an address in the building and rooms to meet in, ahead of taking a suite.
How to set one up
Setting up a virtual office at The Groves is simple:
- Get in touch through the enquiry form or by email.
- We'll talk through what you need and answer your questions.
- We'll confirm your details and the address you'll be using.
- You update your company records and start using the address.
If you change your mind later and want a suite, we'll talk you through moving in.
FAQs
Can I use a virtual office as my registered business address? Yes. At The Groves you can use your virtual office address as your registered business address.
Do I get a desk with a virtual office? No. A virtual office is an address with mail handled and meeting rooms to book. If you need a desk, an office suite is the better fit.
How much does a virtual office cost? Get in touch and we'll talk you through it.
Find out more on our virtual office page, or email hello@thegroves-mcr.co.uk.
Marcus