4 precautions for renting a virtual office, avoiding service misunderstanding

According to the law, whether you want to apply for a business registration certificate or a company registration, you need to provide an office address for registration. If you are working from home or a start-up company, and you may not find an office all the time, the Virtual Office service will be your best choice. This article summarizes the relevant information of virtual offices to help those who intend to rent choose the most suitable virtual office services.

What does a virtual office do?

When a company is registered, a residential address is generally not available for business registration. If the small and medium-sized enterprise does not have a physical office, or for businesses that do not require a physical office, renting a virtual office can solve the problem of registered address, which will not only meet the legal requirements, but also save a lot of rental fees.

All business centers holding a “corporate service provider license” can legally operate virtual office services. The service content not only provides business addresses for those in need, but may also provide the following services (partial or value-added services):

• Agency company registration, trademark registration;

• Collection of company mail/packages;

• answer company calls;

• send and receive faxes;

• Accounting and secretarial services;

• Rental of conference rooms;

• Set up company email, hosting server, etc.

1. Misconceptions about virtual offices, hotels/residences are illegal

As mentioned above, there is a “company service provider license”. In addition, consumers need to pay special attention to that all hotels and residences cannot be used as virtual office locations; and some addresses that have not canceled their business registration cannot be used as virtual offices. Violators will violate relevant laws and regulations.

2. Things to consider before renting a virtual office

After avoiding falling into the law by mistake, it is even more important to choose virtual office services in Hong Kong wisely. To this end, the following will summarize the 4 precautions, so that people who work at home, entrepreneurs, and small and medium-sized enterprises can develop their businesses with peace of mind:

1. Fee plan

The charging model of the virtual office plan is different. Some companies will attract the “flexible” monthly fee plan, but please pay attention to the planned rental period before renting. The terms may be bundled with the tenant author, and there is a prepayment policy. If you want to rent on a trial basis, you should read the details carefully.

2. Exclusions

Besides, tenants should be clear about the difference between the basic plan and the value-added plan, and evaluate which one is more suitable for them. They should also pay attention to the “exclusions” of the plan to avoid gaps in expectations.

3. Money Back Guarantee

Although the cost of a virtual office is not huge, businesses that offer money-back guarantees are generally more trustworthy. After all, after the customer chooses the plan, the rental period can be long or short. It is best to ensure that the tenant has the right to refund the remaining part of the payment when he quits the plan. Once he finds that he is not satisfied after using the service, there will be a guarantee.

4. Field trip

In commercial affairs, the company address and business are inseparable, and the legal obligations between the two are linked. Before signing the contract, tenants should remember to conduct on-site inspections or virtual visits to the virtual office as much as possible. In addition to checking the legal compliance of service providers, tenants must also understand the details pragmatically, so that they can find the most suitable virtual office with peace of mind.

The above information is for reference only. If you have any questions about tax declaration, accounting, virtual office, we welcome your inquiries.