Although the COVID pandemic led to serious problems, the only benefit was for home businesses. The trend of working from home increased, as did home businesses.
However, that brings with it a different kind of problem in work life. People somehow need a separate space for their office. Indeed, most people do not want to share their home address with their customers. This is where the concept of a virtual address comes in very handy.
photo credit: Yelena Odintsova / Pexels
In the past, people used a PO box number as their postal address. This is not a very convenient method because you have to go to the post office and it is very impersonal. A virtual address is the best option in the post-COVID world for businesses that work from home.
What is a virtual address?
As the name itself suggests, a virtual address is an office address that is not real. You do not work from the address as you work from your home. But with the whole world you share your virtual address as your address. For example, you can use a virtual office address in Melbourne CBD even if you are in a small town in the UK, Wolverhampton or other parts of the world.
When customers or anyone else sends email to the virtual address, the email is forwarded to you. You can share this address on your business card, letterhead, website, etc. You can share this address as your address for legal purposes as someone will be there to receive your mail.
Virtual addresses are provided by organizations that have a physical office space. They don’t rent out their location, but they rent out the address. You can use the address as your own and the provider will take care of all the formalities. This is a convenient option for home businesses that need an address.
Why not use a home address or a PO box?
Using a virtual address costs money because you have to pay the owner of the address a small fee for using it. A PO box could be a cheaper option. There are many reasons why it is not a good idea to use both options:
The use of a residential address affects your privacy. When you share your home address as your office address, you are making a private address public. This can cause various kinds of issues that affect your privacy. Sharing your home address with the world is not a good idea, especially if you have children at home. According to local rules or the rules of apartments where you stay, you may not be allowed to use your home address as your office address. Destination laws may not allow you to use a home address as a commercial address. This could put you in conflict with the law. Using a mailbox does not look professional. It sends a message to your customers that you do not have an address and therefore use a PO Box. It also gives the impression that your business isn’t legit and so you don’t have a real address. When using a mailbox, you may need to visit the post office regularly to open the mailbox and check your mail. This can be inconvenient.
For all these reasons, it is advisable to use a virtual address for your home business.
Benefits of using a virtual address
If you want to know why you should use a virtual address, check out the benefits below. These benefits explain why you should consider having a virtual address for your home business.
1. Ensures privacy
A virtual address ensures privacy. You work from your home, but your displayed address is in a different location. This ensures your privacy and no one will know your home address. It also ensures that your home is safe without unwanted visitors falling.
Sharing your home address is also an invitation to spam mail. You may be inundated with spam mail that is bothering your family. With a virtual address, nobody knows where you are staying, so your privacy is guaranteed.
2. Make your business credible, legit and professional
A company that doesn’t share its address or use a letterbox doesn’t look credible. Using a PO Box is not professional in today’s competitive world. This is where using a virtual address comes in handy. You will be given an address to use that will give your address credibility.
Virtual addresses are located in well-known commercial areas. This gives your business a touch of credibility and enhances its legitimacy. Your customers and others will not suspect that your business does not have a real address. It is a professional way of working. You have a permanent address to share with the world that wouldn’t change, which again is handy.
3. Necessary in many cases
You cannot use your home address if the local zoning ordinances or your apartment rules do not allow it. When you list your business on Google or other online websites, you must provide an address. A PO box would not be allowed.
In such cases, you are required to share an address. This is where a virtual address can be very useful. In some cases, you may need to share your address with the government or other agencies. Sharing a virtual address is also useful here.
4. You can have your mail delivered
A virtual address is not a fake address. An office would be set up at the specified address. They would receive your emails and immediately forward them to you. This is a convenient way to receive email sent to your virtual address.
5. Helps Save Money
You can save money by using a virtual address. If you rent a real office, the rent would be quite high. You would have other expenses like electricity, telephone, etc. These all cost a lot of money. You can save this money by working from home and using a virtual address.
You only have to pay a small fee for using the address. Since many other people would use the same address, the address provider would charge you a lower fee.
photo credit: Erik McLean / Pexels
To take off
‘Thanks’ to the pandemic, people can try out work-from-home environments. This has turned the whole work culture into a point of no return – for better or for worse.
Today, many people prefer home businesses because it is convenient, allows them to spend more time with the family and saves on rent. One problem that people face is the lack of a physical office address, which can be solved by the availability of virtual addresses.
In the near future, more and more people will opt for borderless work settings – the new normal made possible by virtual services.
This post Why a virtual address makes sense in the post-COVID world?
was original published at “https://www.noobpreneur.com/2022/04/24/why-a-virtual-address-makes-sense-in-the-post-covid-world/”
