If you are starting a new business, you might feel obligated to have an office. Indeed, there is often the misconception that an office is necessary for working and that to be professional, you have got to have one.
However, this is not always true. First of all, not all businesses will require working in an office. Secondly, there is no obligation to have business premises. Let’s go into more detail about this topic for those new to the business world.
Is it a Requirement to Have an Office?
Let’s clear this up once and for all. It is not a legal requirement for you and your team to work in an office. You are able to do the work of your business from anywhere. However, what you do need to have is a registered office address. This is going to be the official address of your business, and it is necessary for registering your company.
Therefore, in simple terms, you need to have an office address. This is a legal requirement in the UK, and the location must have a proper address. But note that it is not necessary to work from this location. This is just where your official correspondence will go and how people will know the address of your business.
What Can Be a Registered Office Address?
The most important thing to know is that a registered office address has to have a physical address. In other words, it has to exist in real life and have a street address and postcode. Again, you are not required to work at that address. But it has to be one that is real and exists for mail to get delivered to it.
For example, any building is capable of being a registered office address. This includes your home address too. But an office space can also be something like a virtual office. In other words, it is a physical address that you can enjoy, but you do not work there during the day. Note that many people believe a PO box will count as a registered office address. However, there are certain conditions for this, and you must check. For example, it will need a full physical address, and this must be where the PO box is. If you are not sure if the PO box will count, it is best to choose another space or a registered office address.
Where Can You Work From?
Ultimately, the answer to this question is anywhere. Yes, you can work from your registered office address. But you also have the freedom to work in other locations for your business. This is the same with members of your team. Let’s take a look at a few options you have.
Work From Home
Over the last few years, more people are choosing to work from home. Well, the good news is that you can completely run your business from home too. This can be a comfortable environment where you can feel more productive. You can avoid the morning commute and be more productive. It is legal to run a business from home even if you have another address.
Note that if you do want to run your business from home, you will may want to consider using a virtual office. This is going to give you some privacy and people will not know your home address.
Work from a Public Space
There are many people that like to work in public spaces. They feel more productive when they are in a library, café or even in a bookshop. In particular, you might like to do this if you do not want to be stuck at home all the time.
Again, there is nothing stopping you from working in a public space. If you feel like you can get the work done, this is going to work great. Just make sure you still have a registered office address.
Rent a Space
Are you somebody that cannot concentrate when they are working from home? Perhaps it is time to rent a working space. This is something that is done all over the city where you can rent a desk in order to work. Sometimes, this can be in cafes or it can be in office buildings. This is also somewhere you can work from on a regular basis. It is going to be a lot cheaper than getting an actual office space to work in.
