Your Business With James Caan 2017 - 183

VIRTUAL SPACE

Enhanced services may also include
managing customer service lines,
sending out company literature
based on the data collected from
incoming calls and managing
responses to oﬀers or campaigns.
A call-answering service can also
provide you with a contact number
of your choice, whether it's a central
London suﬃx or 0845 business line.
WHO IT'S BEST FOR Individuals or

very small teams who need to focus
their time on growing the business
but aren't yet in a position to
hire a full-time receptionist.
WHAT IT COSTS Basic packages
start from around £25 per month,
although some companies do
oﬀer pay-per-call options.
OPTIONS Jam, Reception HQ,
Connect Communications

WORDS: CLAIRE LAVELLE
PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

REGISTERED ADDRESS

As well as giving the impression of
a swanky HQ, a registered oﬃce
address is a legal requirement for
any business wanting to trade legally
within the UK - it's used to register
your business with Companies House
and HM Revenue & Customs. Your
registered oﬃce address must be used
on all company stationery, such as
letterheaded paper and invoices.
It's important to note that these
addresses can't be used for company
meetings or actual oﬃce space. Neither
can you receive general mail there.
You'll need to request a further mailforwarding service for this, which
some companies oﬀer for free.
It's better to have a registered
oﬃce address that is manned, as
it's where all oﬃcial documentation
from Companies House and HMRC
is sent. If documents are mislaid
and you fail to respond within a
certain timeframe, there may be
legal and ﬁnancial implications
for you and your company.
Remember too that this is not the
same as a PO box. A PO box can't be
used as a registered oﬃce address.
WHO IT'S BEST FOR Start-ups
currently operating from home
(or hot-desking around the friendly
neighbourhood coﬀee shops),

SETTING UP OFFICE BASICS

WHEN YOU'RE A LITTLE FURTHER ALONG AND HAVE A SPACE OF YOUR
OWN, IT CAN BE EASY TO FORGET THE LITTLE THINGS. ENSURE YOUR
BRANDING IS RIGHT AND YOUR SURROUNDINGS REFLECT YOUR
COMPANY CULTURE, AND CHECK EVERYTHING WORKS AS IT SHOULD
STATIONERY

the time and effort to look after your

Branding, contact details and registered

team and they will look after you.

company address mandatory.

BOOKSHELVES

BUSINESS CARDS

Whether custom-made or Ikea's finest,

See above. You may also want to include

use them to set the tone of the office

a "quirky" element, such as a photo of

décor, from the books you store in them

the office dog.

to the plants you put on top of them.

PRINTER, PAPER AND INK

STORAGE

Your efforts to run a paperless office are

You can never have too much. Fact.

laudable, but you will still need a printer

RECYCLING FACILITIES

and all that comes with it. Find a

No modern organisation can justify the

one-stop-shop. An office and work

lack of these.

solutions company such as Lyreco can

PHOTOCOPIER/SCANNER

help to streamline the process and make

Feels retro? Still essential.

your budget stretch that little bit further.

KETTLE AND FRIDGE

OFFICE FURNITURE - DESKS,
CHAIRS AND COMPUTERS

Woe betide anyone who overlooks these.

Provide the most ergonomically

Tea, coffee, milk and sugar at the very

designed workstations you can. Take

least. "Company biscuit" optional...

A registered oﬃce
address is a legal
requirement for
any company
trading in the UK
website owners who need an address
with which to register their website
and international businesses who
need a registered address to allow
them to operate in the UK.
WHAT IT COSTS Basic packages
start from around £45 a year.
OPTIONS Company Address,
Your City Oﬃce, Capital Oﬃce.

RENTING AD-HOC SPACE

Whether you want to meet with your
business partners or collaborators to

BASIC SUPPLIES

work together on a project or need
a meeting or presentation space, it's
important it's in a central location,
is professional and well-equipped.
There are many companies that allow
you to rent a meeting space that suits
your requirements - from small and
intimate spaces for brainstorming
sessions or grander premises for
a launch event or conference.
Pens, pads and refreshments are
generally included, and if you need
video conference equipment that can
be made available too. Spaces can
be secured at short notice. London
Executive Oﬃces, for example,
can do a 24-hour turnaround
for straightforward set-ups.
WHO IT'S BEST FOR SMEs and
start-ups whose budgets aren't yet
up to leasing oﬃce space that reﬂects
their brand, culture and ethos.
WHAT IT COSTS Costs can be
hugely variable - pricing can be
per head or dependent on venue.
OPTIONS London Executive Oﬃces,
Workspace, Hubworking □

183
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