Virtual office with meeting rooms

Freelancers, online sellers, consultants, small firms and out-of-town companies that want a local address and the occasional meeting space.

Monthly fees for the address and mail plan, plus hourly or daily meeting room bookings and extras such as call answering or mail scanning.

• Customer service
• Organising and admin
• Sales and local networking

• Check your lease allows multiple businesses to use the address and that zoning permits it
• Commercial general liability insurance, and cover for client mail and contents
• Check ID verification and records for clients, and how you handle suspicious mail or misuse of the address
• Check whether your municipality requires a business licence for the premises
• Slow early months, as the lease is due whether or not clients have signed

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $8,000 to $40,000 (CAD), depending on the suite you lease and how you set up the meeting rooms. Keep in mind the lease is due whether or not clients have signed up yet.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many address clients you sign and how often the meeting rooms are booked. Early months can be slow, so plan for that.

Check that your lease allows multiple businesses to use the address and that zoning permits it. Also check commercial general liability insurance, including cover for client mail, ID verification and records for clients, and whether your municipality requires a business licence.