Virtual office and meeting room hub

Freelancers, online sellers, small limited companies, contractors and out-of-area firms that want a local business address or a professional place to meet clients.

Monthly fees for an address and mail handling, plus hourly or daily charges for meeting rooms and desks. Extras such as call answering or mail forwarding bring in more per client.

• Customer service
• Organised, reliable admin
• Basic sales and local networking

• Check whether you need to register with HMRC for anti-money laundering supervision, as providers of business addresses may be covered
• Customer identity checks are an important part of running this kind of service, so check what you must do and keep records
• Check your lease allows you to sub-let space and use the address for company registrations
• Public liability insurance and cover for contents and mail
• Check what Companies House expects of registered office addresses, as your clients' filings will use yours
• A long lease commitment is a risk if client numbers grow slowly

Estimated startup costs are typically around £3,000 to £15,000, depending on the premises, lease terms and how you set up the office and meeting room.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around £800 to £4,000, depending on how many clients take addresses and how often the meeting room is hired. A long lease is a risk if client numbers grow slowly.

Check whether you need to register with HMRC for anti-money laundering supervision, and what customer identity checks and records are needed. Also check your lease allows sub-letting and use of the address for company registrations, and what Companies House expects of registered office addresses.