Choose according to whether you need an address and mail handling or a place to work. A virtual office gives you an address, not a daily workspace. Judge physical space by how much time your team will really spend in it.
Picture two working weeks. In the first you work from home and only need access to business documents. In the second, several colleagues meet in person every day and equipment has to stay in one place. Comparing the monthly price of an address with the price of a room skips what the two services actually do.
Write down a normal week
Look at your real calendar. For a new business, build an example. For each need, note how often it recurs and who uses it. Mark what you don't know as an estimate and check it after the first weeks of work.
Put these rows in your worksheet:
- Business address and the terms for using it for your company.
- Receiving mail, access to contents and collecting originals.
- Days worked in a physical space and how many people are there at once.
- Meetings or training in person, with expected length.
- Equipment and materials that need a permanent place.
In the last column, note what the offer covers for that row and what still has to be confirmed. A business address, for example, doesn't mean you have somewhere to leave equipment. Hiring a hall for an event doesn't mean a permanent workplace.
Contract contents first, then the price
For a virtual office, ask what happens once mail arrives. Basic and Complete differ in how mail is handled, and the package comparison works through that choice. Here it is enough to note whether you need the contents of mail by email or access to originals.
For physical space, ask when you can enter and how you may use it. State special needs directly, such as leaving equipment permanently or several team members attending regularly. Photos don't prove that a space suits every kind of work.
Put costs in the same period
Convert the quotes to the same period and the same VAT presentation. Keep the monthly fee apart from extras and from your own travel costs. If one quote asks for a longer commitment, write down the total commitment and the exit terms beside the monthly amount.
Leave unknown items open. Until you know whether something you need is charged extra, don't call either option cheaper. The same goes for travel savings: don't count them if you would still come in regularly for documents.
An occasional meeting is not daily work
A company that already has somewhere to work can ask separately for space for a training session. ZagrebSpace has a hall for workshops and training at Gacka 16. That is a separate enquiry for an event, with its own date and terms.
If your team needs a shared place every day, that combination doesn't fit. Go back to the days and type of work in your worksheet. Hiring the hall is not an offer of a permanent office.
Common questions
Is a virtual office always cheaper?
Not necessarily. An address without a workplace and a daily workspace don't give you the same thing, so a comparison only makes sense once your needs are covered. Add up extras and commitments before you conclude anything.
Can I use a virtual office for meetings?
Don't assume the address includes meeting space. Ask for a separate quote and terms, and state the length and number of people.
Send your list of needs
Through the contact page, ask for a quote for a virtual office and say what mail you expect. If you also need the hall for an event, add the date and time. Enter the answers in your worksheet before you choose.
