Business address providers give you a business, administrative, and tax address. You can use this address to register your company with the Trade and Companies Register (RCS), or, if you're a craftsman, with the Directory of Trades (RM).
This service is available to all types of companies (SA, SNC, SARL, SAS, EURL, SASU...), including sole proprietorships.
Let's explore all the advantages of online business domiciliation together.
A business address provider is more than just a PO box; it offers real services to help businesses and their clients:
- assistance with business creation,
- legal assistance,
- reception and telephone switchboard,
- mail tracking (receipt, sending, forwarding or scanning),
- office rental,
- provision of meeting rooms,
- coworking spaces.
All of these services provide an overview of the points to consider when choosing a domiciliation company.
To choose a good online business address, you need to answer the following questions, which we will detail:
- Does the business address provider have accreditation?
- are there any hidden extra costs?
- are there any additional fees?
- What are the conditions of engagement?
Does the business address provider have accreditation?
A domiciliation company must have prefectural accreditation to operate. An accreditation number is then issued to the company, which must include it on the domiciliation contract.
The accreditation is only issued for a period of six years, renewable as many times as the domiciliation company meets the requirements:
- the integrity of the managers,
- the integrity of shareholders holding more than 25% of the capital,
- the existence of premises with a meeting room,
- possession of the premises (title of ownership, commercial lease, etc.).
To verify that the company does have this approval, you can ask them for a copy of the prefectural approval.
Are there any hidden fees?
To avoid hidden costs, you need to ask about the offer duration from the domiciliation company. An attractive starting price never lasts forever. Watch out for application fees. Before signing up with a domiciliation company, ask them to tell you about any potential application fees, otherwise you might be surprised when you get the bill.
Are there any additional fees?
Business address providers generally offer extra services like telephone answering or mail digitization. These extra services might be offered to you. However, to avoid getting caught out, it's important to read the business address contract carefully; everything is written there. Above all, choose a provider that clearly displays its prices. You can also compare different providers (like Kandbaz) on the business address comparison page on the SeDomicilier website.
What are the conditions of engagement?
Here, we need to take a closer look at the domiciliation agreement. We will present the following clauses:
- benefits,
- the contract duration and the termination conditions,
- the fee,
- the security deposit.
Benefits
This clause clearly defines the services included in the scope of the contract. This is where any services subject to additional charges will appear.
The contract duration
Contracts are designed to bind parties, but also to be terminated. It's important to keep this in mind. A domiciliation contract legally requires a minimum term of three months. However, some domiciliation companies may have you sign a contract for a much longer period, so pay attention!
How to cancel?
Again, it's important to read the terms of your contract carefully and remember them. A domiciliation contract often relies on tacit renewal. To terminate it, sending a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt is generally required. However, this letter must be sent within a period specified in the contract, before its term.
The fee
This is the total amount you'll have to pay for the monthly rent. This clause usually specifies the payment terms.
The security deposit
Domiciliation contracts often include a security deposit, which is usually the equivalent of several months' rent. This deposit ensures the domiciliation company gets paid for their services.
Type the name of the company you're considering working with and read Google reviews, for example. You'll quickly get an idea of how reliable the company is before you potentially commit.
You might notice that companies sometimes add options to your bill that you didn't sign up for. Don't jump to 'scam' right away! From what we've seen, it's often just a simple mistake that can be sorted out with a quick phone call. So, always keep an eye on your invoices!
Having a registered office address adds to a company's credibility and makes it easier to turn prospects into customers.
As an entrepreneur, have your company domiciled through a domiciliation company. This will allow you to benefit from a workspace without having to sign a commercial or professional lease. Above all, you don't have any expenses to pay for the maintenance of the building.
Since the rates are set annually or monthly, they're easy to understand, and you won't get any nasty surprises.
These expenses, including property taxes, will therefore be entirely the responsibility of the domiciliation company. This is especially appealing when you want to register your business at a prestigious address, such as in Paris, for example.
Plus, the services offered by domiciliation companies let you save precious time by taking over some of your time-consuming tasks. For example, setting up a company in France can be a real obstacle course, but they can handle that for you.
Finally, with domiciliation companies, you have the option to terminate your contract at any time, according to the provisions in the contract you signed.
Written by our expert Cyril SCHWASTIAK
February 2, 2022
