The most popular virtual office locations in the UK

The UK is a thriving business network, but when it comes to virtual office locations, there are a few that simply attract more companies, more clients, and more creativity than the rest. Your potential clients want to work with thriving businesses – and these popular virtual office locations will help you achieve just that.

At Virtual HQ, we’ve collated all our data to show you the most popular virtual office locations in the UK – looking at why they’re so popular and how they can help your business grow (without even living in that area).

London

We couldn’t create this list without a mention to the capital, London. It’s at the top of our chart when it comes to popular virtual office locations – and for good reason too. More and more businesses crave a presence in the city, showcasing their growth to clients. A prestigious London virtual office address, highlighted on your website or email signature, will increase your credibility tenfold. 

Not only that, but you can potentially reach more clients, with bigger budgets. The capital is expensive – but not when it comes to virtual office space from the experts at Virtual HQ. Costly overheads and cramped offices can make London less attractive – but with a virtual office, you can take advantage of professional meeting spaces and maximise your business opportunities.

To put it into perspective, London comes out as having the most expensive office costs in the UK. For example, having space for two people per month, in a 20m2 office, you could see costs of £1,050 per month – and if your team grows, expect that figure to rise to over £5,000 for a 10 person office space.

One of the main benefits of a virtual office in London with Virtual HQ is that our contracts are monthly, rolling ones, meaning you aren’t tied into long term agreements, giving you even more flexibility, without sacrificing on credibility. Peachy.

Manchester

Moving back up north now, Manchester is next on our list. It’s home to thousands of thriving businesses, from all different sectors, including a hive of digital and technological activity. 

Manchester also attracts a lot of startups – companies looking for growth and expertise from other businesses. A virtual office in Manchester can help position your company as the ‘go-to’ in the north west, providing you with just the right address to make your mark.

There’s also a plethora of talent in Manchester – and although you might not be based there all year round, you can certainly take advantage of the talent pool, and bag yourself a fantastic set of employees. Remote workers will appreciate the chance to access meeting rooms in the city centre, but also be able to work from home.

Manchester comes out at number three for the most expensive office space in the UK, with an average cost of £33 per m2. Might not sound like much, but even for just two people in a 20m2 office, this is upwards of £600 per month.

Nottingham

Next up is Nottingham. Our clients love this central UK city for multiple reasons – and probably most importantly because it provides them with a virtual office address right in the heart of the country. Nottingham is home to a range of different businesses – and if your customer base values locality, then a virtual office in the city is a no brainer.

Physical office space isn’t anywhere near as expensive as the two top cities on our list, but the best spaces are few and far between. Taking advantage of a virtual office in Nottingham gives you access to that address you need, without setting you back on costs.

Bristol

Back down south we go with our next most popular virtual office location – Bristol. This beautiful southwest city is home to a brilliant university, allowing your business to tap into graduate talent – even if they decide to move back home. A virtual office in Bristol provides you with that southerly address, infiltrating a healthy economy and boosting your client portfolio. There are some huge businesses in this area and a virtual office can give you that presence you’ve been after – without the Bristol price tag.

Reading

Staying in the south now, our clients can’t get enough of our virtual office addresses in Reading. The town (yup, it’s not yet a city!) is home to some of the headquarters of some big UK businesses – as well as multiple SMEs, who value locality.

Although Reading isn’t classed as London, the town is still a thriving network for the capital. With large commuter volumes, it’s on the map when it comes to businesses in and around London, making it a popular choice for a virtual office address. 

Being so near to the capital, Reading makes it into our top five when it comes to the most expensive office space in the UK. You could be paying upwards of £650 per month for enough room for a two person office space. With flexible, monthly rolling contracts from Virtual HQ, you can avoid this pricey overheads.

Birmingham

We’re in the Midlands again – this time, it’s Birmingham. Home to a huge industrial network (past and present), the city is one of the most heavily populated cities in the UK, after London and Manchester. It’s also an extremely sought after area for businesses who, alongside a London address, like to have a presence in Birmingham – an extremely central location.

Being so sought after, Birmingham hits our top ten list for most expensive office space. At almost half the cost of a London office, you can still expect to pay upwards of £575 per month, making a dent in those all-important profits.

Last year, Birmingham was crowned the UK’s regional startup capital – for the seventh year in a row. Almost 20,000 new businesses launched, some of which will now be incredibly established and ready to be wowed by your skills. A virtual office address in Birmingham will provide you with that much needed presence to really create some change.

Edinburgh

We’re moving up to Scotland now, for our first non-English virtual office location on the list. Edinburgh is well known for its beautiful scenery and quaint cobbled streets – but it’s also a force to be reckoned with when it comes to business. It’s why so many of our clients come to us requesting a virtual office in Edinburgh. 

This stunning location can set you back quite a bit when it comes to physical office space, however. Edinburgh is number six on the list of most expensive office spaces in the UK, at upwards of £600 per month for just a two person room. With minimal flexibility and infuriating contracts, physical office space in Edinburgh can eat into your hard-earned cash.

The city is home to the University of Edinburgh Business School, welcoming students from all over the world to study and create the next generation of entrepreneurs and budding employees. A virtual office address can help you tap into that pool of talent, without limiting your staff to where they can be located.

Glasgow

We’re still in Scotland as we move onto our next popular virtual office location – it’s Glasgow. The University of Glasgow was recently crowned Scottish University of the Year 2022 making it a prime location for highly skilled graduates. Having a virtual office presence in Glasgow gives you more opportunity to engage with graduates, as well as highly successful local businesses.

With both Scottish cities making their way onto our popular virtual office list, it’s clear to see how the region is growing from an economic perspective. With this growth however, comes expense, and it’s no different for physical office space. The city can set you back upwards of £575 per month for a two person office – and leave you tied into nasty contracts.

Brighton

Brighton is a colourful and bustling city on the UK’s south coast. Dubbed ‘an inclusive, free-thinking city’, by VisitBrighton, the area has plenty of opportunity for open-minded and curious companies i.e. our clients.

It’s also within commuting distance of London, which means office rental costs can be pricey, leaving many businesses out of pocket each month. A virtual office location in Brighton can give you that much needed presence, without the expensive overheads. It’s clear to see why so many of our customers choose the city as their virtual office address.

Leeds

Last but not least, is Leeds. A physical office in Leeds can set you back by quite a stretch – and it can be frustrating when you require a presence in the area. The city is a thriving business network and ideal if you’re looking for more opportunities to tap into however, which is why so many of our customers choose a virtual office address in Leeds.

Location is so important for many UK businesses – from tapping into local talent to impressing clients. Discover all these locations – and more – with Virtual HQ.

Use our data for your own research below!