Any business in Singapore is a thrilling one to start. The red tape, not so much. And prices of offices to rent? Those are able to kill a good idea before it can even lift off the ground. Find this!

This is what entrepreneurs already understand: you do not have to have four walls and a fulltime receptionist to look legitimate. You only have to have the proper address on your name card.

Virtual offices have crept in to be one of the most potent tools that lean businesses can offer in Singapore. Between SGD 50 to SGD 150 per month you receive a recognised address of a business, mail-handling and in most instances a live-call-answering service that answers under your company name in a reputable district. That is less than the majority would spend on a good dinner out.

Another angle worth contemplating is the practical compliance one. All companies incorporated in Singapore must provide an address in Singapore which is registered by ACRA – and the address is published. Your home address is technically acceptable, but it would make it easy to locate your actual home on the Internet. A virtual office does away with that concern, at a low price.

In this city location is not yet dead. There is something in a Tanjong Pagar or Marina Bay address which tells you what to expect before you have even opened your mouth that it tells you of stability, permanence and seriousness. Impression of business can be superficial, yet it is quick to form, and it can be formed even before the first meeting takes place.

One freelance designer made the statement that she could increase her project rates twice by moving to a CBD address. Same work. Same portfolio. Different postcode. Nothing to do with tricks — all the perception does is to construct commercial reality.

The superior virtual offices also have the facility of physical meeting rooms, which can be booked on an hourly basis. Intense need by a client to have a physical location will not see you frantically book a table in a cafe and hope the Wi-Fi connection will be stable.

However, beware of providers who stick additional fees in the fine print. Mail forwarding, call-handling limits, visitor-reception expenses, all this will add up very fast and what may have been a nice base price can be changed to a much different one. Get a complete breakdown of price always before making a commitment.

The other strength is flexibility. Business circumstances change. A virtual office will keep up with your changes, and not tie you down to a lease that is no longer practical.

Existing in the competitive environment of Singapore, established costs are cheaper to look at as compared to being established. Not a loophole, that is leverage.