If you have you own business that’s relatively new, there will come a time when you need to invest in some office space. But with a new business, a full-time office may not be the most prudent option – after all, if you’ve been working without an office just fine, do you really need a full-time space? Plus, a lease is expensive and restrictive; if the office doesn’t work out, a lease will leave you on the hook for a long time.

If this describes your situation, than a virtual office is a great alternative for you. If you’re familiar with virtual offices, you know how they can offer the same services as a full-time office. But not all virtual offices are created equal: some are much better than others. Here’s how to choose a virtual business address that stands out among the rest:

Look for quality of services

There are some things that come with nearly every virtual business address, like virtual mail service and private offices. But the range of services available can be much broader. Many virtual offices have conference room space available for as-needed rental, and some virtual offices will even have different size conference rooms in the building. You can also find virtual offices that offer virtual assistant services. A virtual assistant is basically a temporary administrative assistant you don’t have to hire. They are employees of the virtual office, but can work for you whenever necessary.

Determine what services you’d like to have, and then choose a virtual office that can meet those needs. Even if you don’t need a particular service now, just having the option to add it down the road can be very helpful.

Find a building you’re proud to call home

If you were looking to rent or buy a home, you’d look for an attractive property, wouldn’t you? Why should it be any different for a virtual office? When choosing a virtual office, make sure the building has a clean and smart look to it. Are the meeting spaces decorated and equipped for presentations? Are the offices quality work spaces?

But it goes beyond merely the appearance of the building – what about the people who work there? Virtual offices almost always have virtual receptionists; is the virtual receptionist polite and professional? Keep in mind that the virtual receptionist will be the first person a customer talks to when they contact your business; don’t you want them to make an excellent first impression?

Find out what others are saying

Just like any other business, a virtual office has past and current customers, and customers always have opinions. Check out the virtual office’s website: are there testimonials from previous customers? Many virtual offices also have Yelp reviews you can look at. As with any customer reviews, they can’t accurately paint the whole picture, but they can give you an idea of the quality of service the virtual office provides.