Today's tip: Always read the small print 1 (bad news)

My subcontract work has gone from being regular to ad-hoc.

That's one reason why I've decided it's time to bite the bullet and set up my own accountancy practice, so I can have my own accounts and tax clients as well as making videos. Which in turn means filling in a lot of forms. Including applying to the ICAEW for a Practising Certificate without which I can't take on any paying clients.

I wanted to have a nice snappy virtual office address (because I work from home) and move my company's registered office address there. I found a business centre local to me, which offers virtual office services, and asked them if that was OK. They said yes, and promised to put the forms in "tonight's post".

That was Tuesday. The forms arrived today. And the postmark was yesterday (Thursday). Black mark.

And when I read the small print, not only were they asking for references from a previous landlord and from the bank (for £30 a month - I ask you!), but it said "thou shalt not use our address for thy registered office".

I rang to ask.

They checked and said it's illegal to use a virtual office as a company's registered office.

I didn't know that. Thankfully I found out before paying any money over. But I wish they'd checked when I first asked :-)