A primary business location is the location of the central operation that houses the executive offices of a company.
A primary business location is the location of the central operation that houses the executive offices of a company. Also known as the headquarters, the facility is also likely to be the location of accounting and other key functions important to the continued operation of the business. The headquarters location may be situated away from, or shared with, the manufacturing or production facilities operated by the corporation.
The head office location may be located away from, or shared with, the manufacturing or production facilities operated by the corporation.
Depending on the structure of the corporation, several key functions may be located at the main place of business. Along with executive offices, it is not uncommon for national directors or managers to also be located at headquarters. These directors coordinate the efforts of staff working in local offices or on the factory floor, providing a structured line of communication from the local level to the business operations center. This organizational approach can help maintain consistency in how the various company policies and procedures are implemented across all company units.
Another key function of the company, often based outside of the main business location, is the management of the company’s sales efforts. A director coordinates sales efforts with the help of a team of sales managers who oversee various geographic sales territories as defined by the parent company. Communication can flow from the director to each territory manager, who, in turn, passes the communication on to local sales supervisors and, ultimately, to each sales professional currently employed by the company. This framework makes it relatively easy to determine the current status of the overall sales effort, including areas that are generating sales above projected values and areas that are not performing to standards.
The principal place of business is also often the clearinghouse for investor information. This role is typically managed under the direction of a corporate finance director or chief financial officer. To compile financial data for presentation to investors, the director is likely to have a finance team located at the corporate office. The team constantly collects data from their counterparts in other locations in the company, ensuring that the data held at headquarters is always up to date.
In most countries, the principal place of business also serves as the principal business address. The headquarters location is included in all legal documents related to incorporation, including the local business license, articles of incorporation, and any other documents that need to be filed with local or state authorities. In the event of a change in company structure that requires the relocation of the principal place of business, all documents must be updated to reflect the change.