Did you know almost 70% of American businesses are started at home? Or that more than 600,000 businesses start up every year?
They probably shouldn’t but looks do make a big difference to the way we are perceived. So, with so many businesses out there, how do you stand out and look professional?
If your one of those hundreds of thousands of businesses, here are 5 simple ways to boost your first impressions.
1. Address Your Web Presence
With almost everything being done online these days, it’s important to make sure you look as good online as you do in person. Unless you genuinely have experience and expertise in graphics and web design, hire a professional. It can be a one-off job to get you going, which you can maintain day to day going forward.
2. Have Your Own Domain
If you have your own domain name, when people search for your company online, they can find it easily. If your domain name and your company name don’t match it can be confusing and make alarm bells ring.
Free domain names will usually include the name of the provider, sometimes before your own company. It can make domains long and difficult to remember.
Hopefully, your own company name is short and catchy and will translate into a great domain name, making you look more like a professional business.
3. Dedicated Contact
You’ve probably guessed it by now, your professional business appearance starts long before a customer meets you in person. Just like your domain name, a personal email address or one which doesn’t reflect the company name, or its values can be off-putting and very unprofessional.
If you are using a personal email address, keep it simple and smart. Avoid abbreviation, anything irrelevant to your company, and anything which is rude or offensive.
You can still be fun and humanize your email addresses though. Try things like “hello” instead of “contact”. Get creative!
Make sure your postal address and phone number are also business rather than personal. Don’t answer the phone to potential customers with “what’s up?!”. If you are working from home, consider a P.O box.
4. Professional Workplace
Having a clean and tidy workspace is a must for your own mentality but also to look more professional. Even if you are working from home, if a client wants to video call, they should see a professional setting, not last night’s dinner plates still on the dining room table.
If you have an office or store for customers to visit, consider an office cleaning service to keep it looking professional.
5. Look Professional
If you look more professional, you’ll feel more professional. It will give you and your clients a confidence boost in your abilities and it doesn’t need to be expensive.
A simple shirt and tie, and consistency between employees will make a huge difference. It makes you look coordinated and credible.
Don’t Stop There!
We have loads more business advice on your website, so browse our other articles for more tips and advice on how to look professional and run your business better. Leave us your top tips and experiences in the comments below.
