Article Contributed by Darcie Hewitt-Dudding
While you don’t want to over step the mark and get too big for your boots, looking and acting professional can really make your business more visible, more credible, and more likely to generate leads for more business. It will affect everyone who interacts with your business as well as the way you feel about it too.
The Office Space
If you can afford office space, then you should definitely invest. Not only will having a business address look good from the outside, but you will feel more like a business if you have to travel to work every day, have somewhere to take meetings and take phone calls without the awkwardness of a home office.
That said, if you can’t afford a proper office space then there are still options. All over the country there are office incubation spaces that offer subsidised, shared office space that allow you to bounce ideas off other people, get help and advice and capitalise on potential collaborations.
If a home office is the only option for you, make sure that you have a dedicated space that you treat the same way as rented office space. Make it your first goal to get your own office.
The Website
This is probably the first point of contact for most of your potential customers, so make it good. Own your own domain and purchase a starter website that’s easy to customise so you can make it look professional.
The Email
A business email should end with the business email, and not a free email account. Set up a professional mailbox with the same name as your website. Make sure you create a signature with your full name, business title, company name, and logo and contact details.
The Phone
Whether you’ve got a home office or a rented space, a private phone line is essential. You don’t want your five year old answering the phone to a potential client. Ensure that your answer machine message is clear and professional too, stating who you are and what details they need to leave and how long it might take you to get back to them. When you answer the phone, don’t be chewing, eating or drinking and be aware of your phone voice and professionalism. The same guidelines go for Skype or video call meetings.
The Stationary
Business cards are essential, but if you’re going to give someone a bent, stained, badly designed piece of card then you might as well have given that potential client or collaborator nothing at all. If design isn’t your thing, hire someone whose thing it is and get them to design an eye-catching business card that will make want people get in contact with you. Make sure your contact details are checked and checked again for accuracy.
If you’re sending out letters, such as invoices or any other correspondence, make sure that it is sent on a company letterhead with up to date contact details.
About the Author
Darcie Hewitt-Dudding writes on behalf of Microcare Systems, a telecoms company dedicated to bringing you the best in communication technology.