One of the biggest challenges for many small entrepreneurs is conveying an image of professionalism. Selling a service when you have no actual business location or business phone can be a tough proposition. Clients will naturally tend to gravitate towards businesses that look like they’re well established, and this can be tough to do when you have limited means and no space, but it’s still possible. Here are some ways you could make your small independent startup look more professional.
Get a 1-800 Number
Few things will make you look as professional as having a 1-800 number right at the top of your website. This will automatically reassure anyone who wants to work with you and give them the impression that they can get to you at any time. But you do have to be sure to offer top-notch service when people call, or it will defeat the whole purpose.
You could get a 1-800 number and have the calls rerouted to you or hire a team. A lot of 1-800 number services will give you access to a support team that you can train. It is up to you to see what the best option would be.
Get a Virtual Mailbox
Putting your home address as your official address has many drawbacks. First of all, not everyone wants their clients to know where they live or to make their address public. That’s number one. But it would also be better to use an address that is not residential as people will want to look it up and they might get suspicious when they see a home pop up.
Here, it could be a better idea to have a virtual mail address with a PO box or one that will point to a commercial building. You could get an online mail address from a service like PhysicalAddress that will make your business look much more legit and allow you to access your mail from anywhere. This, coupled with a professional business number will give the impression that you’re operating from an office, which will make a world of difference when closing deals.
Get a Real Website
If you have a Squarespace or Wix website or you had it built by someone on Fiverr, you can’t expect it and your business to look professional. You have to invest at least $1200 to $1500 on a real website. Make sure that you use professional pictures too as stock photos could send red flags flying.
Get Uniforms
You should also get branded uniforms or at least branded pins for you or your team. Even if you’re working alone, it would be wise to invest in branded clothes to make you look more legitimate. A nice, branded polo could be more than enough here depending on the nature of your business.
If you want your startup to look professional and to gain the trust of your prospective clients, you should follow these few tips. Also, make sure that you spend time and money on properly branding yourself through different methods.
