Although more people than ever before are setting up a home-based business, there remain some elements of stigma about it. Whether you’re selling a product in an online store or selling your skills as a freelancer, the chances of success will be far greater if you implement a more professional approach. It might be easier than ever to set up and launch a business from your own home, but the fact is that most small businesses fail within the first five years. The line between success and failure can be slim, but by running your home-based business more professionally, you make it far more likely to be successful. Here’s what you need to know.
Have Professional Business Cards
Your business cards are one of your most valuable tools for word-of-mouth marketing, but they’re often overlooked in the race to get online. Your online presence is going to be vital, of course, but don’t forget classic marketing options. Business cards that you hand out at events or when meeting a potential new client can add a very real touch of professionalism to even the smallest home-based business. Make sure that your business cards have the following basics:
- Your name
- Your job title
- Company name
- Brand logo
- Social media details
The goal should be to make your business cards as memorable as possible, and there is a wide range of guides available that can help you develop the most effective business cards possible. Remember to have some on you wherever you go.
Your Website
Of course, this is going to be one of your most valuable opportunities to showcase your professionalism. A poorly designed website that lacks content or contact details will never fill a potential customer with trust. Smart home-based entrepreneurs will almost always outsource the development of their website. While you’re busy building your customer base, taking the time to learn everything you can about web design is going to take you away from more profitable tasks. Use established experts who offer you a more professional web design Wolverhampton that will establish your credentials on every page. Make sure that you talk through your web design so that you get everything you need to be able to grow your business.
Use Better Images
On your website, your social media pages, and your alternative selling platforms, you should strive to have the most high-quality images at all times. The better your images, the more professional your business will look. If you take photos of your products that are blurred, badly positioned, too dark, or too overexposed, then you will make your business appear amateurish. It screams that you lack the attention to detail that your customers are going to want from you. You could take some time to learn even the basic rules of photography or outsource your image gathering to professional photographers. Many businesses use stock images to improve the look of their website and other online presences, but these can be counterproductive.
Dress for Success
Working from home doesn’t mean that you can sit around in your pajamas all day. If you’re planning to have face-to-face video calls with customers, suppliers, or anyone related to your business, then make sure that you look as professional as possible. Of course, you don’t have to get your suit and tie on every single day, but you should be prepared at all times to take sudden calls. A smart shirt, blouse, or jumper will work wonders and is a lot more effective at showcasing your professionalism than those worn-out pajamas. With more people spending business time on Zoom calls and Google Hangouts than ever, don’t assume that you can get away without shaving or having a shower just because you’re not leaving the house.
Professional Emails
If your business email ends in yahoo.com or gmail.com, then you immediately let people know that you’re not taking your business seriously enough. That will mean that they won’t take you as seriously. Not only is a professional email address useful for your business’s image, but it also tends to be a lot more secure. Make sure that you talk to your web designers so that you know that you can get an email address that matches your domain name. This is very simple to set up, and it doesn’t have to be expensive either. However, it will dramatically enhance your professionalism and could be the deciding factor when a customer wants to spend money with you.
Prompt Invoicing
If customers aren’t paying you, then you probably won’t be in business for very long. Freelance businesses especially need to ensure that they are delivering professional invoices promptly. It’s not just freelancers, though. All of your paperwork needs to be precise, professional and delivered within an acceptable time frame. Look at how fast you get an email invoice when you buy something from Amazon! Use professional invoicing platforms (these often come as part of an accounting software package), which may even allow clients to make payments directly to you from them. Even if your home-based business is offering local services, don’t assume that a hastily scrawled total amount on a scrap piece of paper is going to be sufficient.
Get Social
There’s no disputing that social media is going to be extremely valuable to every home-based business. Unfortunately, too many of those businesses use those platforms in the wrong way. They will spend all of their time posting on Facebook even if their target audience spends more time on Instagram, or they simply treat all of those platforms in the same way. Marketing on TikTok is very different from marketing on Twitter, and what you post should reflect the platform. It’s also common to see small businesses focusing more on getting higher numbers of followers rather than followers of high quality. Getting lots of likes on Facebook is great for your vanity, but if it isn’t leading to more sales, then it is of little to no value.
By following these tips, you will be presenting the best version of yourself and your business. You will be more likely to attract paying customers or get approval for business loans or credit lines. The best thing about these tips is that they take very little time or budget to implement. That means your ROI will be consistent while your profits grow.