Running a business from home is easier than ever and you no longer need to invest a huge amount of money in a startup. That means more people get to realize their dream of running their own company, and it also makes it easier for people to fit their business around other commitments like their family. But it’s not all good news and there are some downsides to running a business from your home. Some people aren’t put off by the idea of a home based business but a lot of customers assume that it means you’re not as professional or well equipped as a larger business and that can affect your sales. Whether it’s true or not, the way that potential customers perceive your business has a big impact so you need to do something about it. The thing is, you don’t actually need to be a large business, you just need to look and sound like one and your customers won’t know the difference. These are some of the best ways to make your business appear larger than it is and beat the stigma of the home based business.
Get A New Phone Number
If you’re using a standard landline number or a mobile number, it doesn’t look that professional. Customers also have to pay to call you, which they’re not going to be too happy about considering most companies have a toll free number. If you want to instantly make yourself look more professional, you should pay for your own toll free number. As soon as somebody sees 0800 or 888, they’ll assume that you’re a well established company with a team manning the phones, even if those calls are just being rerouted to your normal landline. You should also add a phone menu system as well because, even though people sometimes get frustrated with them, it gives the impression that you have a high volume of calls coming in. It also helps to manage your phone calls if you are busy, so it’s worth investing in.
Get A Virtual Address
The address is the biggest giveaway and if customers see that your business address is also a home address, that might put them off. You could hire out an office but that’s a major expense, especially if you don’t actually need one. Instead of hiring an office, you should just get a virtual address instead. If you’re looking for a virtual office address yourvirtualofficelondon.co.uk is the best place to go. You can get an address at a professional office where you can receive mail so it appears to customers that you operate out of a large office, rather than the front room of your house. All of your mail will simply be passed on to you so it isn’t any extra work on your end, but it makes a big difference to your business image.
Social Media
Your online presence has a big part to play in how customers view your business so it’s important that you conduct yourself in the right way on social media. The main thing that you need to focus on is consistency. If your account appears as if it’s just one person making random posts about the business once or twice a day, that doesn’t give the impression of a large professional company. You need to remain consistent in tone throughout and put together a clear plan for your posts so you can maintain the illusion that your social media page is being run by a marketing team. Consistency on social media is one of the best ways to build social proof for your business so it should always be a priority. Make sure that you’re thinking through your posts properly and use scheduling tools so they always go out at the same time each day.
Don’t Use Titles On Business Cards
Most people put their title on their business card but that isn’t a good idea if you’re a home based business. If you have CEO, marketing manager, customer service representative, sales manager, and accountant all listed next to your name, you’re just letting people know that you run the business on your own. It’s also very messy which isn’t ideal for a business card design. It’s far better just to leave the titles off and then you can introduce yourself however you like. That way, you can give the impression that you’re just an employee of the company if you need to or you can act as the owner and CEO when appropriate.
These simple changes can give the impression that your business is much larger than it actually is and that should help to boost sales.
Nb. Collaborative post.
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