Advancing technology and the internet being so accessible has lead to a boom in small businesses. These are people who have escaped the rat race to pursue their own venture, and put their time, effort and passion into something meaningful to them. Small businesses mean everything to those who run them, and if you have one yourself you’ll know how important it is to make it a success. Chances are your business is your entire income, you might have poured your life savings into getting it set up. Small businesses have big dreams, and in many cases failure simply isn’t an option. If you want to improve your chances of doing well both now and in the future, one thing you can do is ensure you’re portraying a professional impression. Here are some of the ways you can go about it.
Invest in a Business Email, Phone Number and Address
A non- business email, phone number and address will be a dead giveaway that you’re running your business from home. While this isn’t always a bad thing, sometimes it’s worth giving the impression that you’re a bigger operation as this can build people’s confidence in you. When you’re having your website designed, pay for the additional business email address to go along with it. Invest in a business phone number instead of using a mobile and you could even use a ‘physical address.’ These are mail forwarding addresses, if customers or clients want to send you mail or search your premises on Google street view then they will see an impressive looking office building. Your mail is sent here, and then forwarded on to you via post or email. Some mail forwarding companies can even filter out your junk mail for you, saving you a tedious job.
Write A Blog
Writing a blog for your business can help you to build an audience, and also grow your customer base. It shows potential customers that you’re knowledgeable and know what you’re talking about in the field of your business- for example, if you sell clothes your blog could include things like styling tips and well researched fashion trends. Your blog can be integrated into your website, meaning the traffic it gets can also boost the domain authority of your website. It can bump it up in search engine rankings, and of course the higher up you are in search results, the more organic traffic you’re likely to get. Having a blog with a significant archive shows you’ve been around for a while and you’re here to stay. It shows that you put time, effort and research into your business, and can generally give your business that professional edge to help you stand out from your competition and impress customers and clients.
Outsource
You might think outsourcing is something that only larger companies take advantage of, but it’s actually well worth doing in your small business. When you’re a smaller operation, chances are you’re working alone and this can be very tiring and leave you with lots of jobs to do every day. When you outsource, not only are you ensuring that each task is done to the best standard but you can expand your business without having to move into larger premises or hire people yourself. This makes things much more practical in terms of space and also for things like tax purposes as you’re still a sole trader. Another way you can prevent working yourself to the bone is by having your own software created, top software development companies can create something just for you. While this is an initial cost getting set up, overall it can save you massively on time and money. It can automate tasks and make your work far more accurate and efficient.
Build Up Customer Reviews
One of the biggest challenges as a small business is to get a customer to place their first order with you. People can be dubious of trying new places which is why customers love brands and established stores as they know they’ll get good service and a quality product. One way you can get them off the fence is by having good reviews, when people check them and they can see that others have had a good experience, they’re far more likely to put their trust in you. Send some polite follow up emails after customers transactions asking if they would be happy to write you a review. Many will if you ask, and it can make such a difference to your reputation and therefore sales.
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