Some customers are wary of dealing with a business that has just started out. They think that you don’t have the expertise that your larger rivals do and you won’t be able to offer the quality that they can. You know that isn’t true but it doesn’t matter what you think, it’s the customer that’s important after all. There is a simple way around this problem though. Just make the customers think that you’re bigger than you are. Image is everything and they won’t know any different. If you’re struggling with perceptions of your company, here are a few simple ways to make yo
Virtual Address
The address is one of the biggest hurdles that home businesses face. It puts people off if the address you give them is a residential one rather than an office building. But there’s a solution to that problem. Companies like physicaladdress offer a service that allows you to rent a mailbox at a location that sounds more professional than your home. They then take the post, scan it in and send it across digitally. So, you can make customers think they are dealing with a business that operates out of a large office, even though it’s just you and your computer at home.
Website
The website is one of the biggest giveaways when it comes to home businesses. Companies that haven’t invested much in their site will stick out like a sore thumb when compared with the slick websites of their larger competitors. You don’t necessarily need to spend more money on it, but you need to try to emulate the style of larger companies. Website trends at the moment are leaning toward simplistic designs with easy to use interfaces. A website that’s crowded or hard to use suggest a small and inexperienced company.
Business Cards
Anybody can get business cards printed very cheaply, but they still give a distinct impression about your company. As soon as you give a customer a business card, they’ll immediately think that you’re a well established company. It’s probably the simplest way to give yourself a bit more credibility.
Register As A Company
This is another simple thing that anybody can do, but it makes all of the difference. If customers can’t find you registered as a proper company, they’ll be a bit hesitant about dealing with you. In most countries, it can be done quickly and easily online, and it doesn’t cost you anything so there’s no reason not to do it. You’ll have to do it once you expand anyway so you may as well do it right away.
Dedicated Phone Line
If a customer calls you up and one of your kids answers, it doesn’t exactly look professional. Having a mobile number is also sometimes a turn off. If you get a dedicated landline phone number that you only use for the business, the customer doesn’t realize that they are just ringing you at home, and they don’t have to. Setting up an automated message also lends you more credibility.
All of these tiny changes add up to give the impression that your home business is a large enterprise that customers are more likely to deal with.
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