If your small business or sole proprietorship feels like it is being dwarfed by big competitors, take heart. Even the largest companies had to start somewhere. Have faith that you will grow, and in the meantime take some steps to make your small business seem bigger.
Impressive Address
Your firm may benefit from a prestigious ZIP code; if so it may be worthwhile to rent a nice office space in a prime location. The lease may be pricey but you may be able to share the space with another entrepreneur; for instance, you book appointments Monday, Tuesday and Friday mornings and pay only half the rent. Mobile businesses or those who offer online services can secure a private mailbox for the occasions when they need a mailing address. Unlike a box at the U.S. Post Office, private boxes appear to be physical street addresses, so even if you can’t afford to do business from a fancy Madison Avenue office it can seem like you do.
Constant Availability
You want to give the impression that you have staff, even if you don’t. That doesn’t require lying, just implying. Using an answering service lets potential clients connect with a live person, showing you prioritize your customers and will be there for them when they need you. Email addresses should be [email protected]. Using just your first name makes the company seem small, as if you don’t expect to ever have two employees named Ryan. Avoid the free email addresses, too, such as [email protected]. Most importantly, always return messages promptly.
Professional Website
A professional website designer can help you make the best impression; remember the website is the first contact most people will have with your company so you don’t want the site to look like it was created by your teenage nephew. Once the site is created, it needs to be continually updated or it will become stagnant. Keep it fresh. Let potential clients know your business means business.
Social Media Presence
Post content on three social media platforms that all link to your site. Photosites are great for frequent short posts; a cute puppy or beautiful sunset shot doesn’t require much effort or captioning yet sharing it can keep you at the top of followers’ minds. Videos are especially powerful. Informative videos can help you position yourself as an expert in your field so be sure to post five quality videos to start and add another regularly until you have built up a dozen. When viewers are watching one of your videos you want them to see more of your videos queueing up on the right side of the screen.