Running a business from home can save the small business owner a lot of money in overhead expenses, but home-based businesses often struggle with an image problem and appear less professional or may have less resources for returns or damaged product than a traditional operation with established offices or worksites.
Here are 3 expenses and 1 important activity that a home-based business owner should invest in to make their business look larger and appear more professional:
1. Invest in a dedicated business phone line to be answered in a quiet area.
How you answer your phone—and what clients/prospects hear when they call your business……. makes a huge impression on the caller! A crying child or blaring TV in the background will give the impression of a very informal business operation. Instead, keep a dedicated business line and DON’T answer it unless there is complete silence in the background. Record a very professional-sounding message and call them back immediately once the background noise has been eliminated.
2. Invest in a Professionally designed website and update it frequently.
Your website “IS” the ‘FACE’ of your company. It makes a huge impression on the visitor. Invest the money in a business website that looks professionally designed. Make sure to update the site regularly with new and current information, as nothing looks as amateurish as a site with outdated information. It’s best to have it professionally designed, but if you can’t afford a professional web designer, there are many websites that will help you to cheaply build an attractive site.
3. Invest in an email address with your company’s domain name.
This is a very cheap way to look larger than you are! Never use your personal email address as your business address. It’s much more professional to separate the two!
3. Embrace new technologies.
Technology is changing and improving daily. Make sure to spend at least some time during your week to explore the wide range of new technologies that might streamline or improve your business. Google is an awesome place to just snoop around whenever you have a few minutes to spare during your day.
Here at Denver West Insurance Brokers we can insure any line of small business and are happy to assist in anyway we can.