You may run a small business, but there are a few ways to make it look larger than it actually is in the eyes of your potential customers. Whether you have 5 or 50 employees, your business can be professional and even compete with much larger companies. Operations, aesthetics, and professionalism are key to landing larger clients. The goal is to get your small business to look more like the big businesses you want to reach.
Polish your Website
In our tech savvy world potential clients will do research and visit your website. If your website is subpar, invest in some professional web design to kick it up a notch. An amateur website reflects an amateur company. If you’re not a great writer, hire a professional content writer to add good quality content for your site visitors to read.
Use Big Numbers
There are times in business when changing or increasing numbers is completely ethical. No, you can’t increase the number of years you have been in business or your annual revenue, but you can change numbers on quotes or invoices. If you send a potential client an invoice with ‘Invoice #24’ on the top of the page, it may look like you haven’t been in business very long. Simply changing the number to 10024, for example, makes it look like you have had many other clients already.
Phone Systems
Even if your business only has a handful of employees or is even a one man show, a professional business phone system can give clients a good first impression. For only pennies a day, virtual office phone services can set your business up with things like unlimited extensions, an audio menu to direct callers to the correct extension, and a toll free number. These phone service options can make your small business seem larger and more credible.
Create Branding
If you look at a larger company, you will find that their logo and marketing are always consistent. As you market your business, be consistent in all marketing material when it comes to your logo, font, color scheme, and wording. If you are consistent, you will be more memorable and professional.
In addition, hiring a professional designer for your logo, letterhead, business cards, etc. can go a long way. This will give your company a professional, polished look rather than a homemade, cheap vibe. Investing in professional design is worth the money.
Join the Social Network
If potential and current clients see that you are an active figure on social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, your company will appear larger. Create accounts on social networking sites for your business. Update them often to keep your business active in the minds of all your followers.
Rent a Virtual Office
If your business is run out of your basement or garage, a virtual business address can be a huge benefit when it comes to looking bigger than you are. Many office parks provide virtual addresses. You can also rent out conference rooms for meeting with clients. This is a much better option than hosting a business meeting in your garage between the lawn mower and minivan.
Kevin Schweizer runs his own small side business and is the Online Marketing Manager for Phone.com – business phone systems at affordable prices.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.com
