As a small business owner, I’m sure you can remember some of the aspects that made your previous employer appear professional. You were given a computer, phones, an email address under the company’s domain, and possibly even business cards. Your employer had a website with its logo and standard operating procedures already in place.

A business to be taken seriously.

What you have established deserves the same respect. However, for some reason, many solo professionals do not apply some of these things to their own businesses.

Whether you are just starting out, or you have been around for a while, there are five steps that you can take to show that you absolutely mean business.

1. Get a professional business card. How many times were you so interested in someone’s products or services that you asked for their business card? When someone is interested in your service or product, there is a thousand percent chance that you will be asked for yours. Please do not hand them a card you printed at home. If you need assistance, find a professional to help you design it with up-to-date information. Make sure it is a nice card stock. Investing in a professional looking business card will make a great impression.

2. Get a business email address. I am not talking about a basic Gmail, AOL, or Yahoo account. If your domain is registered, it’s just a few more steps to use it for your email (you@yourcompany.com) It’s time to move from the yourcompany@gmail.com type of email address. Remember, you mean business.

3. Get a professional headshot. This should be done every couple of years in a professional setting. You will of course use this headshot on your website, bio, newsletters etc. It does not have to be expensive.



4. Be consistent with your look. Anything you show to clients whether it’s presentations or brochures should be consistent. Creating different expressions will make it difficult for you to be recognized. Do not change your colors, fonts, or wording, or the way you describe yourself and what you do.

5. Have great tools. Make sure you have what you need.  A dedicated place to work free of noise and distractions, with a reliable computer and printer is a great start.  Invest in software to assist you in your work as well as for maintaining your own business.

These inexpensive investments will leave the impression that your business is to be taken seriously and that you are the consummate professional.

---

Quote of the day

“The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don’t like to do.” That is a quote from The Common Denominator of Success, by E. M. Gray. This one is pretty self-explanatory. Remember this the next time you do not want to do something. I will do the same. 😉

---

Schedule a free 30-minute consultation

to talk to me about your business