10 steps to getting your clients to take your home business serious.

If you would like to make the most out of your business.

It is important that you invest in your reputation, which will turn out to be one of your main assets later.

 

There are plenty of reasons why clients and potential customers might think that they can’t trust you, or that you are too small to manage their orders.

 

Below you will find a few tips on how to get people to take your home business serious, even if you are working from your back bedroom and have no staff.

Steps To Take

1- Professional Logo

The first thing you will need to be taken seriously and to improve your image and brand visibility is to get a logo.

 

Unfortunately, there are many people thinking that a minimalist, low-resolution logo will be enough for their business.

So they use graphic design tools that will make them look cheap.

Unfortunately, getting a professional logo is an investment you can’t evade.

You will need to talk to a professional designer who will create a transparent logo in a vector format, so you can improve your image and use the same image for various platforms.

You can also invest as little as $5 on a freelance platform like fiverr to get your logo.

 

2-Mailing address

To be credible and build trust in your business, you will need to give your potential clients a way of contacting you.

Of course, you will not want to put your home address on business correspondence and let everyone know that you are working from your spare bedroom.

Instead, you can sign up for mailing address solutions at local business centers.

So you get your letters and invoices delivered to the reception, and can pick them up or get them posted without your clients finding out that you are smaller than you appear to be.

 

3-Dedicated Phone line

One of the mistakes startup entrepreneurs make is that they use their personal cell phone or home line to conduct business.

This is certainly not the way you would like to go.

Getting a dedicated phone line for your business will help you separate your personallife from your business life

 

 

4-Accreditation

It doesn’t  matter if you are a dog trainer or would like to become a small business accountant.

Your accreditation status will convince your potential clients that you are able to do their work according to their expectations.

You might choose to join industry organizations.

Or simply get a formal accreditation and display your status on your social media pages and website.

You can also include it as part of your signature in your correspondence to gain the trust of your audience.

 

5-Qualifications

There are so many so-called experts out there, and if you would like to stand out, you will need to invest in your education and qualifications.

You would not allow a newbie surgeon to operate on you

So why will you expect your customers to trust your word that you know what you are talking about and what you are doing.

There are plenty of accredited courses you can enroll online in various industries, so you can improve your skills and reputation.

 

6-Case studies

If you want to showcase your results without having to sit down with each potential client, you will need to create case studies.

Or more like success stories – your potential customers can relate to.

This will allow you to convince your website visitors to trust you without having to do their research and ask people for recommendations.

You can make your case studies relatable to your target customers’ problems and questions.

Another option is to have testimonials from people you have helped, run on your website to show credibility.

7-Focus on security

One of the things you will need to provide on your website is privacy and security.

If you collect client information, you will need to have a valid privacy policy on your site that will allow you to make the most out of your services without compromising sensitive information.

You might want to look into cyber security solutions for businesses so you can find the one that suits your budget and your preferences.

Just because you are running a one-man band, you don’t have to compromise on customer data protection and the security of your site.

 

8-Consistency

When you start your business, you will need to make the most out of your brand visibility.

You have to pick your brand colors, your unique selling proposition, and your marketing messages that are relevant to your clients’ needs.

It might also be a good idea to create a social media marketing calendar that will allow you to send out consistent branding and marketing messages.

So as to make the most out of your reach and brand visibility.  

 

9-Reputation Management

Once you are established in the marketplace, you will need to actively manage your reputation.

This involves monitoring your reviews and signing up for a Google Alert for your business name and industry.

Respond to all the comments submitted on your blog and social media posts, and be as helpful as possible.

 Communicate the values you provide for your potential clients, so you can preserve your most important asset; your business reputation.

 

10-Clear pricing

Most people browsing the internet today want to know exactly how much they are going to pay for what they need.

They often compare prices.

If you make them get in touch before they can get a quote, you will be disadvantaging yourself and reduce your conversion rates.

Instead of making them take the first step, ask them to submit their request.

After all, you will need to provide the best personalized service possible to win clients in a competitive marketplace and appear professional.

 

Conclusion

Running a home business, sometimes makes you feel small.

Instead of belittling your brand, you will need to focus on looking and acting professional, gaining trust and managing your reputation.

To make your clients take you seriously, you will need to appear serious.

Branding is an important part of your corporate communication strategy, even if you are a small business owner.