Home, once the weekday realm of young mothers, children and retirees, has become a serious place to do business. Yet despite the explosion in home-based businesses, there lingers a suspicion that those who work from their house are unequipped to handle the demands of a large account.
Therefore, it's important for the home-based business owner to project a big business image. Following are 10 ways to prove to your clients that location - home or high-rise - has little to do with the service you provide your clients.
1. Look good in person and on paper.
The "dress for success" era of the '80s is over but a well-groomed appearance will never go out of fashion. As a small-business owner, the way you look and behave reflects directly on your company. Dress according to the standards of your industry. When meeting clients, dress as they do. If you're unsure of what to wear, err on the side of conservative.
Pay close attention to your marketing materials and invest in a logo that lends your business the image you seek.
2. Separate your office from family living space.
It's difficult enough to separate home from work when both are conducted under the same roof - nearly impossible when there isn't a clear physical boundary between the two. If you don't have a separate room to use as an office, consider a corner of the basement or your bedroom or convert a closet, if it's large enough and if you can live without the storage space.
3. Use voice mail over answering machines.
Not only does voice mail sound more professional than an answering machine, but it ensures against callers receiving a busy signal. Voice mail also offers multiple mailboxes. We advice against using your personal home line for business. A dedicated line (off-limits to family members) is better for your business and will help you separate work from home.
4. Invest in mulit-functioning marketing pieces.
You've heard it before: don't print a brochure, use a promotional kit instead. Include a list of services, price list, bios of company principals, company background and anything else that helps you describe what you do. Customize your promotional kit according to the target audience.
5. Involve yourself in your marketing efforts.
Appear in your own advertisements, hit the speaking circuit, write a regular column for the local newspaper or a trade journal, offer yourself as a guest on radio or cable television shows. People are more likely to remember the name of companies that have a human face attached.
6. Publish or perish.
Publish a newsletter for your customers and prospects. Make it a keeper by including interesting and informative articles and other items that people are not likely to get anywhere else.
7. Communicate the way your customer likes to communicate.
E-mail, fax, voice mail, letter, sales call -- they name it -- you do it.
8. Establish and maintain a Web presence.
Everybody's got one, so make yours memorable. Colorful graphics and flashy animations are nice, but don't forget, clients visit your Web site for information, not entertainment. Change and update the content regularly and include items such as: customer testimonials, a customer survey with an incentive to fill it out and articles that you've written. Also use your site to discussions on topics related to your industry.
9. Celebrate unconventional holidays.
Forget about the holiday cards in December, they'll get lost in the deluge. Instead send out sparklers on the Fourth of July; clovers on St. Patrick's Day; or heart stickers on Feb. 14. If you can't find a holiday related to your business, invent one!
10. Host a public event.
Sponsor a Chamber of Commerce meeting in your area or present a workshop through a local adult education program. Have a professional head shot taken and use this in your pre-event marketing. Research has shown that people are more likely to read something that includes a photograph.
When you use big ideas to market your business, you send a clear signal to your clients that you mean business.
