Professional Home Business
Working from home can create a stigma that your company is less than
professional. You know that you offer quality products and/or services but how
do make sure your image conveys this fact?
Some of the basics that will
ensure you keep a professional image for your home based business are simple,
affordable, and easy to implement.
You main points of contact to your
market is your web presence and your telephone or fax. Focusing on these first
will communicate professionalism first. It’s very difficult for a client to
overcome sloppy presentation in the area of communication.
Your web
presence should be clean, organized, and professional developed. Don’t use a
basic template for a website. You can get a custom business page for around
$400; make the investment. Don’t forget about your checkout features; they are
very critical to success.
Don’t use your main home line as a business
line. Spend the extra money and install a secondary land line or a VoIP line in
your home. Nothing speaks ‘fly-by-night’ like having everyone in the house
answering your phone.
If you have children, be sure you don’t answer the
phone in their presence. A crying baby doesn’t give peace of mind to a client
needing consulting on their finances.
Connect a voicemail service that
has mailboxes for different requests. You can have a menu option for sales,
shipping, or different consulting areas. This may seem silly for one person to
have two or three voicemail boxes, but this will make your company seem
organized and larger than it may really be.
A fax line is essential. If
you have to get off your phone and plug in your fax machine, go ahead and stamp
something besides success on your business. An online fax service or either
another line for faxing is almost required. You don’t want people to have to
contact you before sending a fax. Sometimes fax services can be provided by
your voicemail service.
These several areas will begin your launch to a
professional image. Take heed and make these changes quickly and you’ll be
please with your reputation as a professional.