How to make your small business seem bigger
Whether you’re trying to convince an investor to back your business or want to win over clients from a larger competitor, SMEs can sometimes suffer from appearing like small fish in a big pond.
So how do you boost confidence in your service and avoid the hesitation some might feel about working with a new or unknown provider?
Surprisingly, the way you present your business can seriously impact how customers and investors regard it. Here are MCM’s top 5 tips to make your small business appear bigger than it is…
- What’s in a name? While it’s important to reflect your business and what it does, choosing a very specific name can imply you have limited or narrow capabilities, rather than room for growth. Choose a business name which sounds like it has already made some progress, and is on the cusp of expansion. Top tip: Use a name that is capable of being applied to multiple services, or could encompass different functions in the future, to suggest a wide-reaching business.
- Is that name in your email address? You may be a sole trader, but using a personal email address does not suggest professionalism – and may make clients reluctant to send official documents or discuss confidential contracts. Top tip: Arrange a professional email address for you and your employees, either using your website’s domain name, or by subscribing to Office 365.
- How’s your website looking? An outdated site suggests you aren’t bothered about growing beyond your local area – or worse, that you are disreputable. A well-designed site acts like an online shop front to showcase your service or products. Top tip: Working with a web designer is a worthy investment if you can afford it, but you don’t need to break the bank – platforms like WordPress and Wix allow you to create a simple, professional-looking site yourself.
- Talking of tech… A Google search is often the first port of call for potential customers – do you show up on the first page of search results? Making sure you can be found online legitimises your business to searchers. Top tip: Create a Google Business page to ensure your address, logo, official site and opening hours show up immediately when someone looks for you.
- Provide a landline number It’s understandable that if you run a business from home, your mobile phone may be your preferred contact number – but it gives you away as a small-scale business with no physical headquarters. Top tip: Solutions such as One Net Express provide a business landline number for your mobile, and allows multiple numbers to rind the same device.
And finally…
From legally-required insurance policies to sector-specific Business Insurance covers, nothing says amateur like failing to protect your business from legal claims and financial problems. Make sure your protection is complete and up-to-date with individual advice from us on 0161 786 3150!