Bigger is not always better. This is especially true in some business situations, where being the small business might actually give you more leverage in terms of efficiency and customer appeal. However, in other cases, being a larger and more established business might actually win over the hearts of more potential buyers and is therefore the more lucrative of strategies.
In either case, building a strong personal brand will play a major role in establishing the credibility of your business. First impressions are crucial and in this tech savvy day in age, we are reminded every day that customers tend to be all the more visually-influenced. That being said, from your website to business card, as well as a storefront, maintaining a strategically selected image is absolutely necessary in making your business appear more established.
From the moment that a customer walks through the door or shakes your hand, they begin to form opinions about you personally, as well as your brand. A well-established brand is rather noticeable in every instance – it is the reason that we are able to differentiate corporate businesses over mom-and-pop types. It is apparent in every aspect of one vs. the other that one of the businesses has pieced together their identity (perhaps not so thoughtfully) and the other has a streamlined and professional brand.
The good news is that you are in charge of your own destiny when it comes to how well-established your brand comes across. Here are 5 tactics that will legitimately help you to make your business appear much more established, without breaking the bank.
Streamline Your Brand – Visually
The most important factor in streamlining your business’s brand visually is consistency. Regardless of whether or not you are able to afford a professional graphic designer, you must pay close attention to the consistency in the logo that you use – in all areas that you use it. That means being constant with the font and color palette. Keep the logo itself scalable, simple and legible. Take on the “less-is-more” approach, where simplicity will reign supreme. The same holds true for the color palette – choose no more than 3 primary brand colors and stick to them. Following these simple and general rules will ultimately make your brand more recognizable and even make it easier for clients to remember, should they find themselves looking to promote your services.
Prioritize Your Web Site
Large, successful companies have impressive websites. You can count on the fact that when potential customers want to learn more about you, your business and your services the first place they will go is your website. Your business might be small, but that does not mean that you cannot have a website that makes a positive lasting impression on viewers. In fact, this is exactly what your goal should be in building the website. Avoid amateur mistakes like gaudy colors, horrible imagery, poorly chosen typefaces and confusing diction. While you are at it, make sure that your email address fits the role of a well-established, successful, entrepreneur. Note: individuals who work for large, streamlined organizations do not have free email addresses (i.e. AOL, Gmail or Yahoo).
Integrate New Technologies
One of the most effective ways to make your business more established is to take advantage of new technologies. For example, implementing a Business Phone System integrated with Google Apps for Work in your business, is an excellent way to modernize your phone calls. This type of cloud based phone system replaces your old system and phone hardware with new, technologically advanced software that is built into the Google Cloud Platform. For any business owner looking to:
- Increase accessibility;
- Improve connectivity;
- Boost efficiency; and
- Decrease IT cost.
Then this type of business phone system is the right solution which also include multi-ring features that allow for incoming calls to ring through multiple lines; browser-based access to voice mail and call records; as well as customization on hold music.
Update Your Address
When looking to make your business more established in the marketplace you might consider the address in which you are including on the back of your business cards and on your website. If you have a home based business, it will likely be apparent. Not that home-based businesses are a bad thing, it is just that this does not say much for the weight of your company. That being said, if you are running your business out of your home, you might perhaps consider paying for a P.O. Box address. Doing this will provide a cost-effective and efficient solution to this issue of establishing a credible location.
Stand By Your Brand Values
Part of building a brand and establishing it as a legitimate force in the market, is having set values. In business, the identity of a brand is reinforced by the value that the company itself is attempting to bring to its customers. Your brand’s values should reflect your company’s unique set of passions, principles and views. It should depict the value that you can add to the lives of your customers and reinstate the standards by which your business operates. It should reinforce the set of ethics that influence your work on a daily basis and the morals in which you instill upon your organization (even if it is just you as of now).
The takeaway here is that in order to better establish your business, you must share your perspective with the world. Share it in a unique, tailored and targeted manner that is clearly defined and creatively reinforced. Promote your services in a tasteful and consistent manner, integrate useful technologies that will improve your business efficiency and stay true to your values. Keep these tactics in mind and even if your business is just getting off the ground, it will not appear that way. Invite new business by appearing attractive to your clientele. Create a positive, confident and established appeal for your business and success will find you.
If you have further insight as to helpful ways to make a business appear more established, then please share. We would love to hear your input!
