Running a business from home is the dream, right? You can avoid the daily commute, save money on certain business overheads, and have the luxury of your home comforts around you.
What’s not to love?
Well, despite the many benefits that can be afforded you, there is one downside. In terms of your credibility as a business owner, you might struggle to get taken seriously. Potential clients might disregard you in favor of the bigger boys in business if they know you’re based at home. As you will understand, this could scupper your attempts to increase your market share in whatever type of industry you are working in.
So, what can be done about this problem? Below are some tips that we hope you find useful.
#1: Professionalize your online presence
If you’re using your personal email address for business communications, you will struggle to be taken seriously. The same applies if your website has been made with a free website builder. This is because the URL will include that company’s name. Potential clients will guess that you are based at home, so do two things.
Firstly, set up an email address for your business, using the name of your brand in the address. Consider paying for a professional email address, as this will instantly improve your credibility.
And secondly, buy a custom domain name for your website. You can check out some of the leading domain hosting companies here.
Wondering why you should seek the help of such companies? These companies usually utilize query/response protocols to check the availability of domain names. This process allows you to identify if your desired domain name is already registered and provides valuable information about current ownership, registration dates, and contact details if needed.
Let’s say you’re starting a business and want to register the domain “xyz.com”. For this, you would need to approach a domain hosting company on the Web. Following this, the company’s system would query the domain name database using whois or a similar query/ response protocol to see if “xyz.com” is already taken.
If the domain is available, you would proceed to register it by providing your contact information, selecting a registration period, and completing the payment. Once registered, you become the owner of “xyz.com”, and your ownership details are recorded in the WHOIS database. You can then manage your domain settings, renew it annually, and update contact information as needed through the registrar’s platform.
#2: Pay for a business address
While email will be your primary form of communication, there might still be instances when you need to receive mail in the post. You might want to include your address on your business cards and company materials too.
Your home address won’t look very professional and your security could be at risk too, especially if you aggravate one of your customers. For both of these reasons, it might be worth hiring the best website builder for small business or paying for a business domain. Clients will think you are based in a business district and not a leafy suburb, and you will be able to secure your privacy too.
Visit physicaladdress.com to find out more.
#3: Streamline your business payment process
Similar to how using your personal email for work can look unprofessional, using your home billing address to receive business payments not only looks unprofessional, it can look untrustworthy. Clients will question why their payments are being billed to someone’s home, so it’s better to use an alternative payment method.
If you’ve been using cheques, cards or even physical cash as your payment method, it’s time to upgrade to the 21st century. Consider ach payments processing solutions, which allows you to debit your customers bank account directly for payment for your goods or services. Not only is this process much simpler, it’s also safer and faster too for both you and your clients.
Additionally, investing in digital wallets like Paze can further enhance your payment processing capabilities. It can provide a secure and convenient way for customers to make payments using their smartphones or other digital devices. With features like contactless payments, instant fund transfers, and the ability to store multiple payment methods, Paze and similar tech solutions can offer a modern solution that meets the growing demand for flexible payment options. If you would like to learn about it in detail, you may look for “paze banks” on the Web.
#4: Have a separate phone number and line for your business
Do you really want a potential client listening to the wacky voicemail you left on your landline phone? Probably not. You probably don’t want your kids picking up the phone either!
To ensure your professionalism, pay for a separate phone number and consider a second phone line too. This might be something you can do with the telephone company you are already using, but there are plenty of companies online that can offer you these services if they don’t. There will be an expense but it’s worth it for the sake of your credibility as a business owner.
#5: Meet clients outside of your home
If you need to have face-to-face meetings with your clients, you should do this outside of your home. Again, this will ensure your privacy, and you will be able to maintain your professional image too. There are bound to be meeting places local to you, such as cafes or restaurants if you opt for a lunch meeting, or rented office rooms if you need privacy.
Finally
Gaining new clients and customers is never easy, and this is especially true for those of us who run our businesses from home. It can be hard to look professional but with the tips we have given you here, this should become less of a problem for you. Keep them in mind, as they will help you compete against those businesses that are bigger than yours.
