It’s not easy to get a business underway – no matter what your circumstances. But when you’re a small operation, it’s even tougher.
Basically, conquering the world of business can seem like having to overcome a tall mountain with limited supplies.
The general public, for various reasons, tends to have a preference for larger companies.
If you’re a small company and you worry your size is going to work against you, then what do you do?
You need way to obscure your size, and make it seem like you’re much larger than you really are.
Thankfully, doing this doesn’t require that you have a large budget. You just need to get smart, and implement a few ideas.
Below, we take a look at eight that’ll help you achieve this end.
In the digital age, the humble business card might seem to be old-fashioned. Actually, it remains remarkably effective. Indeed, it’s “non-digital” aspect might be its best feature.
In the crowded world of the internet, your business can get lost in the swamp. It’s much more direct when you’re in the pocket of someone who might be interested in using your services. The key point is to make them look stylish, and not give too much away.
You just need to put the essential information on there, style it well, and avoid labeling yourself as the CEO. You don’t want to give away that you’re really the only one behind the scenes. This is specially important if you’re also the one who answers the phones.
Don’t be afraid to work out of your home. Many great companies have begun their life from the basement of a person’s home! Those companies succeeded in spite of their location, not because of it.
You’re not going to be able to afford a plush office in a trendy location. Even if you could, it would be a misuse of funds. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy an enviable location.
You should look at working with a company that offers virtual office space. Your correspondence will arrive there and will then get directed straight to your inbox. Nobody needs to know where you’re really working.
Your address isn’t the only contact information that’s important. In fact, it might be the least important! Most people are going to contact you via telephone or email. If your email address ends in “@gmail.com” or any other non-professional email service, then that’s going to be a big heads up that you’re a small operation.
Instead, make it something like “hello@yourbusinesswebsite.
Invest in a phone answering service. It will be highly affordable plus give your business a professional edge.
You are but one player in your business. You are not THE business.
Your business should be able to stand on its own, independent of who’s pulling the strings behind the scenes.
With this in mind, it’s important to avoid making your business all about you. Instead focus on your services and the image that you’re trying to project.
If you have a strong brand identity, then people aren’t going to think you’re a small business. They won’t think of your size at all. In fact – they’ll just know that you’re a professional outfit.
If you do not have money in the budget to hire an employee, that doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself. The large companies have access to the best talent. You can too.
Outsource some of your more specialized (and also repetitive) tasks to third-party companies. You’ll be able to receive the best work.
However, to lighten the load on your end, using administrative software that helps you optimize your productivity is a great addition. This is often how public sector organizations work, with tenders for certain tasps, but perhaps ERP for public sector utilities to better manage their department and collate their projects.
Plus, you’ll get the bonus of freeing up time to work on growing your business.
Some quick examples of tasks you can outsource include: your accounting, legal, and marketing duties.
Know this now: If there’s something that needs to be done, there’ll be a company willing to do it for you.
Some solo entrepreneurs go to great lengths to act larger than they are. Afterwards they undo all of their good work by having a website that looks like it was designed sometime in the early 2000s.
While you don’t need to have a hyper-modern website, you do need to have one that’s at least on par with other modern businesses.
Websites can be expensive, but they don’t need to be.
In any case, having a website that looks like you did it yourself will not inspire people to think you’re large!
What does it mean to be big? Is it about how many staff you have, or how much revenue your company makes?
Well, sure…but if those things are beyond you, then that doesn’t mean you need to place yourself in second position.
There’s no monopoly on ideas. Write blogs and become a commentator for issues affecting your industry. In the process you’ll be showing the world that it’s not important how small you are now. It’s more important where you’re going.
You should consider incorporating some of the basic ideas of the large companies, and brainstorm how they approach the business world. They’re always pushing things forward, and trying new things.
There’s no amount of money you need to have in the bank to bring your ideas to life. Small companies can still think big.
Don’t see yourself as a small business, even if you are one. That mentality will ensure you stay there forever. See yourself as someone who is just getting started. You never know where you’re going to end up.
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