Easy ways to make your business look more professional

Making your business appear professional is a high priority for most small business owners if you want to be taken seriously. In this blog post I am going to go over some easy ways that can elevate your business without having to hire a brand designer, (shh I probably shouldn’t be telling you any of this.)

1. Get your own website with a personal domain name

I personally don’t think only showcasing your work on platforms such as Instagram, Vimeo or Behance really cut it in todays digital world, you need your own website which you own and have control over.

Now you might want to choose to build your own website on platforms such as square space or wix when your first starting out, there is absolutely no shame in that. However, I would highly recommend investing at least in your own personal domain name and not using the free generated one which comes with the platform.

I would recommend trying to get your business name ending in either .co.uk or .com or both if you can afford it. I personally use GoDaddy to buy my domain names.

If you have some extra cash to invest in your business then I would highly recommend using that to invest in a web developer. Having a sleek, easy to use and unique website should be a big priority. It can make or break whether your business succeeds in such a crowded online world. If you want to contact me about finding a web developer please give me an email [email protected]

2. Set up a business email account

Much like tip 1 setting up your own business email account just makes you look like you’re taking your business seriously. Not only is it more helpful for you to separate your personal and professional life, you have also proven you have invested in your business which give others the confidence to do so too.

Need some design help?

Having your own business email account also stops with any confusion and bypassing any cringey email addresses you came up with when you were 10, yes I’m talking [email protected]

Most website hosts allow you to buy a business email through them so I would look they can provide you.

bypass any cringey email addresses you came up with when you were 10, yes I'm talking [email protected]

Melissa Carne Tweet

3. Invest in professional photography

Having a professional headshot is crucial not only for business owners but anyone with a career. It is so important to have a clear, high definition, well composed head shot that you can pull out and use whenever it is needed, whether that is for a job application, your LinkedIn profile or website.

However, if you do run your own business I would say it might be worth going one step further and having a shoot with a professional photographer so you have a variety of pictures and locations to use over your social media platforms. This will help you to gain the like, know trust factor fundamental to any business.

I highly recommend Rebecca, from Meet the Maker who took some portraits for me last year which I use on my website and social media platforms.

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4. Sometimes it's worth it to go pro

If you share files over the internet all the time like ahem me then it might be worth investing going pro with file sharing platforms such as we transfer, dropbox, google drive or notion. Not only do you reap lots of benefits for paying for these services such as extra storage space, you also can get your own domain names and links to share as well as the ability to add your own branding.

5. Get a P.O box

If you send items back and forth with your clients or customers it might be worth getting a P.O. Box, not only does this separate you personal and professional life but it can help make your home address private and secure.

Another advantage of having a P.O box is that you can buy them anywhere. This can help make your business appear bigger or more global than you actually are. I know a lot of business that buy P.O Boxes in London or New York because it makes them look as if they’re actually based there and so they get bigger and better clients from those areas.

Personally I feel this is a delicate line to walk on and if you have clients contact you from those locations you need to therefore be willing to travel to them for meetings.

6. Look the part

If you do have any business meetings or networking events whether that is face to face or over zoom, it is always best practice to look the part. That doesn’t always mean wearing a stuffy boring suit, it can just be wearing something a little bit more representational of you and the services you offer. If you’re a creative dress that way, if you have some brand colours you use then buy a shirt in that colour. It can be as simple as adding some jazzy homemade earrings that you have made to showcase your hand crafting skills.

7. On brand business collateral

Having all your the documents that you use for your business on a regular basis, whether that is invoices, contracts, presentation docks or business cards being on brand is best practice.

Confused on how to go about this? Give me an email at [email protected]

summary

I hope that your learned some easy ways to make your business look more professional and that this blog post was informative and actionable. If you enjoyed it why not check out my other blog posts which are for startup and small business owners.

I think they main thing to take aways is that with all of these tips the more you think of your customers journey and all their touch points with your business, the better, more conscience and professional you look.