Freelancers and small business owners are flexible by nature, meaning they often work from home, bounce between coffee shops, or balance their work with other commitments.
Your clients work with you because they trust you and value what you do, but they don’t necessarily need to know all the ins and outs of how you make that happen. Working for yourself can mean creating a little bit of harmless smoke and mirrors when you talk to clients and customers, e.g. not telling the people you’re on a conference call with that you’re currently feeding the cat.
Here are some simple ways to make sure your small business looks like a super slick operation, no matter what its size.
Create a website any big business would be proud of
Your website can be exactly what you want it to be. With website building tools and templates, like Wix and Squarespace, it’s really easy to drag and drop your way to a professional, stylish website.
Whatever your sector, colour scheme, content, or branding, you can put together a site that looks clean, smart, and fit for purpose.
How to pull it off: Steer clear of stock image people, they don’t look real. Abstract images without faces or distinguishing features are a lot more stylish.
Choose your language carefully
It’s obviously a bad idea to pretend you’ve got a huge team of people, because your clients will start to have unrealistic expectations. However, if you’re trying to create an image of reliability and professionalism, the way you word your communication can hide the reality of working for yourself without being dishonest.
Knowing you work from home or a co-working space can affect how some clients view you. Your work will speak for itself, but your own behaviour can help make sure they take you seriously.
How to pull it off: If you work from home, or balance your business with childcare, your clients don’t need to know. Doing the school run? Tell them you’re in a meeting and will get back to them later.
Pick meeting places that are a good fit
The meeting spot you choose is influential. It tells your clients what kind of person you are, and what to expect, before you even meet them. If it’s a casual meeting, or you already know them quite well, a quiet coffee shop is perfect. If you need to impress, that’s when you roll out the bigger, more impressive locations. Think nice restaurant or a hotel bar.
How to pull it off: Wherever you choose, make sure you think about your own comfort just as much as the client’s. If you feel out of place in a fancy setting, you won’t be on top form.
Create a professional Skype backdrop
If your meetings are more likely to be virtual than IRL, your video chat backdrop should either be plain and unremarkable or flattering.
Try not to have business conversations with a pile of laundry in the background. Bookshelves, or just a nice shot of your carefully chosen wallpaper, are human and a natural without being distracting.
How to pull it off: Choose a spot in your home or office that’s free of mess and full of light.
It never hurts to look professional. One of the great things about freelancing and flexible working is its lack of limits, so you can work anywhere and do anything. Whatever your process, these tips will help reassure clients you’ve got things under control.
Solna can help you create professional invoices in a flash and send automatic reminders that get you paid faster. Best of all, it’s completely free.
Do more of what you love and less of what you don’t. Get started now.
in LND