O.K. You have your business plan and marketing plan in hand, you know what you’re going to sell and for how much and all your recordkeeping is in place. Now what?
Before you ever take your first order, it’s a good idea to develop your business sense. Whenever you are in business mode, you want to sound like you’re a seasoned pro, not a new business.
Here are some basic tips for running a home-based business that looks, sounds and acts like a multi-million corporation.
1. Get your elevator speech in order. The elevator speech is a two-minute or less summary of your business. It should clearly tell someone what you do, what is unique about your business and why someone would want to be your customer. Practice this so that it flows out of your mouth easily. When someone asks you about your business, deliver the elevator speech and wow them. It makes you sound like you’re an experienced businessperson instead of a stuttering beginner.
2. Get business cards and stationery. Nothing screams hobby business more than ink-jet business cards and poorly printed letterhead. Stick with a simple one or two color card and get them printed by a real printer – they are fairly inexpensive. There are many ready-made templates you can use these days that are attractive and professional, including those on the Internet and Microsoft Word.
3. Make sure your website address is on everything. It’s amazing how many businesses fail to put their web address on their letterhead, business cards and advertising. This would be akin to having a bricks and mortar store and not including your street address in your ads.
4. Get a dedicated business line. Your home phone may be fine for friends and family to use. But a customer should never hear a personal greeting when they need to leave a message. A dedicated business line is essential if you’re taking orders or talking to customers. It can also double as your fax line. An added benefit: Having a business line gets you a listing in the phone book white and yellow pages. The other option is to get a business cell phone and have a toll-free line forwarded to it. This way you can receive calls wherever you are. Many clients appreciate the accessibility and it frees you up to do errands without interrupting your business.