While owning and running a small business is something to be hugely proud of, there are times when it can pay off to make your SME appear anything but small!
There are positive associations ingrained into our heads about bigger corporations; we tend to trust them more, we’re often willing to spend more money on a service or item from a big business, and we tend to stay more loyal to them. So of course, it goes without saying that as a SME, you might want to emulate a bigger business — you deserve some of that success too!
But how can you get your small business to achieve loyalty and trust like a bigger business? We have some easy tricks for you to try to make your business appear bigger!
1. Professional Website
A professional looking website doesn’t have to be quite as expensive as you might think, but we do suggest going to a professional web designer to get it built. Whether you’re trying to sell goods directly from your website, or promote your services, as a consumer it’s quite clear when a website isn’t built professionally. A low-cost or DIY website might have glitches, there could be spelling mistakes, or it might just look visually unappealing — these can all have negative effects on how seriously your business is taken, and in turn, whether your potential customers are converting.
2. Great Marketing
When business owners hear ‘marketing’ they often panic and think it’s too expensive. But good marketing doesn’t have to be costly. Social media is free to use, and just by taking a look at how others have used social media to promote their businesses, you’ll be able to get some inspiration and some great ideas to start building your own following. Having a social media presence with fairly regular posts can make your business seem more legitimate and trustworthy.
3. Clever Stock Imagery
A common trick used by small business owners is to incorporate stock imagery onto their website or social media. You can find great quality looking stock images for free on sites such as Unsplash. This saves you from having to hire out an expensive photographer, and if you don’t have a huge HQ yet, you can find a relevant image to give your business that bigger corporate feel. Remember, a photo can tell a thousand words, so keep your website text simple and let great imagery do the talking for you!
4. Professional Workwear Clothing
If you’re a business which provides a service, or if you own a retail premises, then workwear clothing is essential for yourself and your staff. In fact, pretty much every business can benefit from workwear. Not only does a uniform make you look more professional, it can also give the impression that your business is part of a much larger chain. Providing your staff with workwear clothing can also instill in them a sense of pride in your business, while also quite cleverly being a walking advertisement as they go about their commute!
5. Contact Details
This may seem a very small, unimportant detail, but the way you present your contact information can actually give away a lot about your business. Small start-ups often use personal looking email addresses which end in @gmail .com or something similar — this can look really unprofessional. So, as soon as your website is up and running, we recommend creating an email address which is formatted @yourwebsiteaddress .com. Why not consider setting up various email addresses to your website domain too? Maybe an info@ for general enquiries, one using your name, and support@ for customer services. Even if you’re the only person managing these inboxes, it can give the impression that you’re a much larger business.
Consider your telephone number too — a mobile number may be most convenient to give out, but it doesn’t scream big business. You can easily purchase a landline number which can be diverted to your mobile phone for convenience.
Running a small business can be tough work, so we hope these tricks and tips have given you some food for thought, and will help your business seem much bigger than it actually is!
