Whilst many small businesses feel at a disadvantage because of their small size, being small can give you the edge when it comes to offering great customer service and high-quality products or services. However there are times when it can definitely pay to think big so what are the five best ways to create the illusion of being bigger than you really are?
Re-think your business name
First things first and the best place to start is to carefully consider the name of your business. Now changing the name of a business is something that should be taken lightly as the knock-on effect on your hard-won reputation can prove to be very serious. However, if your business name does little but shout ‘small local firm’, this could easily put the brakes on any plans for expansion you may have. A word of caution here: the easy part is changing the name of your business but things can become a little trickier when it comes to retaining the loyalty of your existing customers. Whether you are a sole trader or a limited company, changing your business name is cheap and relatively simple but make sure you choose a new name that makes you sound bigger than you really are.
Build your company brand
The world’s most successful big businesses understand how important it is to have a world-class brand and brand building should be something you do now and then keep on doing. Branding can perhaps best be described as your customer’s experience of engaging with you: ranging from how you communicate, through to the dress code of your business, branding needs to encompass everything you do. Just because you are a small business doesn’t mean you have to think small and being at the helm of a great brand will mean that the possibilities are endless.
Take a fresh look at your website
Although big companies command big budgets for their websites, there’s no denying that having a good website will help you think big. Nowadays potential customers – your potential customers – will be searching online for products and services like yours and if they want to find out more about you, they’ll look at your website. It’s at this point that many small businesses stumble at the first hurdle and if your website looks amateurish, with bad images, lots of different fonts and loud colours, your potential customers will look elsewhere. One of the best ways to look big is, if your budget will allow, having a new and professionally designed website. This doesn’t have to cost the earth and it’s possible to have a great-looking website that has cost a fraction of your biggest competitor’s.
Move your business location
If you work from home and the business address on your website is something along the lines of 1 Acorn Road, Yorkshireville, potential customers or clients will immediately get the impression that yours is a small business that you run from home. Although running a business from home is absolutely fine, big companies aren’t usually operated from residential addresses and this where paying to have a PO Box address or renting a virtual office can come in handy.
