Whether you are new to the business world or not, it’s essential to make a good first impression whatever stage you’re in. You have to consider what impression you want to make on everybody else. You want people to look at the way that you run your business and feel inspired by what you are doing and how you are doing it.
Appearing professional to your clients as well as your suppliers is also essential. You know that people will form their first impressions of you within the first few seconds, and that goes for your business as well. If you want people to take you seriously, then you need to make sure that you’re doing all that you can to appear as professional as possible. It takes time to accomplish this, whether you’re getting your first bespoke business cards made or choosing the right signage.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways that you can make your entertainment and media business far more professional in its look:
Create a well run professional website. You are unlikely to succeed in the business market of today without a website and a clear demonstration of what you stand for and provide. It’s just not possible to stay relevant without people being able to find you online. You also need to make sure that this website is as clean and professional as possible, which means you need to hire an expert to develop it for you. There are plenty of free options out there that can help you to create a professional website with no web design experience, but often you might find the best thing that you can do is to have somebody else do it for you.
Make sure that your branding is consistent across the board. If you want your business to be well received then you need to make sure that from your business cards to your website, your branding is consistent. This helps to reinforce your image and make you look more serious as a business owner. You should ensure that your business cards, your social media pages and all of your storefront imagery all share the same colors, images and logos. Everything should be reflective of your brand, considering the design of your logo, and finding unifying tones that demonstrate the style of your business, along with the types of clients you want to attract.
Make sure that you have a dedicated contact system. From an email address to a phone number and lead capture form, you need to make sure that everybody can contact your business when it’s needed and many don’t get the basics right. The last thing that you want is to have people trying to ask questions about what you do and then decide to go elsewhere, because it’s easier to deal with a different company than it is to deal with you. Be contactable to the outside world and you will be instantly more professional.
Have a business email address. Whether you use Yahoo or Gmail for your business, it’s not going to go down well with the larger corporate clients. A business e-mail address doesn’t have to be expensive and you can look more professional when you do it. The email address should match your domain so make sure that you are paying for email address hosting as well as for your website.
Use a PO Box and/or service address if your business is at home. If you are running your own home business, you don’t want people knowing where you live or knowing your address details for your personal life. Remember, those lines between personal and professional need not be blurred. If you ensure that you have a PO Box then you can be posted items without having to hand out your home address.
Make it professional on the outside. If you have a physical location such as a studio, then hiring somebody to make the outside look great is important, whether that’s repainting surfaces, lighting, interior decor, furniture or equipment. You also need to make the exterior as attractive as possible like you would a home, especially in an area that has considerable footfall. Have somebody come and assess what you currently have and give you advice on what you could do to improve the look and feel of your business. Not only will you be able to get your business going you’ll be able to appreciate that people find you much more professional as a result.
Your media business is going to benefit straight away from having professional business cards, and a professional exterior. If your business is not visible, unique, standing out as part of its overall brand aesthetic, it may not making the impression you need it to – especially when it comes to targeting the right type of client.
Get your business name out there considering the impact of how it looks and how you present yourself, and you’ll find yourself in a good position to attract more clients.
