Sponsored by The UPS Store
Running a business from home is a great way to cut costs and keep your schedule flexible, but it can present some unique challenges. One of the biggest challenges is establishing business credibility.
Fortunately, there are a number of actions you can take to legitimize your home-based small business.
Establish a mailing address that isn’t your house.
Just because you work from home, that doesn’t mean you should receive your business mail there. There are a couple of compelling reasons for using a mailbox service for your business mail.
First, using mailbox services like those from The UPS Store means you don’t have to stress about being out of town when an important document arrives. With a mailing service, you can always be confident your mail is received and secure.
Second, a street address other than your house or a P.O. Box establishes your credibility as a business to potential customers. (Plus, do you really want your customers scoping out your house on Google Maps?)
Don’t undervalue quality printing.
In today’s digital world, it can be easy to forget the importance of quality printing – especially for marketing materials and business cards. One of the most affordable ways to make your small business look big is using a professional printing service.
If you don’t have access to a graphic designer, don’t worry! The UPS Store has professional templates available to help you get started and make your brand pop. It might seem like a small thing, but it can make a huge impact. (And with The UPS Store’s current print promotion of 30% off all online printing, professional printing is a steal.)
Invest in a website.
As a home-based entrepreneur, your business’s website will likely be your introduction to the majority of your customers. Think about yourself as a consumer. If you’re looking to buy something from a company you’re not familiar with, what is the first thing you do? For most of us, the answer is to check out the website. And what do you do if the website doesn’t look professional (or doesn’t exist)? For most of us, the answer is to take our business elsewhere.
Setting up a great looking website is easy, no matter what your budget is. If you don’t have the budget for a fully customized site, search for website template providers. There are a lot out there, and many of the templates are so customizable no one will ever know you didn’t build your website from scratch.
Delegate – even if you don’t have employees.
The easiest way to get overwhelmed is to convince yourself you should take on everything alone. Instead, you should focus on creating your product, providing your service or doing whatever it is your business is based on.
Identify the parts of your business operation that you’re not doing particularly well or that someone else could do just as well, and pass off those tasks. Maybe it’s taking advantage of the back-office services from The UPS Store, or maybe it is just hiring the neighbor kid to run to the post office. Getting even small things off your plate will make your business run better.
If you do have employees, empower them to take responsibility for some aspects of your business. Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to employees. What you as a small business owner can’t forget is that delegating saves you time, provides an opportunity for you to focus on your many other tasks and helps to ensure you keep your priorities in order. You can always start with delegating small tasks and increase the level of responsibility for time so that you can build confidence and trust together. Surrounding yourself with great resources can help bring the balance needed to achieve your desired goals and objectives.
Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or a one-woman shop just starting out, there are many ways to take your small business to the next level. The UPS Store can be a great resource for products and services that your business needs to be successful.
This is a sponsored post. Please be aware that we can only promote advertising from companies that we feel we can legitimately recommend to our readers.
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