For entrepreneurs that are seeking clientele, it is essential to establish credibility. I have had several vendors in the past that have cost me a great deal of time and money because they were unreliable. In business the old adage rings true, “once bitten twice shy!” This article will provide you with the steps you need to establish credibility with potential clients and your current clientele.
Have a Strong Foundation
If you are a new hire for a particular company, they expect you to hit the ground running. Running your own business requires a totally different way of thinking. YOU ARE THE BOSS! You are the leader. You are the decision maker. You are the one laying the groundwork. If your foundation is shaky so will be whatever you build on that foundation. Here are some important to-do items for laying a solid foundation of any company.
1. Have a solid business plan. Some companies take years of research to develop their business plan before sinking their hard earned time and money into a business. Many do not want to spend the time to write a solid business plan without realizing that it can save them sometimes years of frustration. A good business plan will answer important questions like, “Who is your competition?” “What benefits are you offering that others are not already offering?” “What is the ease of entry into your chosen market?” “Who is your target market?” “What are your one year, two year, five year, and ten year plans?”
Resources: http://www.business.gov/start/business-plan.html; Jump Start Your Business Brain by Doug Hall
2. Knowledge is King! Read as much as you can get your hands on, search the Internet, join the local Chamber of Commerce, seek out others who are in the same line of business, search for online business forums such as the one here or LinkedIn.com. The more you know the better off you will be.
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3. Determine the Legal Structure of Your Business. Decide whether you are going to form a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, corporation, non-profit or cooperative.
Resource: http://www.business.gov/register/incorporation/
4. Do all the legal obligations: Register a Business Name, Get a Tax ID number, Register for State and local taxes, Obtain Business licenses and permits.
Resource: http://intexch.com/starting-a-business/how-to/3-steps-to-starting-a-successful-business.html
5. Get a good accounting program such as QuickBooks for business that will 1. Cover all the needs for your business, 2. Be easy to setup and make daily entries (or else you won’t use it) and 3. Be compatible with your online banking service (so you can save a lot of time by downloading statements into your accounting software).
Start the New Year right, order QuickBooks Pro 2010 today!
Clean Up Your Act
Pay attention to the details. For instance you need a clean, professional web site. What kind of web site does your competition have? Take an honest look at your current web site, would it convince you to give you a call or send you an email? Maybe you need to clean it up or get some help from some real talent. A desent business website will cost between $5,000 to $12,000 or more depending on your needs. Make sure they know what they are doing. I have heard many storeis about people you have paid as much a $6,000 or more to someone who was learning to develop websites by developing their site. This also goes for your business cards and the way you dress. Perception is the key to success. If the potential client perceives you as a professional by your professional mannerisms and appearance, you are very close to establishing a long-term relationship with a potential client.
I know, you don’t have time for the details; you are too busy trying to work on your product. How much do you have to spend on advertising? If you are like the majority of small business owners, the answer is very little or nothing. If you don’t have the big bucks to splatter your name all over the billboards and airwaves how are you going to draw in clients? Many times you only get one chance to win someone over. Taking the time to pay attention to the details of your business will win your potential clients over and keep them from moving on to your competition.
Another important detail is have a quick and easy way to bill your clients on a regular basis. This is very important! [Does this sound like I am speaking from experience?] I found that PayPal is very easy and inexpensive to setup. Once I setup my PayPal invoices, I can send an email invoice to my clients in a matter of minutes. PayPal also has a way to bill your clients automatically and will take major credit cards.
Another very important detail is be on time. This applies to everything from product delivery to a lunch date. Nothing says, “I don’t really care to have your business” like being late. It is an insult to your potential client. Sometimes, being late is unavoidable. Do not hesitate to let your client know there is a slip in the product delivery date (it will help them to reschedule their promised delivery) or that you are running late for a meeting.
Also, ALWAYS RETURN YOUR CLIENT’S CALLS/EMAIL!!!!! I get more business from my competitors because the client was frustrated because they could not get in touch with web designer or web site host provider. They wouldn’t respond to their clients email or phone calls. You don’t like it when it happens to you and your clients don’t like it when they can’t contact you.
Honesty is the Best Policy
Yes, you need to be honest with your client. If you are having problems with getting the project completed or you know from the outset that what they want is beyond the scope of your abilities, let them know. But you also need to be honest with yourself.
HOW COMMITED ARE YOU TO YOUR BUSINESS? Do you really want to work for yourself more than anything? Are you willing to work nights, weekends, and holidays many times without pay if that is what it takes to get your business off the ground (while still making time for your family)? Are you willing to research, research, and do more research to get the knowledge you need for success? Is your chosen business something you enjoy doing? Does it get you up in the morning and keep you up late at night? If not, maybe you should seriously consider spending your time pouring over the want ads.
Steve Moreland is the CEO of Intexch, Inc. and has been involved in Internet development since 1993. He has performed IT consulting work for such companies as Motorola, J.C. Pennys, Lockheed, and many others. You can contact Steve for training, consulting, and development work.
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