How can we make ourselves appear more professional when working from home? If you lack web design skills, hire someone to do it for you or barter with another home-based business owner. Use a professional voicemail or answering machine message. Most home-based business owners say they only accept meetings by appointment. If you do not want your customers to know you work from home, you can use a P.O.
Box or add a "Suite" number. Invest in high-quality promotional products and marketing materials.
Making it appear that we are not working from home is one of the most difficult challenges we face when working from home. When clients call and there are children screaming in the background, pets barking and meowing, and laundry and cooking timers going off, it does not appear professional. So, how can we make ourselves appear more professional?
Tip #1: Have a professional, clean website with your own domain name.
Under no circumstances should you have a "free" website hosted on another domain name with advertisements from other companies all over the place! This is one of the most serious no-nos! Instead, decide that if you want to appear professional, you should invest in a professional website. If you lack web design skills, hire someone to do it for you or barter with another home-based business owner who does. Choose a domain name that is closely related to the name of your company.
Tip #2: Get a separate phone line or a unique ring tone for that line.
Most phone companies provide a plan that allows you to have two or more numbers ring to one phone line with distinct rings. To avoid after-hours phone calls from clients, it's usually best to have a separate phone line in your office. This also allows you to "close the door" on work when you are not present. Use a professional voicemail or answering machine message, and check your messages frequently.
Tip #3: Consider how you will display your company's address.
How will you publicize your physical location? There are several options available. To discourage clients from "dropping in" while they're still in their PJs and haven't had their morning coffee, most home-based business owners will say they only accept meetings by appointment. If you do not want your customers to know you work from home, you can use a P.O. Box or add a "Suite" number to your address. You will have to give your home address out for packages and anything else they want to courier to you if you use a P.O. Box, but it does provide anonymity and discourages drop-in visitors. If you add a suite number to your address to make it appear as a "business office," make sure to tell your postal carrier that you're running a home-based business and that's why the address is different.
Tip #4: Communicate your office etiquette guidelines to your family.
What are the ground rules for your children and family members while you're on the phone or meeting with a client? Will you set a timer to let them know when you'll be available? Will you keep set office hours and not meet with clients outside of those hours? Will you have a play area in your office? This is especially important if there will be small children nearby (quietly) while you work.
Tip # 5: Invest in high-quality promotional products and marketing materials.
Unless you have a top-of-the-line printer, don't print business cards from it. Purchase high-quality business cards and brochures. If possible, have some letterhead printed for contracts, letters to prospective clients, and any other business-related correspondence. Check the quality of the products produced by the printer you want to use if you're printing promotional products such as T-shirts or apparel, coffee mugs, mousepads, and so on. Don't just "price-hunt," instead look for the best quality and invest in your company.
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