Are you ready to succeed?
You’ve got a good product. You’ve got a good business plan. You’ve researched the competition and your target market. What’s next? The Graphix Resource is ready to help you grow! After working with many clients over the years, we’re excited to offer you a checklist for success.
It all starts with YOU. Our recommendations are based on hundreds of our clients across the country and around the world. Let’s start with what you can do for yourself and steps to take in positioning your business for success.
- Business Contact Number
The number one rule of running a start-up business is separating your personal life from your business life. This includes having a different contact number for business purposes only. Do not call consumers or let them contact you through your personal phone. Having a business number will make you appear more professional.
- Custom Business Email
It’s not uncommon to see businesses that use personal email for business use. And no, using your business name at gmail.com doesn’t count as a business email address. Instead, be sure to use an address that uses your own business’s domain name, such as name@business.com. Not only does it appear far more professional, but it also lends to your credibility and reputation.
- Get Licensed, Insured, and Bonded
Customers are often told to only work with businesses that satisfy all three requirements and many businesses focus on these terms in their advertising. Being licensed signifies that you have the competence, meet a set of minimum requirements, and have the right to conduct business in your state.
Being insured and bonded provides a layer of trust between your business and your customers because you are giving them assurances to the quality of your work while providing a way for them to be made financially whole if something goes wrong.
What’s right for your business depends on your industry, the size of your company, or various risk factors that may be unique to your business.
- Registering with the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Your business success heavily depends on consumer trust, and that’s one of the greatest BBB benefits. After you’ve been approved, you can display the Better Business Bureau logo out front and inside of your business. Customers want to make sure your business is reputable and even if you don’t have a brick and mortar, having the BBB accreditation logo on your website — as well as having your business profile on the BBB site — can reassure a wary customer.
Here are the other TOP 10 ways to make sure you level up for success:
- Business Logo
So, why is a logo important? Because it grabs attention, makes a strong first impression, is the foundation of your brand identity, is memorable, separates you from competition, fosters brand loyalty, and is expected by your audience.
- Business Cards
Your business card creates opportunities. It represents your company’s brand. Not only does it convey important personal contact information such as name, title, email, website, address, and phone number, but oftentimes it is also the first exposure to the overall image of your business.
- Website
It’s one thing to have a website and it’s another to have a well-designed website that looks professional, upholds your brand, and gives your visitors the information they need to select your business. The bottom line is credibility. If they found you through a search or through a link a friend gave them, your website will be your first point of contact with potential customers.
- Google Listing
Google My Business (GMB) is no longer optional — it’s an essential part of any business’s online presence and often, the first place customers look for up-to-date information about your company. A completed GMB listing can single-handedly improve a business’s local SEO ranking. It sets an immediate first impression for searchers who see your business’s essential info listed on the right-hand side of the interface.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Aside from the GMB listing to help with finding customers, SEO is crucial for an effective website. It helps build fast and user-friendly websites that rank higher in search engines, which in turn helps bring more qualified potential customers to your site and eventually increases conversion rates.
SEO also helps build brand awareness for your business as search engine users are more likely to trust a site that are on the first page of search engine results pages (SERPs) than brands who are not.
- Social Media
In today’s social media world of instant messaging, we can’t stress enough the importance of a strong social media plan for business. It starts with a strategic plan and includes identifying your target audience and knowing how to boost posts, which businesses benefit from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and when and how often to post on all platforms.
Social media posts and ads are key ways to drive traffic to your website. Sharing great content from your blog or website to your social channels is a great way to get readers as soon as you publish a new post.
Lead Generation is an important benefit of social media for business.
- Other Business Builders
Brochures, flyers, notepads, magnets, imprinted pens, or any other items with your brand can increase visibility for your business. These items are sales support tools. They can be used to spread awareness, attract, and gain new, qualified leads, and support existing customers, drive loyalty, and ultimately win repeat business. And signs, don’t forget signs! Example: If you are real estate agent or have a cleaning business or pressure washing business, custom signage is a great way to get your business seen!
- Custom Imprinted Apparel
Branded apparel is like a walking advertisement. Employees with branded business apparel give your company a sense of style and flair. When employees proudly exhibit your business brand, the effect is contagious, and a culture is created. Branded apparel can help create a cohesive environment, where employees know that they are on the same page.
- Vehicle Graphics
Vehicle Graphics are a form of mobile advertising. This means that your advertising will go wherever your vehicles go! Whether driving around town or driving to another state, your company vehicle graphics will be working hard to promote your business. One vehicle wrap can generate between 30,000 – 80,000 impressions daily.
- Events and Giveaways
Even when you are just getting started with your business, when you participate in events in your community, it’s a great way to show support and introduce yourself and your business. Events are an effective way for you to build trust, form an emotional connection, and finally have a chance to stand out from your numerous competitors. Your setup for an event which could include an imprinted tent, table cover, and other custom printed material can be extremely effective to brand your business.
Many of these small business must-haves do require a small upfront investment of either time or money. However, keep in mind that setting your business up with the right foundation and tools is an investment that will save you time and money down the road. Not only can these tools and tips make your life easier, but they can also lead to increased productivity, and with that, higher revenue–something we can all get behind.
Please keep The Graphix Resource in mind for all your business building needs. We’ve been where you are, and our team knows how to help you build your success!