Is your business wearing Speedos or a suit?

By Jack Barron, marketing director, Cotton Court Business Centre

Many people take a great deal of pride in their personal appearance when it comes to attending meetings. Most wouldn’t dream of meeting a new client wearing a pair of Speedos, but it seems many don’t pay the same respect to the appearance of their business.

There is no shortage of ill-thought-out logos and aesthetically questionable websites out there.

All of these factors work towards creating your brand image, and position your business in the minds of your customers.

They impact on how people perceive the level of service you provide, what they’d be willing to pay, and most importantly, whether they trust your brand enough to part with their money.

One of the most common problems we see when looking at small businesses in particular, is their registered business address.

The likes of Google Street Maps and My Business mean your customers are only 0.2 seconds away from seeing exactly where your ‘Head Office’ is, and what it looks like.

Appearance

What do your customers see when they search for your business? Does an image of a professional building appear? Or is it a photo of you putting the bins out in your slippers?

Security

Registered at home? Expect junk mail, unexpected visitors and should the worst happen to your business: bailiffs.

Treat your business appearance with as much thought as you give to your personal appearance. Ask yourself, does it align with the type of customers you want to attract and the type of fee you wish to command? Is your business wearing Speedos or a suit?