How to give the impression of a Big Business while being a small Home Business

As an owner of a small Home Business, it is a good idea to give the impression to your customers and prospective customers that you are an established presence to ensure that you get the same respect (if not more) than the large businesses do. You do this primarily by projecting a professional image. Remember that the larger companies sometimes have large customer service and satisfaction problems precisely because of their size and impersonal nature. There structure is sometimes simply too rigid. This can give the small Home Business owner an advantage when dealing with customer inquries and fulfilment. The small home business owner simply has more flexibility because he or she lacks the Byzantine bureacracy which is the trademark of many large businesses, the same structure which can interfere with effeciently when dealing with customer concerns, complaints and suggestions...

It is very important to note as well that in todays business world of fax machines, web sites, mobile telephones, e-mail and customer feedback forms, pagers, and voice mail, a small Home Business should be able to appear large and professional while retaining the agility and quick reaction time to customer concerns of a smaller Home Business. Today, the home business should have all or most of the tools of a “regular” office to be able to give a good first impression. Consider a website; once built, as long as it looks professional, your "electronic storefront" is on an essentially level playing field as the website of a large company, unlike in a large mall or shopping center where the smaller business is usually at a substantial disadvantage. One thing that is crucial is to have at least two phone lines at home, and a mobile phone as well, if possible. Remember you can route home phone calls to your mobile phone and visa versa. Having a professional image for your home business helps get the customer in the door, but it is the first rate customer service that really keeps them coming back.