Photo by Pavel Danilyuk: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-woman-in-white-long-sleeves-smiling-6461244/
It takes even more established brands a little time to build a rapport and trust with prospective clients, and so as someone thinking about starting their own business, you may wonder how to overcome this. After all, you might not have the vast pedigree of experience and brand recognition others enjoy.
Moreover, if you’re making something new, it can be tough to prove your process. For example, suppose you make batches of delicious kimchi in your clean kitchen, jar and ferment it, and sell at a reasonable price. In that case, you still need to undergo all the food safety checks and registrations, but proving your ability to your clients is another question entirely.
Moreover, maybe you’re involved in a specific industry that remains sensitive by nature. For example, companies that work in arms and armour may need firearm friendly credit card processing services willing to take payments, even if they restore historical articles instead of the practices you would otherwise assume.
Initial suspicion is healthy and we practice it ourselves as consumers, but it’s not always easy to break through that while also being reassured as a home business. Let’s discuss some practices to balance the two well:
Point To Accreditations & Certifications
If you’ve any official certifications or passed safety checks, shout about it! After all, while they may seem like initial boxes to tick, they’re also proof that someone with authority has looked at what you’re doing and given it the thumbs up. Often, health and safety registrations matter. Moreover, for some trades (such as in a small workshop), professional memberships or qualifications show you know what you’re doing.
You can also display these credentials on your website, social media, packaging, or wherever people can see them. Now of course, most won’t dig into the details, but seeing those logos and certificate numbers does help make a better impression. You tacitly trust legal counsel if they have their final qualification proudly displayed on the wall even if you know they have one, and it’s the same psychology at play here.
Leverage Trustworthy Social Proof ASAP
Reviews and testimonials are absolutely essential for new businesses to start growing any traction at all, so get your first customers to leave feedback anywhere they can, such as on Google, Facebook, Trustpilot, or wherever makes sense for your industry. Make sure they’re honest and not puff pieces though, as this can be much more trustworthy.
Start with friends and family if you have to, as long as they’re genuine customers who’ve bought something. Then build from there, and encourage happy customers to spread the word, or maybe offer a small discount for referrals. It’ll help you get going when someone Googles if you’re a legitimate operation or not.
Sell Your Vision & Reasons, Centering Yourself & Community
People buy from people, and in a home business, you don’t want to be faceless. You have to sell them on you as much as your enterprise, perhaps even more so, so share why you started the business, what you care about, and what makes your approach different.
Maybe you’re frustrated with big corporations cutting corners, or you’ve got a family recipe you want to preserve, or you’re filling a gap in your local area that nobody else bothered with and you’re happy to because of your pride in the area. This gives you a unique story that more stable small businesses can’t have as they become more professionalised, so leverage this for all its worth.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily avoid initial suspicion as a home business!
Chicano | Fighting/Writing for Diversity | DM since 08 | Anime Lover | Site: https://www.thegeeklyfe.com | info@thegeeklyfe.com | http://twitch.tv/that_deangelo | https://linktr.ee/deangelomurillo
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