AllFreelanceWork.com is an 8 year old Freelance Projects Board offering freelancers Freelance Jobs Search, Free Portfolios,& articles. AllFreelanceWork is also a great small business resource for starting a home business & looking for home business opportunities (no scams). AllFreelanceWork is filled with freelance resources, including small business startup tips, self-employment articles, how to start a freelance or small home business, articles about self-employed health insurance offers, promoting & marketing your small business, finding small business & freelance business opportunites for graphic designers, web designers, writers, screenwriters, programmers,artists, editors, & other careers & professions.

	Search Career Schools Zip Code: Subject: Digital & Media Arts Fashion Design Interior Design Photography Graphic Design Animation Web Design Business Culinary Arts Education Healthcare Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework Online Campus Both

Self-Employed Freelancers & Home-Based Businesses: 3 Steps to a Professional Image for Your Small Business

© 2003 Vishal P. Rao

One of the biggest reasons home-based business entrepreneurs often fail to attract customers is that they also fail to create a professional image. A professional image is an element of your credibility and without credibility winning customers is an uphill battle.

A Freelance or Home-Based Business Needs a Professional Image for Credibility to Win Over Customers

Think of it this way: would you give your hard earned money to a guy selling products out of an alley? Probably not. For one, you would wonder where the good had come from. It would also be inconvenient because your method of payment options would be limited. You would also not have the peace of mind of knowing you could get a refund if it turns out that your purchase is defective or does not live up to your expectations. Just as you would have these concerns, so will your customers if you do not create a credible image.

Many home-based business owners feel they can't afford to create a professional image on a small start-up budget, but not only is creating that image possible even with limited funds, it's something you can't afford not to do.

Ways to Create a Professional Image for e Home-Based Businesses on a Budget

1) Provide Multiple Payment Methods to Your Customers

Most modern shops and businesses accept a variety of payment options, including cash, checks, and credit cards in order to make it more convenient for customers. Money orders and debit cards are also payment options widely accepted. You should try to accept as many of these payment methods as possible.

Additionally, online stores must be prepared to accept international funds or risk losing a percentage of their audience.

Accepting checks is the easiest method you can incorporate into your business. However, keep in mind that most people will be wary about making the check out to an individual when they feel they are doing business with a company. So you will need to create a business checking account. These accounts can be opened at any financial institution.

Unless you have officially registered your company through the government and received an identification number, your account will be listed as you doing business as (dba) your company's name. With the account, you will be able to cash checks made out to you or your business.

Credit card, debit card, and international funds, on the other hand, can be more difficult matters. At least initially, you may want to use a service such as Paypal to handle these transactions. A PayPal business account will cost you nothing to open, but a small percentage of the funds will be automatically subtracted for each transaction. You can also use Paypal to accept electronic check payments.

2) Provide Detailed Contact Information for Your Freelance or Small Home-Based Business

Customers like to know who they are doing business with and how they can reach them if there is a problem with their purchase. However, many home-based business owners don't want to put their personal contact information online where it is accessible by millions, and you do want to protect your family's privacy. So instead, you need to create business-specific contact information.

First, you need to rent a post office box. Various sizes are available, and payments can be made every six months or every year. You can use your post office box for all of your business correspondence and can safely display it on your web site.

Second, you should either get a second phone line or a cellular phone which is dedicated to your business. Not only does this allow you to keep your family's privacy secure, but it also prevents your children or loved ones from answering important business calls in an unprofessional manner.

Also consider investing in a fax machine or using an online service such as efax. Including your fax number with your other contact information, not only provides customers with an additional method of communication, but also creates an image of professionalism.

3) Deliver on Your Promises to Your Clients

It can be easy to start taking customers for granted once they have paid for their product. After all, once you have their money, the hard part is over, right? Wrong! Customers can become repeat customers if they are treated well; they can also bring additional customers your way via word-of-mouth referrals.

Treating them well means delivering on your promises, including shipping products on schedule, standing behind your guarantee, providing effective customer service, and promotion products honestly. Doing these things sends a message to your customers that says not only that your company is professional but also that you care about your customers.

These three ideas are just the beginning but they will help you begin developing the image you want and need your company to have if it is to succeed.

Vishal P. Rao is the editor of Home Based Business Opportunities - A website dedicated to opportunities, ideas and resources to help you start a home based business. Visit him at: http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com

 

 

Please suggest a site here

Freelance Billing Help

Graphic Design Portal

Adobe Photoshop Tutorials

sister sites :

Freelance Self-Employed Jobs Directory

Graphics Software Information

All Work At Home Ideas

Tutorials Directory

All Freelance Work is a freelance jobboard, small business community, consulting business article base, and freelance self-employment business information zone (and also great for people who have home-based businesses). All Freelance Work has been around since 2000 and is the home to over 170,000 freelancers. With 100s of freelance articles and 30,000 registered employers of freelancers, we have helped 1000 of contracted independent professionals find the perfect consulting jobs. Spend some time on this freelance site and see why so many freelancers keep coming back to All Freelance Work day after day. We welcome all self-employed professionals and we welcome all employers looking to hire our independent professionals. (Employers Can Search or Browse for Portfolios from the bottom or top of this page).

CONTACT US ------ ADVERTISERS ------ FAQ ------ ABOUT US ------ PRIVACY POLICY ------ TERMS OF USELinks -----> folios--Adobe Photoshop Tutorials--All Work At Home Ideas--Freelance Jobs --Graphic Designers Resources--All Advertising Online--Artists Helping Children--Blue Sfear--ContractedWork--Family Travel Destinations -- Schools and Learning -- Find Dentists --Web Design Resources -- Graphics Software & Photoshop Tutorials -- Web Design -- Web Designers -- Web Design Portfolio

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A FREELANCER - BROWSE THROUGH OUR FREELANCER'S PORTFOLIOS BELOW:

Freelance Graphic Designers Portfolios -- Freelance Animators Portfolios -- Freelance Multimedia Artists Portfolios -- Flash Artists Portfolios -- CAD Professionals Portfolios -- Freelance Copyeditors Portfolios -- Proofreaders Portfolios -- Creative Direction Portfolios -- Freelance Creative Directors Portfolios -- Fashion Designers Portfolios -- Film / Video / Audio Artists Portfolios -- Game Artists Portfolios -- Freelance Desktop Publishers DTP Galleries -- Illustrator and Illustration Galleries -- Free-lance Cartoonists Galleries -- Free-lance Industrial Designers Galleries -- Free-lance Interior Designers Galleries -- Marketing and Promotional Designers Galleries -- Muralists Galleries -- Faux Finishers Galleries -- Free-lance Photographers Galleries -- Powerpoint Artists Galleries -- Free-lance Presentation Artists Galleries -- Free-lance Translators Galleries -- Free-lance Web Designers Galleries -- Writers Galleries -- Journalists Galleries -- Contracted Web Developers Galleries -- Database Developers Galleries -- Contracted Web Copywriters -- Web Animators Portfolios -- Contracted IT Testers -- Contracted Tech Trainers -- Programmers Portfolios -- Contracted IT Networkers --Database Programmers -- Contracted Tech Writers -- System Administrators and Admins --Engineers -- Contracted Data Processors -- Contracted CPAs -- Contracted Accountants -- Financial Planners -- Contracted Bookkeepers -- Contracted Lawyers and Attorneys -- Financial Analyzers -- Investors -- Contracted Legal Assistants -- Contracted Paralegals -- Contracted Managers and Strategists -- Contracted Analysts -- Contracted Brand Strategists -- Contracted Customer Service Agents -- Contracted Business Development -- Self-Employed Advertisement Managers -- Self-Employed Marketers -- Self-Employed Sales -- Media Buyers -- Self-Employed Web Promoters -- Self-Employed Public Relations Agents -- Self-Employed Architects -- Self-Employed Engineers -- Event Planners -- Self-Employed Musicians -- Self-Employed Politics Advisors -- Recruiters -- Self-Employed Scientists -- Self-Employed Coaches and Trainers -- Entertainers -- Self-Employed Fitness -- HR Human Resources -- Self-Employed Real Estate Agents -- Self-Employed Retailers -- Self-Employed Trainers -- Self-Employed Data Administrators -- Self-Employed Transcriptionists -- Virtual Assistants