#1 Select a name that speaks for your business.

A business name ideally tells a prospective customer something about your business. It could describe the product or service. It might have the owner’s name in it, city and location, some significant bit of information. Whatever name you choose, you want to consider how it is perceived by potential customers and make sure it’s not confusing to the degree that you have to spend extra time and dollars in overcoming the confusion. If it’s a personal service organization, you might have the business owner’s name in it. The difficulty that may arise there is as you grow, everyone wants to deal with that person. There are companies that have overcome that like the Dale Carnegie Institute.

#2 Enhance your image with logos, business cards, envelopes, stationary, and maybe a color scheme.

Even though you may be a small business, if you put all that together, it gives an impression of big business. In other words, fake it ’til you make it. This has long been a motto of the real entrepreneur. Anything that actually enhances your image is the next step in credentialing yourself and your business. They can separate you from 99% of the wannabees.

#3 Credentialize yourself, your product or your service.

As an owner, you’re an active participant in a service business and you need to be aware of the importance of your background and the importance that your expertise plays in your prospect’s buying decision. Your credentials are vitally important to the success of your service business. This means that you want to structure your marketing efforts by promoting yourself, your education, background, experience, etc.

The next step is you want to market yourself 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The suggestion that as a business owner you should always be marketing applies more to some types of businesses than it does to others.

Some businesses, particularly those involving personal services, require that the owners continue to communicate to potential customers the fact that they’re in business and they do provide certain products and services. If your business requires constant effort, you need to consider doing things like positioning yourself in your local community or market in such a market that you come into contact with potential customers as often as possible.

You need to always be prepared to discuss your business, yourself and your product. Prepare your 10-second response to two questions, “How’s business?”and”What do you do for a living?”Incorporate your USA. Carry business cards and brochures if possible at all times. Don’t hesitate to bring up your business when appropriate. In fact, you need to do this just to maximize tax deductions.

Use any other activities that will give your business proper exposure in the marketplace.