Business Basics

In business the first impression can be the most important. A good first impression is important to the success of any business and cannot be underestimated.


An impression about you and your business is made in the first few seconds. This may seem hard to believe, and even unfair, but this is simply human nature; try putting yourself in the shoes of a new 'buyer', to find out how important this concept is. It can be a subconscious impression, but it is this impression nevertheless which forms a belief or an opinion. The reason why a 'buyer' will proceed comes down to the opinion they form and how good they feel about what they see and/or hear.

Making the best first impression applies to everything about your business: you, your staff, your product, your advertising and marketing etc. And all of these things just don't happen automatically. All of these things require careful and meticulous planning.

1. In planning your business it is essential that you start with a budget to set your guidelines. A budget is the foundation to a successful business giving you control and a true understanding about where you are at any point of time, what you can and can’t afford and what is selling and what isn’t. A budget can mean the difference between financial freedom and utter despair.

2. Your image, your product and/or service must be consistent with your values. Be clear of your image before you launch your business. What is the product or service and how does this compare with your personal image. In other words, do you match what you are trying to sell? A really slick product presented by someone who is dishevelled creates a confused state of mind for your customer regardless of how brilliant your product is. Likewise, a professional service presented by someone attired in beach clothing automatically suggests the service lacks seriousness or sincerity. By representing yourself in the wrong manner, you are inevitably creating more (unnecessary) work for yourself to sell your service or product. Quite simply, don’t make it harder to sell.
Your image is not only how you look (your hair clothes and shoes) but also your attitude. Starting a new business can be exhausting and stressful and certainly takes its toll mentally and physically, but regardless of how you might feel, you must always present yourself and your staff in the best possible manner. Every encounter with every customer is important and unfortunately it is often a bad encounter that will receive more air play than a good encounter.


3. Repeat business. If you consistently deliver a good service or product of a high standard this inevitably will lead to repeat business. Consistency equates to trust which again can never be underestimated. It is therefore crucial that you and your staff understand exactly what is required and expected each time you present your service or product. Having checklists or procedure manuals are internal controls you can implement to ensure consistency. These don’t need to be difficult or lengthy documents. It is the simple stuff that is often the most important, for example, how you present yourself (uniform etc), how you greet a customer, how you package a product, how you present your shop front.


4. Building a solid reputation – one of the best ways to attract new business is by word of mouth. This is extremely powerful marketing – something that doesn’t cost anything but is invaluable.


If you are starting a new business stop and think about what is you are doing, what you are selling and what it is you want to achieve. Plan. Budget. Succeed.