Believing in Yourself As a Home-Based Business
So a client asks you where your office is located and you’re hesitant to tell them it’s in your home. I believe that how you respond as well as how you present yourself will determine the way in which your potential clients will respond to your answer.
When I started working from my home 15 years ago, I didn’t mention my business location unless I was specifically asked. But if I was asked, my response then was the same as it is today – “I’m fortunate enough to have a 30-second commute to my home office!” The response was more reserved then than it is now. Fortunately, it is more acceptable to be a home-based business today. You may find your clients are actually envious.
So, let’s examine why you are reluctant to answer truthfully. Some home-based business owners are reluctant to say they are home-based because they think it doesn’t seem very professional and their clients might wonder if they can deliver. Can you deliver? If you have confidence in your abilities, it doesn’t matter where your office is located. Do you have the experience and knowledge to perform the service or services? Can you back up your marketing materials with facts? If the answer is no, you need to rethink being in business.
Here’s my personal experience in gaining confidence in my own abilities. I first started a desktop publishing business at a time when it wasn’t a commonly known term. I needed to build a portfolio to show potential clients what I could do. I volunteered to do newsletters, brochures, and flyers for local non-profit groups. I put the copy of the finished product into my portfolio to show potential clients. I also asked for referrals to others who might need my services along with a letter of reference. I soon had more clients than I could handle.
When meeting with clients for the first time, I generally went to their offices. As I grew comfortable with my clients, I also grew more comfortable in having them come to my home office. Because these clients already knew my work, and me, my office location became a source of wonder rather than a source of apprehension about my abilities. My office had a separate phone, fax machine, computer, printer, copy machine, etc. In other words, I had all the material things need to be professional in my home-based business, and I had my portfolio to show my desktop publishing abilities. The fact that I was a home-based business was not an issue.
The bottom line is this – believe in yourself and your customers will believe in you as well.
Beverley Williams is co-author of The 30 Second Commute. Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved.
