Growing A Professional Business, Even When You’re Flying Solo

Running your own business is a bit of a rollercoaster. There are highs, there are lows, the times of pure joy you want to photograph, and of course, the feeling like you could throw up from time to time. And when you’re riding that rollercoaster solo, all of those things are yours to experience on your own – until you start to grow, that is.

Learning to grow your business is something you will develop over time, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But as your workload increases (along with your ambition), finding ways to operate more professionally can help your business become stronger and more sustainable. From improving your processes to bringing in support when you need it, these small steps towards growth can make a huge difference. 

Explore some practical ways to help your business look more professional, even when you’re flying solo.

Build a professional storefront

Even though your business is just you, it doesn’t mean that it can’t look like a professional operation. A lot of new businesses get mistaken for less legitimate than they really are, but there are things you can do to help change that, including:

• Building a professional website, complete with appointment/meeting booking facilities – whatever’s relevant to your business.
• Adding additional inboxes to include: general queries, finance, and operations. This will not only help you separate the different elements of your business, but it will also give your business a more professional look.
• Ensure you have separate business contact information, including an address and phone number. 
• Create business profiles on platforms like Google Business, LinkedIn and any relevant social media channels.
• Ensure your website has testimonials or case studies, a service list, and a strong ‘About’ section to help you build trust with potential clients. 

In the grand scheme of things, these are minor elements, but they can make a big difference to the credibility of your business. 

Nail your branding

Branding is an important element of your business. It keeps everything cohesive and helps build recognition. There are things you can do to brand your business on a budget that will still give it that professional look. Start with a logo, colors and a font, and you can build the rest from there.

Get out there and network

One way to help feel more like a professional business owner is to get out there and meet with other professional business owners. Networking is an excellent way to make some contacts and meet some people you can learn from. It’s also a good way to beat some of the loneliness that comes with working by yourself. Explore business networks in your area, and check out lectures, learning brunches and other events that can help you get your name out there and feel a part of your local business community.

Check all paperwork with a professional

One thing small business owners can struggle with is paperwork. Mistakes in paperwork can look unprofessional, especially when it comes to important documents. Whether you’ve got contracts, Ts and Cs, invoices or other legal documents, it can be helpful to have a qualified corporate attorney check over anything that could have legal or financial implications. This may feel like an unnecessary expense at first, but having professionals check things through can actually save a lot of money and stress down the line. It can also be reassuring to have someone check that your business is operating correctly from day one.

Use productivity tools to help you keep track

Solo business owners have a lot of balls to juggle. From marketing and sales to finance and customer service, a lot of organization is required to help you keep on top of things.

Using productivity tools can be a huge help to small business owners. There are several apps out there that can help, including project management tools, social media scheduling, invoicing platforms and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Using these products properly will help you keep track of your workload and also make it easier to bring in additional people to your business as it grows.

Make the most of professional meeting spaces

When you run a business by yourself, you’re unlikely to invest in fancy office space straight away. Working from home is the norm for a lot of business owners, which can save a lot of money at the beginning. But when it comes to meeting clients and others, it’s probably best to avoid meeting in your kitchen or a packed coffee shop and find something a little more suitable.

Professional meeting spaces can provide a simple and practical solution. You can find them to hire in co-working spaces and business hubs, usually by the hour so you can have them as long as you need. These spaces are generally fully equipped, with presentation equipment, refreshments and reception services, helping you deliver a more polished experience for clients and anyone else you’re meeting.

Create systems that grow with your business

As a solo business owner, it’s easy for a lot of things to live in your head. This can be fine when it’s just you or the business is small, but as things grow, you’re going to need to put proper processes in place to keep things on track.

Creating simple systems for common tasks can help you work more efficiently and help you maintain a consistent level of service. This could include onboarding processes for new clients, templates, proposals and invoices, as well as checklists for recurring tasks. There are so many things that you’ll be learning to do for the first time, such as shipping products or handling orders, so it’s handy to have instructions you can refer to as needed. As you hire employees, freelancers and others, you’ll have processes in place that they’ll be able to pick up, instead of leaving you starting from scratch each time. 

Growing a professional business doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it need a huge budget or team in place. Focusing on the small details, from the way your business looks to your internal processes and productivity, can help you create a business that feels established and trustworthy from the outside – and keep things manageable behind the scenes. 

Every business starts somewhere. Taking steps to make your business look and operate more professionally from the outset will create solid foundations for the growth you need to ensure a successful future for your business.