Getting your startup off the ground takes a lot of effort, as does making it seem like a large, legit business. These tips are here to help you do so.
- Invest in good design
Regardless of what people out there say, the truth is that a book will always be judged by its cover. This is true especially if you are a business owner. Investing in a great business website, great visuals of a logo, app or your brand, in general, will help you a lot. A company that looks a million bucks will most likely make people think that it is worth a million bucks.
- Ensure that your business has a legit email signature
Creating a quality email signature is important as it will make your business look refined and more professional. Although many people out there just end their email with their name, it may be good to also have people see your logo, address, title and contact info neatly laid out. Adding the information we just listed will be beneficial as it will positively influence how the message recipient sees you.
- Update your social media/ business site on a regular basis
Updating your site or social networks will boost the chances of people seeing you in their feeds. And the more you appear in front of their eyes, the more likely they will wonder how you have the capacity to do it. Think of this way, if you see a certain ad on different billboards while driving, would you not wonder why that company advertising its products or services is so big?
- Buy fake followers
This is one of the saddest ways to look big. However, I see many wannabe celebrities and companies using this method to make themselves famous. Unfortunately, this seems to work as many people measure things based on numbers and the bigger your “following” is the bigger you may appear
- Have a solid business card
Similar to point one, first impressions matter a lot. Creating durable and well-designed business cards will make people value your business. Therefore, it is good to avoid making cheap flimsy business cards as it will negatively affect how people perceive your business.
- Get cheap/ fake employees
I am sure that you know how much more badass you look when you have an assistant dealing with all excess work you are very busy to pay attention to. You can do this in a cheap way by utilizing outsourcing platforms such as Elance and Upwork or something like this solution from the 4mat blog.
If you have not money, just create an email account where you will act as your own employee or assistant whenever you send emails. Even though this is sneaky, it is effective.
- Use a Virtual Receptionist
A virtual receptionist can help you make your business seem larger. The likes of Office Answers can really improve the way others see a business as it can make them look more professional.
- Do great press
Did you know that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have people write about you? So worry no more about having to spend a lot on press releases or PR firms. Media geniuses such as Ryan Holiday have proved that this works and you can do great presses without having to spend a lot.
Press outlets are always searching for a great story and if you are able to do the work for them and be able to show them why you are worth writing about, then they will write about you and your business. Medium has a good on writing an email that will make press outlets write about your startup.
- Claim your business pages
Claiming your business page on AngelList, CrunchBase, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, Yelp and so on will lead to professional results whenever people search for you on the internet. It helps visually that viewers will be able to see legitimized pages with the name of your business on it.
- Network like a badass
Networking is not all about attending all events you believe can help you pitch your startup. It is good to ensure that you niche target people you would like to meet. This will help you ensure that everyone you meet is either in your industry or interested in your product or service.
For instance, if you meet 30 people in the same community and they know about your startup, they will be surprised when they meet each other and your startup is mentioned. Therefore, it is good to be strategic when you enter an event and focus on the top 5 people you want to meet, people who can provide value for your business and then work your way up from there.