So many references to “business smart” are about how people look. It’s about the clothes you wear, how you style your hair and how you present yourself. It’s all useful; all valid; all helping you give the very best account of yourself.
But what about the business itself? That should be smart too. In fact, the business being smart is probably more important than the clothes the person running the business wears. Everything about your business should exude confidence, look presentable and suggest to any potential customers and clients that you’re on top of everything.
If this is an area you’ve not thought much about, then it might be time for a business spring clean. This crosses a number of departments, so get ready to grab more than just a pair of rubber gloves…
Clean up your… website
Websites should be simple, functional, and easy to use. No flashing graphics. GIFs are for Buzzfeed posts; not for your business websites. No music, even if it can be turned off – it’s a nuisance and people hate it. Oh, and it’s 2017, so if the bulk of your website is still built using Flash then that needs a spruce up too!
Clean up your… business cards
One of the best ways to boost your branding is by handing out business cards that bear the name of your business, address, and other important contact information.
You buy specialist business card holders for a reason. If you have reason to hand out a business card, you’re trying to attract someone to your company. It’s essentially a calling card. It might be the very first physical demonstration (you aside) of your business that a potential client sees.
So, it shouldn’t be scruffy and tattered at the edges. Stop storing a few in your bag and letting them get dented and bruised. Invest in a dedicated holder and keep it with you at all times. Then, when you extract a card from it, it’s clean, pristine and easy to read – just like you want to present your company to be.
Bear in mind that there might be finishes – such as being laminated – that can fool you into thinking your cards will remain in good condition regardless. Just because the edges won’t tatter so easily doesn’t mean that they won’t tatter at all, so don’t be lured into a false sense of security.
Clean up your… office space
This does not necessarily have to mean your office where you conduct the bulk of the business work. The main area you need to focus on is the spaces that any clients see.
Your focus should be on the central lobby area and anywhere else that you discuss deals. With services like Southern Cross Cleaning commercial available, there’s no excuse to skip over this aspect. It doesn’t matter as much if the employee-only areas are disorganised – just make sure everything that your potential clients see is perfect.
Clean up your… parking area
If you have a parking lot for your company, then it’s time to go and make sure it’s as good as it can be.
Designated bays should have their paint refreshed every few years; no one likes squinting at the ground to see exactly where they should be aiming so make it obvious. From there, you can move on to a sweep of removing litter and giving any signage in the area a good clean. You don’t want someone to already be having doubts before they have even made it through the front door!
