Building an online business often means
you’re on your own and starting from scratch — no IT department to set
up your email, no design guru to make a logo, no professional writer to
craft website copy. So most bootstrapped entrepreneurs use their current
resources to get things going, like utilizing a personal email address
and phone number for business interactions.
But once you’re up and running somewhat
smoothly — because let’s face it, you’ll never stop putting out fires,
even if you become a Fortune 500 company — it’s time to start cleaning
up your business and separating the personal from the professional.
A lot of this cleanup means focusing on
branding. Your brand is the look and feel of your business. It is
defined by the elements that set you apart from your competitors. And if
you want to stand out in a crowded market, every little detail counts.
Here are nine quick and easy steps to get from “brand new” to “branded.”
1. Get a dedicated phone number
Having a dedicated number for your business
is a no brainer. It allows you to share your contact details without
giving out your private phone number. It ensures you don’t accidentally
answer a customer’s call with an unprofessional “Yo, what’s up?” Plus
you probably don’t want your customers to hear that five-year-old
voicemail greeting featuring the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song.
You can go the old-fashioned route and get a
dedicated cell phone line for your business, but it is probably cheaper
and more convenient to set up a Google Voice number.
In addition to being free, you’ll have a separate number, online
storage of your voicemails and the ability to forward your incoming
calls to any phones that you want.
