Ways a Small Entrepreneur Appears to be Big

We have this notion that “SMEs today are the next business icons of the country”. Being small is not permanent and big ones started small, and nobody could tell when and how a small one becomes big. At times, a small business is being pushed to the limits in dealing with the big ones. At times, a big one wants to be assured on the capacity of the small ones in catering their needs, so some tricks are employed to convince them of your capacity to deliver their requirements.

In this article however, we will not deal on how to become big. We will only deal with some ways on how your small business will appear to be big to attract the big ones to deal with you and gain more business advantage. We are aware of the cost implications, and thus, we would want you to see the estimates of minimal costs.

Maintain a business website for online presence

A professional website  could tell a lot about you and your business. Instead of telling a lot about you and your business during business meetings that may take a lot of time, you may just sum up the material matters and refer your big clients to your web site. The appearance and content of your website would either impress your potential or draw them away. In the past, website is a costly thing in business and is purely an IT matter.  Believe it or not, website flat forms are now simplified and made user friendly that you may only need an IT for the few technical aspects.

To maintain a website, you need a domain name, web hosting, and a website design. The domain name is like taxacctgcenter.ph in  https://taxacctgcenter.ph. Hosting is where the files in the website are stored. This is like your drive “C” in your laptop except that it has always to be online. Finally, web design is how your web site appears on the internet. You can have a free template or a customized one where you either buy online or secure the services of a professional webpage designer.

• Domain name – P500 a year;
• Web hosting – around P200 a month or P2,400 a year;
• Web design – one time fee of around P3,000;

Use corporate set-up and be an officer

Believe it or not, you can register a corporation with a paid-up capitalization of P5,000.00 so it may not take you much funds. With corporate set-up, you can position yourself as a high ranking officer (say a President, a Chairman of the Board, a VP-Operations, or similar dignified positions) to impress the client and gave him the impression that you have all the authority to bind the new deal. In case you made a quote for a higher figure and client requests for a lower fee, you may simply say you will discuss first with your Boards of Directors instead of giving an outright approval as the client may get used to a “no sweat” lowering of fees.

Maintain a business mail

There are many providers of free  e-mail accounts (yahoo, google, etc) but it is better to have a professional business mail under your website’s domain name, say,

jo******@yo**********.com











. You can generate a professional e-mail with your registered domain, in case, you do not have a website yet. As mentioned above a .com domain would cost you P500 a year and e-mail hosting alone may cost you P100 to P200 a month for three (3) professional business mails. Of course, it is more professional to use your true name in your business e-mail than to use a an alpha numeric e-mail.

Have a business card

A business card is also a plus in dealing with prospective clients because it gives an impression of a big business. It would save you time giving your complete name, position, contact details, website, complete company name, and etc. Printing a good one would only cost you P200-P350 for a 100 pieces business cards that you may use in business meetings or as a marketing tool to your friends and acquaintances. The printers may have an existing pro-forma designs that you may simply choose from or you may ask them to customize for a minimal fee only.

Secure a land line 

With the present popularity of cell phones, mobile telephone lines also comes in as an alternative to DSL or wired land lines. Of course you can use your cell phone for business but having a land line gives also a good impression. Mobile telephone may only cost you around P350 or an add on to your plan subscription may only cost you P150 a month. Please note that some big time clients only wished to be contacted through land lines and getting their mobile numbers may be a challenge.

Use virtual office address and meet clients at known public places

Virtual office is an office for impression where you may not actually use, physically. You just use them for official use in business registrations, website, and cards, but actually, you may do your work home based. The good thing of virtual office is the impression of good business location like Makati City or Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. A basic virtual office would cost you only P500 a month and if you have to add some amenities like use of conference room, answering machine, function room, they will charge you another amount. If you do not have meeting room provision, you can simply arrange meeting clients in known public places, such as coffee shops, hotels, and restaurants.

 Rent a car for big business meetings

In case confronted with a business meeting with a big client in a  distant location with less public utility vehicle traveled, you may consider a rent-a-car service if you do not have a car. This may cost you some amount, say P2,500 for a 24-hour car use, so you use this option for a client you will most probably win contract. Alternatively, you can request favors from some friends if you could win their trust.

Summary

The above are only few of the simple ways your small business will appear to be big to some prospective clients. You spend a few amounts for business advantage and you view such expenses as an investment because in a way or another, they will bring back business advantage. It might be good to invest in some of the above because with the mind set of a big business, it may give you more energy and hard work to really make it big. In our advocacy to assist SMEs, we have included some of the above services and yes, they are intended to be a low-cost one for you.

Disclaimer: This article is for general conceptual guidance only and is not a substitute for an expert opinion. Please consult your preferred tax and/or legal consultant for the specific details applicable to your circumstances. For comments, you may also please send mail at info(@)taxacctgcenter.ph, or you may post a question at Tax and Accounting Center Forum and participate therein.

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