Tips on being a self Employed Professional
Being a professional, whether self-employed or otherwise, comes with certain responsibilities. Even though you may not leave your home office, those dealing with you don't need to know that you're sitting there in your pajamas doing your work. It's important in any business to project professionalism in order to win the respect of customers and colleagues. Here are some tips on being a self-employed professional:
If self-employed, you may have an office out of the house or you may be working in the laundry room. Your clients and customers in the business world need to visualize you professionally. Therefore, no matter where you are, you need to answer your phone in a professional manner without intrusions from your home life. If you have children and you think that self-employment is the answer to child care, think again. Self-employment is as demanding or more demanding than regular employment. Unless you have devised a self-employment profession where you have no interaction with the public, the integration of children and work will not work. Therefore, one tip is to provide for some supervision for your children during your working hours.
If you have neighbors who like to visit you frequently, it may be necessary to communicate to them when you can visit and when you can't. Perhaps one of the reasons you went to work for yourself is to be able to make your own hours. That's all well and good, but it is difficult to project yourself as a professional if you have neighbors dropping in for a visit when you are conducting business with a client.
Your marketing precedes you to your customers, so ensure that every piece of marketing you send out is of professional quality. Always carry plenty of business cards with you and have brochures that describe your business. Don't combine your family website with your business website. Although your cat might be cute to you, he/she does not project professionalism.
Treat your customers with consistency, and they will come to think of you as professional. Just because you are in business for yourself doesn't mean that you can treat some customers better than others. If you give a great deal to one and not to another, the one slighted will find out about it. You are running a business, so treat it with professionalism and your customers and clients will think of you as a professional.
Meet the needs of your clients or customers in a timely manner, and they will think of you as professional. Punctuality is a great quality. If you promise work on a certain date and do not deliver, you will not be perceived as reliable and professional.
Likewise, the best thing you can do to be considered as professional is to take care of your clients and customers and give attention to customer service.
