A small business relies on its credibility with the public as a currency. It’s what will bring in new customers and become a way to set you apart from your competitors. Sometimes, it seems like building such credibility may take years, however, there are a few shortcuts you can take.

Have in mind that it isn’t enough to appear credible and trustworthy. Your business should actually be honest in its work and fair towards clients and customers. There are no tricks that could replace that.

Employees

A company is only as good as its employees and no one will speak more highly of your business than the employee who has had the ability to know your company from inside out. This doesn’t mean that you need to offer the highest salaries or the biggest bonuses. A small company can rarely do so.

Instead of that, a business should offer fair business practices and the ability to grow on the job. Employees want a job that’s going somewhere and that allows them to pick up new skills and become better. The opportunity of advancement based on skills and achievement is also important.

Being a part of the community

A business can be much more than a place of work. It can create and shape a community if you’re ready to work on it and to devote your resources to such a goal. As soon as the company is set up, it should start helping local charities and find those that the employees care about.

It’s not enough to donate money, although it helps. A company should find ways to be active in the community beyond donating. A business should be involved in spreading the word about a worthy cause and sometimes in actually providing a helping hand to those in need.

Be open to customers

A business needs to be open to customers and to provide a clear line of communication with them. This isn’t just useful for those who want to file a complaint or ask a question about your company, but more broadly to have a finger on the pulse of the customers.

Even though most of business communications these days happen online, you shouldn’t neglect a phone line as an easy way to reach your company. Invest in 1800 numbers that will let your customers get in touch with you at a cost of a local call.

Inside baseball

It’s important to dedicate at least a portion of your resources toward creating a reputation within your industry. This is usually a less expensive endeavor than traditional marketing and it means just as much especially to a new company that’s looking to boost its credibility with business partners.

Start by becoming a part of professional associations and attending events and lectures that are organized by influencers in your industry. This is an additional expense for a small company, but it means a lot, when your business needs to build a network.

Boosting business credibility isn’t something that you can simply pay for. A company needs to approach this task on three separate fronts. It should try to provide opportunities to its employees, it should remain open for customers and, in the end, it should try to become a part of the industry at large.

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