Nowadays, many businesses are so concerned with sticking to the rules that they end up coming across as pretty much the same as every other company in the field. You want to appear professional and you don’t want to come across as a risk when people are trusting you with their money. However, you don’t want to be like every other business out there either. You need to have something special about you to encourage consumers to choose you over competitors. So, how do you go about adding a little personal touch to your professional affairs? Here are a few ideas to get you started on the right foot.
Letters
Most people correspond via email. This isn’t all too surprising since it’s instant and it’s free. However, there are various reasons why you may need to write a letter by hand in small business. Sometimes you may have to include paperwork that needs to be filled out and returned. Perhaps they’ve requested a physical copy of a contract or agreement. Whatever the reason, it’s generally good to include some sort of cover letter reminding them of what you are sending and detailing any return addresses that they’re going to need.
While formal documents should be typed in a legible font (such as Arial or Times New Roman), the cover letter can have a more personal touch. Consider using printing and mailing services that offer choices of handwritten fonts with no additional cost. You can also use an E-signature to sign off on professional correspondence. Though you may not have signed documents with a pen yourself, it gives the same feel and customers, clients, or partners will feel the same sense of reassurance that comes with a personal signature.
Clothing
One of the pleasures of being a business owner is that you decide on your own work attire. There are no particular uniform rules to follow as you’re the one in charge of any rules that are put into place. This means that you can use your clothing as your first attempt of putting a personal touch on your professional affairs. Try not to be too lax with your clothing at work. You still want to come across as professional. But you can add dashes of your favorite color or bold patterns in the form of ties, pussy bows, cuff links, or earrings. You could even come up with a signature style, incorporating items of clothing that flatter your shape or give you a quirky edge.
These are just two areas of your business that can remain professional while standing out from the crowd.
