Spring Cleaning: Business Edition
Flowers are in bloom. Allergies are picking up. And the days are getting longer. Spring is officially here (or at least around the corner)! Of course, with the change in season, spring cleaning zooms to the top of our to-do list. Our homes get a lot of deep cleaning and purging. From a business owner’s perspective, this practice should also extend to your business. It’s an opportunity to re-evaluate and polish up on some aspects of your business, tying this process to Strategy #6: Realization of our Seven Strategies. See, it all comes full circle!
Here are the top five elements you’ll want to look at:
- Headshots and Profile photos: Think about this scenario. You’re meeting with a client for the first time and as you shake hands, you catch a glimpse of puzzlement on their face. You ask about it and they say, “I was just a little confused. You don’t quite look like your photo on the website”.
How long has it been since you’ve updated your headshot? A year? Two years? Since you started your business? In an earlier post, we talked about the importance of first impressions. This doesn’t just extend to meeting a client in person. First impressions can be your LinkedIn account, your website, or social media accounts. Always make sure your headshot or profile photo is updated. If you can have them professionally done, then do so. A photo, in this case your headshot, is worth a thousand words.
- Website: Your website is your online presence. Here’s some statistics for you to ponder: 71% of small businesses have a website. 38.5% of users judge a business by how their website looks and 38% will stop interacting with a poorly designed site. User experience determines business conversion. Bottom line: it is crucial to keep your website updated. It could be something as simple as making sure your contact information is current or your employee roster is up to date. Again, it goes back to Strategy #1 of our Seven Strategies: First Impressions.
- Resume: Whether you’re an employee, an employer, or a business owner, it’s good practice to keep your resume current, especially with the constant changes made to how resumes are pre-screened. With more companies using HR software to review resumes, using proper keywords allow for algorithms to rank your resume higher. The higher your resume is ranked, the better the chances of getting that interview. It’s essential to do your research and really tailor your resume to the job you want or the client you want to work with.
- Social Media: Just like your website, your social media account(s) reflects your brand and business. Constant updates and clean up are essential, especially if you have a LinkedIn account. Make sure your testimonials and reviews are current. If you have one from five years ago, it’s time to ask a current client for a 2022 review or testimonial. Make sure your contact information, your profile photo, and, if you have one, your media kit is updated as well.
- Contact Lists and business cards: If you scroll down your phone right now, I guarantee you have people on your contact list you no longer speak with, or don’t even remember how they got on your contact list in the first place. Yes, guilty as charged. It’s not something that people usually think about but as a business owner, you want to keep your contacts updated to avoid that awkward conversation of calling someone who no longer works for a company you currently work with. Also, it saves you data space or rolodex space (for those of you who still use them).
The same thing goes for your business cards. You want to make sure your contacts have YOUR most current information. Also, you may consider going paperless with your business cards. Check out dot. Cards. It’s a smart business card, which allows you to share your information with a QR code or a tap option. It also allows you to update your information in real time.
And that’s it for our spring cleaning tips–business edition! Hopefully, this will be something you can integrate as part of your workflow.
