The great thing about starting your own business is the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want to.
However, you cannot run a business without the patronage of paying customers or clients.
Just as you had to conform to a particular dress code in your last job, so must it be in your business in order to succeed so... dress for success!
Fortunately it doesn't have to be boring or too challenging as it may have been in your former jobs because as an entrepreneur, your type of business and where you go to do business is what determines the dress code for that environment.
As an entrepreneur, what you must always note is that wherever you go is an opportunity for you to attract a business opportunity, be it a referral, a joint venture or a paying client or customer.
So how do you dress for success in your business? Here are some guidelines that you can follow:
Inspire trust - No matter where you go, you must always try to inspire trust in you and your business. So the fact that you are a professional working for yourself does not mean that you must be meeting potential clients in your blue jeans and T'shirt or wearing slacks and shorts just in the name of wanting to feel comfortable. People naturally respond to uniformity so dress the part and inspire the confidence that can help you win the deal.
Be welcoming - Don't look scruffy, dress decently and welcoming to attract people to feel comfortable being in your company to chat and/ or discuss business
Express confidence - You tend to exhibit confidence when you are well dressed for success and people do see that when they see a confident person. It has a lot also to do with what you are wearing. So avoid wearing cloths that you naturally do not fell comfortable in. They will not make you look confident.
Express authority - Avoid wearing those cloths that make you feel inferior or insecure and not at all in control. These may include paying attention to simple things as the color of the cloth or the size as well. Certain colors do not make you look in control and obviously the size of a cloth can determine your confidence and level of authority. It could be a little too big or too small. The best size is one that fits perfectly.
Dress to suit the occasion - It does not make sense to wear a training suit to a sponsorship hunt meeting in a big firm just because you are a teen basketball coach, for example, nor will you wear a suit and tie to a casual party just to show that you are professional. It will only make you look odd and too unapproachable.
Look the part - This becomes so evident and relevant not only in person but also online. If you are representing yourself and your business, always make sure that you know the dress code for your chosen business and fashion your dressing around that. What that means in the online world is that make the pictures you put online to represent you and your business to be as much as possible, very professional. Avoid using pictures that do not enhance your business reputation and your professional self.
Always remember that people buy based on emotions and so making it a conscious effort to dress for success will enable you to provide the initial quality experience that people want in order to interact with you. You also, in the process, create an indelible image and reputation that causes your target market to see you as the foremost expert with credibility in your industry and that alone helps you to overcome the initial rejection that many businesses encounter and it also an influential factor that determines whether or not they will continually buy from you or recommend you to others.
