Perhaps one of the most endearing and compelling aspects of small businesses is that often, they can get away with being more informal, open, accessible, and presentable than larger firms which tend to fall into formula in order to present a coherent image. For instance, a small graphic design company run by two cool artists is often more enjoyable to deal with than a large marketing firm taking you through the steps of a pre-packaged, tiered promotional campaign.

That said, is there room for small brands to heighten their professionals standards while still retaining that sense of accessibility, and ability to react to you personally as a client? We believe there is, but it takes the ability to manage our considerations with care, to understand what elements of our business can afford to be a little more approachable, and which need to conform to the highest standards of our industry.

With that in mind, it can be hard to know where to begin. Never fear, in this post, we’ll discuss the goals and more.

Investing in Proper Equipment

Small brands can tend to fall back into the humble, homespun method of developing their products or services, be that using email rather than client forms to take bookings or commissions, or handcrafting every product despite the toll this can take on production schedules. It might be that investing in industry equipment such as industrial embroidery machines or weighing scales or painting equipment can help you provide a competent service without having to ruin your artistry. A careful investment here can help boost your productivity for some time, without robbing the soul of what you do.

Reinforcing Professional Ethics

It’s a great idea to ensure that while your brand is small, it adheres to essential industry professional ethics. Enforcing a no-tolerance policy when it comes to harassment or bullying, making certain that everyone feels welcome, ensuring essential HR policies are followed (despite this perhaps being managed by a singular person or manager), and using auditors to come and keep you up to a higher standard that annual government inspections will – all of these ethical standards raise your competence, and the understanding of the staff you take care of.

Digital Competence

Digital competence is an essential element of retaining customers and keeping your data secure. By applying competent and regular cybersecurity updates, you can avoid losing the data of your most trusted clients, which can lead to suffering a real reputational knock. This is why many small firms find it appropriate to hire a managed IT service to provide them with the terminals they need, the cloud support they can use for backups, and of course, the round-the-clock server support necessary for security. Training your staff in good password use, how to avoid phishing attacks, and retaining the utmost confidentiality of your clients is always a fantastic way forward.

With this advice, you’re sure to heighten your professional standards as a small brand, through and through.