Getting an office
Where will your office be?
Where will be the product/service available? (physical location/s, web site, mobile app, other stores - offline and online, etc)
Setting up office
The choice is between your home (cheapest, not necessarily the most efficient), co-working spaces (basically a desk hiding behind a receptionist in a large hall), or a full-fledged offices.
Tip: Don't tie up essential working capital into long-term leases.
You also want to be moving on to bigger places if the business grows quickly.
Look at the surroundings: When renting out an office, look for the facilities in the neighborhood, whether there are any zoning restrictions, whether you are allowed to make minor modifications (get a list), parking spaces (for yourself and customers) etc.
Other
To look bigger than you are, you can have a full-functioning website (with feedback forms, multiple contact details, team bios, complete list fo product/services and costs, frequently asked questions and their answers, real-time chat (you are pinged the moment a visitor loads your website and you can say 'hello, may I help you?' etc.
For example, some freelancers work through a network of task-specific experts, routing calls to the concerned expert quickly, giving feel of a big team available on call. Or, lawyers go to meet a client in a big car, when they might as well be working from home.
The best tip is to 'wing it'.
Never say 'No' to any customer query. Just get it done.
Be a 'solutions bringer' and nothing else will matter.
Thank you for reading.
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