The other day I wrote about how “dressing up” can have an impact about how we feel about ourselves and our confidence level as we go about doing our work. There are those of us who love our home businesses partly because we DON’T have to follow a dress code or dress up while we work. Still, I think it is important to take into consideration whether we are really dressing the part for the industry we work in, the job we do, and the people we meet—even if we are in business for ourselves.
What are you trying to accomplish with your business? How do you want your customers and clients to see you? Even if you have a pretty casual operation, if you ever have to meet face-to-face with those individuals with whom you do business, you will want to consider whether your wardrobe matches the image you are trying to portray. I know that many of us wanted to get out of that rat race and get down to a more sensible way of doing business when we decided to go solo in our home-based businesses, but we still have to move in the real world—a world where how we dress will have an impact on what our prospects and customers think of us and our businesses.
What is your role? Do you want people to know you are the owner of your business? That you are organized and put together? Professional? Casual and approachable? It can seem silly for someone who works from their garage to wear a suit every day, but it can seem equally mismatched to go to meet a new client in our baby blue track suit. Consider both the circumstance, and the image that you are hoping to portray as you represent your business as you get dressed to meet with individuals when you are working. After all, for many of us, we ARE our home businesses so whatever impression we make, lasts.