A few simple steps will help you to present a professional image
One of the things that creates a professional image is consistency or in other words creating a brand.
There is no one look to aim for, think of all the very different brands that are out there from professional and upstanding like banks and accountants to the alternative and unconventional like rock bands with every shade in between.
Find a look that reflects you and the business you are in and that you feel comfortable with.
From an admin point of view there a small touches which constantly reinforce your brand. These may be barely noticeable individually but they combine to make your overall look more consistent.
Pick and use a small range of colours
You may not want to repeat your logo over and over again but using the main logo colours for text or other images subtly reinforces it. Restating your company name and image throughout your documents.
Using lots of colours particularly for text at best looks messy at worst . . . well all the letters I ever got from seriously strange people used lots of coloured ink.
Use the same font or groups of fonts in documents
This again is subtle but reinforces your consistency. The fonts you choose should reflect your individual style and should not detract from your message by being difficult to read.
Use these on all your business documents
That means
- Business cards
- Complements Slips
- Letterheads
- Brochures
- Invoices
- Newsletters
In fact any printed material that your company uses.
Don't stop with your printed material you should also make sure that your web site, premises and even the way that you look are consistent with the image you are presenting.
Oh and don't forget the spell checker while remembering to check it's suggestions.