Whether you run your business out of your garage, studio, or own a store, you can present yourself with the professional services of mid-size to large companies. From the customer's perspective, they will choose a business based on the confidence they have in the company. You do not need a huge marketing budget to get there. Here are some simple ways to round out your company's branding:

Business Cards

Give and take business cards from all people you meet. If you don't have one, they are easy to make, and easy to order online. With a good color printer and heavy paper stock, you can design your own business card. Just design, print, and cut them as needed. Be sure to include your name, business name, address, phone, and email address at a minimum. Creativity in design and the information you provide on the card will help keep them out of your contacts' waste paper basket.

If you do not have the time or inclination to create your own business cards, you can order them. You can go online to a company, like VistaPrint, and pay a minimal fee plus shipping for a set of cards. Just know that for the basic price, they have limited (i.e., recognizable) business card designs, and without paying an extra fee their logo is stamped on the back of the card.

Another option is to go to your local print shop and order your cards through them. You will probably have more unique designs from which to choose, and have less of a risk of getting your contact information harvested by marketing companies.

Contact Relationship Manager

Gathering contacts is easy. Staying in touch with them takes effort. If you have Outlook or open source Eudora on your computer, you have a basic contact manager. Enter your contacts into this database (after you exchange business cards with them). Use the custom fields, categories, or notes section to store more information about them. Periodically stay in contact with them and update your contact database with notes from your meetings with them. Use this information to introduce your contacts with one another when they share a common interest or need.

Checking Account

Your business's accounts should be separate from your personal accounts. Set up a separate checking account just for your business. If you still use manual checks, do not use starter checks. Not many people will be confident in your financial strength if you give them a check that tells them you have been in business with your bank in less time than it takes to mail your checks. You may want to explore online banking for paying your bills. Banks who offer online banking offer services like recurring payments, exports to accounting systems, and spend usage reporting that can help you keep your financial objectives in check.

Website

Websites promote your business long after you turn out the lights and head home. Provide information on your website for visitors to learn about your products or services, submit feedback, and potentially establish a business relationship. Keep in mind that these visitors may not be local to your place of business.

Your company may be able to nurture clientele in other timezones, and from other countries who may not speak your language. To help with the language barrier, check out online translation tools, like http://babelfish.altavista.com and http://translation.babylon.com . Just know that although automatic translations have greatly improved over the past decade, they are not always accurate. Acquiring the services of a linguist might help overcome a language barrier with fewer chances of mistranslation.