Being an entrepreneur means dreaming of success and striving to achieve. Obviously, to succeed in business, you need to have a good idea and a solid business plan; however, you also need to think about how you are presenting yourself. People don’t just choose to invest in your business or buy from the business. They are investing and buying from you. How you choose to present yourself is incredibly important, you need to look the part as well as act the part, and this guide can help. Let’s dive in.
Prioritise Hygiene
Practising good hygiene is one of the basic principles to looking the part and presenting yourself well. Proper hygiene is vital; not only does it boost your health and help to stop the spread – as we learnt from the pandemic – it also has a dramatic effect on how you look and, therefore, what other people think of you. If you fail to prioritise good hygiene, you could look dirty, grubby or tired, and you might smell of body odour or have bad breath – all of these things are incredibly off-putting for other people. It can also help to improve your self-confidence too.
This means making sure that you always appear to be freshly bathed, you are using deodorant, and cleaning under your nails. For women, it could mean making sure that your hair is brushed and styled, and you will likely want to apply at least a little makeup. For men, this will mean washing your face and grooming your hair and facial hair. Regular haircuts stop you from looking unkempt and can increase your confidence too. If you are thinning, then you should think about taking your hair cut shorter, shaving your head or treating hair loss with Finasteride which you can get from Oxford Online Pharmacy.
Dressing the Part
After you have taken charge of your hygiene and getting a good grasp on the basis, it is time to start thinking about your wardrobe and how you can dress the part. Unfortunately, people continue to judge others on their appearances and the clothes that they wear. There is definitely a preconceived notion of what an entrepreneur should look like. Luckily, you do not need to spend a huge amount of money to overhaul your wardrobe and make a difference in how you dress.
The most important thing is, of course, practicality. Think about your business or your plans and what is going to be required of you on a daily basis. Your clothes need to be maximised for practical purposes. Are you going to be on the go a lot, in which case they would need to be movable. Maybe you are working in a warmer environment, in which case breathability would be key. You also generally want to look put together and professional too. If this isn’t practical on a daily basis, then it would make sense to have a few ‘nicer’ outfits like suits or tailored clothes to wear for meetings or presentations, even if you don’t reach for them often.
Your Demeanour
Finally, the last thing you need to think about when considering how you can better present yourself as an entrepreneur is your demeanour. Imposter syndrome is very real, and it can really affect your self-confidence, but other people pick up on this, and if you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else? This is where the phrase fake it till you make it comes in. You don’t necessarily have to feel the most confident, but you do need to always display confidence. There really is something to be said for putting your best foot forward; by acting in a certain way, you are more likely to feel a certain way too.
Think about other common traits displayed by entrepreneurs. Do you display them? Alongside demonstrating more self-confidence, you should also think about your humility, kindness and intelligence. You also will need to develop other skills more specific to entrepreneurialism, like delegating tasks, problem-solving and efficient communication. You should also not be afraid to ask for help; as a business owner, it can be easy to feel like the buck stops with you, but this isn’t the case; you should never feel like you cannot ask for help when you need it.
To Conclude
It is worth pointing out that success is relative. It looks different for different people, and sustaining a business is a success in and of itself. Being an entrepreneur means committing to working hard to achieve your goals. Starting a fledgling business is a challenge, and there are a lot of instances where you will need to network or partner with other businesses or meet with investors, and they are much more likely to take you seriously if you look the part. It is all about creating a good first impression, after all, and ensuring that you come across as professional, confident and capable.
