Guide to Making a Small Company Look Bigger

Use quality business cards, stationery and promotional materials

Nothing says "amateur" like uneven printing on flimsy paper or cardstock. Investing in quality materials and professional equipment or services proves that you're in the game with the big players.

I recommend: Overnight Prints and Vistaprint offer fast and inexpensive business cards, stationary, fliers, and more. Epson and Hewlett Packard offer affordable inkjet and increasingly cost-friendly color laser printers.

Craft a savvy Web site

Think of online documents like printed ones: they must be grammatically impeccable and accurately project your company's image.

I recommend: Now more affordable and easier to DIY, Web hosting services and domain registration are a snap with services like GoDaddy and DreamHost. GoDaddy even provides a Web design interface for an additional fee, allowing for one-stop registration, hosting, and design. User-friendly Microsoft Front Page software enables users to quickly create a polished Web page.

Borrow office or meeting space

Home-based and smaller businesses are sometimes constrained when it's time to meet. Renting office space by the day or hour means uninterrupted sit-downs and presentations.

I recommend: Regus Business Centers provide meeting rooms and virtual offices near transportation hubs in 350 cities and 60 countries worldwide, complete with office equipment and support staff. Officefinder will help you find space to buy, lease, or use by the hour.

Make it Official

Incorporating, registering your company's name, and obtaining adequate insurance will protect your assets and let customers know you mean business.

I recommend: FindLaw offers a small business resource center with tips on finding a lawyer, filing articles of incorporation and registering a business name. Also investigate local legal clinics; some offer affordable business start-up assistance.