company logo on everything?

[Steve B]

"Clients and customers want to know you can do the job they're going to pay you to do."

Yes, but they also want to know you'll be around next year to service them or be there to stand behind the guarantee. This has been specifically stated to me many times by customers and potential customers. How long someone has been in business is one of the top ways they make this judgement. Even if overall appearance is #1 - this is a significant #2.

[vangogh]

I agree it plays a part, but I think the question is more they want you to be in business next year to back what they buy as opposed to having been there for the last 20. I realize they may use the latter as proof of the former, which is why it would be important. But there are still other ways to get across that you aren't going anywhere.

The main thing I'm saying is you shouldn't fake how long you've been in business. That will most likely get you into trouble. I wouldn't advertise your company is in business for 20 years if it's only been 6 months. I think that's too easy to find out and if it is you've eroded trust and lost a customer.

The issue of will you be here next year really comes down to trust. Do your customers trust you'll be in business. Having been in business awhile is one signal of trust, but it's not the only one. I think you can get across that you can be trusted without having to lie about how long you've been in business.

That's why I both agreed and disagreed with the whole time in business thing. To me the issue is more about trust and being in business for a number of years does help establish trust, but there are other things that also establish trust like being professional and being caught lying certainly erodes trust.

[cbscreative]

I also think length of time in business is subject to the type of buisiness. Someone like SteveB, huggy, or a roofing company would be great examples of that. If I am shopping for windows, I place a high priority on how long the company has been there. If I am buying paint for my walls, I am more concerned with the reputation of the brand of paint than how long the store selling it has been open. Services like mine and vangogh's are good examples of how our abilities are more important, even though both of us have now been in business for years.

[Steve B]

I didn't think anyone was suggesting lying about how many years they have been in business. If they did - I missed it. I certainly wouldn't suggest or support lying about it.

[billbenson]

Ya, although its kind of like a resume; its not necessarily completely accurate. In my case, there are a couple of 3 month jobs that don't appear on the resume and I fudged the time frame of the jobs that surrounded them. It's not quite like saying I have been in business since 1945 though. The three jobs that were short term, I didn't fit into the corporate mold.

[vangogh]

Steve I don't believe anyone specifically mentioned lying either. I brought it up because I think there might be a temptation for someone to put something on a site saying "in business since 2001" if they think it's important to appear as having been in business longer than they have. I wanted to make the point that lying wouldn't be the way to establish trust.

But no one ever mentioned it as something you should do.

I think we actually agree on the whole appearing to be in business longer thing. The sticky point to me is not putting a specific year on it, because I think you then do cross the line about lying. huggy originally mentioned things like making sure your company name is on the side of your van and things like that. I completely agree with doing those things, but to me that's just being professional. No mention of a date business started needs to be included in those things.

[Steve B]

I wouldn't support that either.

[vangogh]

I didn't think you would. Sorry if I confused things. I didn't mean to imply that anyone was suggesting lying, but I can see how I might have. My bad.