Virtual businesses are all the craze in 2017. They’re easy to set up, they’re cost effective, and they have the potential to grow into highly prosperous and profitable ventures. That is if the business (and the business owner) is able to gain credibility.

Have you ever wondered what traits separate the world’s most successful entrepreneurs from those that never make it past the first couple of years? To succeed in business, it’s all about the traits that you and your business have, one of the most important of which is credibility. The fact is that as a business owner, you attempt to convince people to buy your products or use your services. The truth is that as a new business owner, your products and services are yet to be proven in terms of how successful they are, which is where credibility comes in.

To have any chance of success in the business industry, you need to be able to show how credible you are, and how credible your business is. For a business to succeed, it needs to have a strong reputation, because if it doesn’t, its chances of success are low. Of course, establishing credibility takes time, it’s not something that can be done overnight. However, there are strategies that can be used to help increase the speed at which a business gains credibility.

Here are four simple ways to improve your business’s credibility quickly:

Be honest

If there is one thing that instantly kills credibility, it is being dishonest. So aim to always be transparent, when it comes to your business, products, and services. It’s not only full blown lies that will discredit you and your brand, but also embellishing unnecessarily. If there is one thing that people want most from brands, it’s honesty. So from the get-go, be a brand that’s open and honest.

Be knowledgeable

Having a broad knowledge of the industry that you are in and the products or services that you provide, as well as the necessary skills for doing so, is vital. If you don’t know enough about the industry that you are in, then take the time to learn more about it. The more knowledgeable you are, the more credible you (and your business) will seem. If you want consumers to trust you, you need to demonstrate that you know what you are talking about.

Professionalism is key

Want to come across well to your consumers and potential partners? Professionalism is key. The fact is that when it comes to increasing your credibility as a business owner, being professional is vital. The question is, what does being professional mean? To start with, it’s having business contact details that are different from your personal ones. If you currently run your virtual business from home, rent a business address for your mail to be sent to. Create a business email address, and invest in a new phone number for your business calls. Your business will appear more professional because of it. It’s also about being polite and treating your customers with the same care shown by larger and more established brands.

Get endorsed

When consumers see that other people have used your products or services and have had good results, they will be more likely to think of your business as a credible company. Ask every customer that you have to endorse your company (and products or services) by leaving a short review on your social media platforms.

Building credibility isn’t a fast process, but using the tips above can speed it up slightly.