Editor’s note: This article was first published in November 2010; its list of contact channels includes Tuenti, a Spanish social network that has since closed, and its framing of a new information age reflects that time.
A services portfolio is the best introduction a company can have. In the United States, most companies have a very well-prepared and thoroughly professional services portfolio. Hispanic businesses are now starting to give it the importance it deserves and to become aware of the benefits it brings.
Below we explain what a services portfolio really is and how to put one together properly.
What a services portfolio is
It is a book, folder or document in which we include the basic, essential information about our business or company, so that our customers or prospective customers get to know our company and come away with a good impression of it.
In the services portfolio:
- We should include a description of the history of our business (how it started, when, how it grew, etc.).
- Our company’s short-, medium- and long-term objectives.
- Our company’s vision.
- The products and services we offer, and those we plan to add soon.
- Quality seals and guarantees: the more official quality seals we can include, the better.
- Our suppliers, trying to highlight those with national and international prestige.
- The backing the company has: partners, collaborators, etc.
- Our most important customers.
Along with this information, in this new information age we should never forget to provide as many ways of contacting us as possible: phone numbers, postal address, email, Facebook account, Twitter, Tuenti (a Spanish social network) and the website where customers can visit us.
If our business has received positive reviews in the media and the press, don’t forget to mention what was said and include a newspaper clipping where we were mentioned.
How to put it together
When putting together a services portfolio, be brief, concise and clear. Don’t use too many pages, because customers won’t read it if they’re faced with 70 of them, and above all try to accompany the text with plenty of descriptive images that fit your line of business. You can see an example here: an example services portfolio (PDF, in Spanish). As you can see, it’s simple to make. What matters is the content.
In a nutshell, make a professional services portfolio and you’ll show your customers how professional you are.
Further reading
- How to attract the first customers to your business
- How to improve your company’s image
- 5 ways to grow your business
- How to be a successful business owner
Featured image: Old Pacific Print Works, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
