The puffer fish, or blowfish as it is often known, has a very famous natural defence mechanism. It is a highly manoeuvrable creature, with anal, caudal, pectoral and dorsal fins.

Unfortunately, this ability makes it rather slow. Without some form of additional defence it would become an easy target for predators. Luckily, the puffer fish has a very elastic stomach and is able to expand itself, until it is the size of a very large sphere. Now, this article is not about puffer fish, well, only to the extent that their defence mechanism is very similar to that available to small online businesses via web hosting.

One of the best ways in which you can make your business appear bigger and better, is to set up email accounts for your domain. This can be done whether there is a site associated with your domain or not. If you have a domain but do not yet have a site then you will be able to set up addresses like, ‘you@yourdomain.com’ but they will have to be forwarded to your regular account. Only with hosting can you both send and receive messages from a private, domain specific email address. Either way, by setting up independent email accounts for each section of your business, even if all these emails are still ultimately forwarded to one account, it will give the semblance of professionalism and big business.

It is also useful to display pictures of a multitude of professionals on your website. Although these people are only models, they will add to the impression that your company is run by a large team. This will means clients are more likely to choose you rather than your competitors. However, remember there is a fine line between giving a good impression and deceiving your clients. Whatever happens you must be able to deliver the service you offer - no amount of puffer-fish mimicking will do it for you.

So, think big, look big, act big but also, most importantly, deliver big!