Getting your first client is an exhilarating experience, but it’s also an experience that far too many aspiring entrepreneurs never experience. Sometimes, the difference between an idea dying in the idea stage or going on to change the world is getting that first customer – the first tiny win that creates the momentum to make an idea real. So, we connected with some of the smartest folks we could and asked them to tell us the stories of how they got their initial clients.

Maria Clark

I photographed a lot of different things for my own experience and enjoyment. One of those was my sister getting her hair and makeup done on her wedding day. Her wedding photographers weren’t going to be there in the morning, so I took it as an opportunity to practice and make some memories for my sister. While editing the images later, one image struck me. It was a photo my sister having her makeup done, and the makeup artist had a tattoo that said “Imagine” on the wrist that was applying my sister’s eye makeup. Read more>>

Yaw Ankrah

So I started off taking photos of my friends and family and would post it on social media for followers to see and as I progressed in quality people started asking me how much I charged and if I’d do a photoshoot for them. Then I realized there’s money that can be made out here doing photos for people to post on Instagram and then that grew into shooting content for a few local businesses and now I’m where I’m at today Read more>>

Christa Ellis

I started Luxe Photos KC, KC’s Premier Photobooth Rental & Backdrops in May 2021. The Knot Worldwide had contacted me to advertise on their platforms (The Knot & WeddingWire) in June and I setup my business pages and my first client had contacted me on there. They had gotten married in 2020 during Covid and wanted to have a reception for their family and friends. We had set up a Zoom meeting to discuss what we did and how we customize everything to match the aesthetics of their day (i.e tap to start screen, overlays, and print template). I had sent over our brochure for her to look at in more details and she booked with us! I was excited and nervous at the same time. Read more>>

Terresa Zimmerman

“Can I show you my underwear?” My pitch. Walk in and ask the owner/buyer if I can show them my underwear. This was my pitch then and it’s still in use today. It’s a great ice breaker for a cold call. (all puns intended) One day in the first 6 weeks of my business, I started trying to sell to stores. After a very long, full day driving around Los Angeles, stopping into stores and hearing rejection after rejection and feeling more and more dejected, wondering what the heck I had just done with my career and my life… Read more>>

Beleshia Mcculley

My first client was my daughter Ashlee Bankz. She wanted to get into music so of course no one could take care of her like myself. Read more>>

Tami Blackshear

I gained my first clients via co workers. My co workers were my first clients and I can truly say that they were a staple in my business’s exposure. The selected dessert was milk/white chocolate covered dip strawberries. I decided to allow my co workers to be my guinea pigs a few days before Valentine’s Day. They loved the strawberries. They complimented me on the presentation, the packaging and the pricing if ordered. I had so many orders for V-day from their family members and friends. They put in so many orders that I had to hire my daughter and husband for assistance with dipping, boxing and delivery. Read more>>

Emilie Schiller

My first real client who I did a contract for, had to figure out my process with, and had to get paid by, was someone I met at a networking breakfast. I had left my job in consulting, started my design business and was trying to focus full-time on that (as an aside, that was a decision I made FAR too early, and I ended up going back to consulting for a few years while I continued to do Home Methods on the side), but I knew I needed to go out and meet people to let them know that I and Home Methods existed. Read more>>

Mathiba Kgopa

Our cleaning business started with a single step… I started. Read more>>

Kayla Jasperse

My first client, I can’t believe that this was only back in May! I am lucky enough to say that I had multiple first clients! I had posted on my personal page and Facebook marketplace a picture of a box that I had made for a friend of mine. Since this was a couple weeks before a Mother’s Day, I advertised these boxes as Mother’s Day boxes. I was expecting to get a few people, maybe that I knew, to buy a couple just because they knew me. Read more>>

Dina Schechter

We had just completed a few of the renovations on our own properties and getting them ready for short term rental. We had a website and a very small following on Instagram but Joey received an email from someone who was interested in hearing more about what we do. She had just bought a house in the area where we have most of our properties and was wanting to rent it out. She was so excited to hear our story and what she could earn through short term rental and she signed with us later that week! She has been the most enthusiastic hype girl and one of our best clients. Read more>>

Kimberly Wright

The Holiday Season was approaching, and I began posting my present Community Service Projects on Facebook. I was portraying Mrs. Claus in BIPOC Communities. Afterwards, I began receiving messages regarding my portraying Mrs. Claus on Christmas Eve for individual homes, birthday party, and 9 children in a Girls Group Home. The Director of the girls group home and I spoke telephonically, and it was determined that there was a need for me to personally bring toys, clothes, and stocking stuffers for these girls. Read more>>

Tiana Ochoa

I got my first client by embracing the community and the community embraced me back.. Read more>>

Anatesha Wilson

My first client(s) came from a previous job I had. At the time where I was working I would pack lunch, and each time Id heat my food up I get so many compliments on the smell. I was very flattered and eventually offered to start selling lunches on Fridays. At first it went from about 5 people per order and grew very rapidly to almost 20 orders each Friday. It made me feel great and really motivated me to want to take it a step further in my cooking career. Each platter was sold for $10. Read more>>

Tavia Rodgers

When I completed my certification I got my first client through word of mouth from my family and friends. They knew I was hardworking, passionate, and could assist in providing the wanted results to anyone who could meet me half way by putting in the work. I posted my certificate on all of my social media platforms and received an influx of interest from people who were looking for someone who could motivate and help them reach their desired fitness goals. I was a little nervous at first but anxious to start something so empowering and even life-changing. Read more>>

Tiffani Reynolds

I knew from day one of my career as a real estate agent that visibility would be a critical factor of success. I set myself up, digitally, to be seen everywhere: Facebook, google, Instagram, realtor.com, and Zillow. I knew I needed to be seen on all of these platforms to have the best chance of capturing prospects to work with my business. Read more>>

Damian Young

I started Dayo Fit as a 1-on-1 Personal Training service. I didn’t have access to a gym or equipment of my own, so I would train people under the radar at their gyms or a park. I think I had less than 30 local followers and 100 total followers on The Gram, so I know I needed someone with more reach. I got my first client by taking on my co-worker who had 10K+ followers on Instagram (FREE MARKETING HACK) and trained her for free, as long as she posted and tagged Dayo Fit on her social media after every training session. Read more>>

Wanda Christopher

Nothing in business matches the mix of emotions and excitement that comes with servicing your first real customer. By customer, I mean a complete stranger who for whatever reasons decides to accept and pay for services offered. As a provider of beauty services for brides and bridal parties, I realized early on that one key to success was establishing a pretty consistent pipeline of clients desiring cosmetology services. In my research, I was pleased to find a number of technology applications focused exactly on my need. Of course, all such apps are not the same and I had to select one that that fit with my preferred client preferences. Read more>>

Nancy Oliver

My first client that found me organically was a total accident. She was looking for change and came into my business. She had no idea that I wasn’t going to just give her change for a $50 bill, but I was going to change her life with my infrared sauna pod. When she saw my machine she said “ what planet did that come from?” I laughed and said this machine is from the future and it’s here to help us feel better. Read more>>

Jowan Smith

I got my first client when I pitched in a business pitch competition with the Cleveland Leadership Center called Accelerate in 2017. I pitched my idea and one of the judges was the CEO of the local school district. Within weeks I had a meeting with him and his team. This resulted in my first major contract. Read more>>

Mar Na Carter

The inspiration for Mar Na’s Body Shop started in 2010. A family member of mine was having skin issues and was unable to use store-brought products. I decided to do some research and found out that I could create something that would not harm their skin. I made my first product, Peppermint Body Butter. The family member used my body butter and her skin started to clear up. I knew I was on to something. Read more>>

Stephnie Sahadeo

In the summer of 2016, I was working as a teacher in a local community center. I worked Monday through Friday teaching stem lessons two first through ninth grade. My supervisor asked me to give a presentation to some of the donors for the program, our presentation and telling what exactly we do, why it is beneficial for the students, and some of the data behind student progress. So, of course, I accepted, and began preparing the presentation. Read more>>

Lonice Stoker

My first client was from Facebook, the power of a before and after picture even before Instagram was popular is how my first client found me. I actually saw her at an event last month and got emotional when I saw her because she gave me a chance 8 years ago in my living room on my hard massage table for lashes. She loved her lashes and told a friend about me and it continued to grow from there. Instagram was life changing for me it was all pictures back then so I had to always remember to post before and afters 3 times per day every single day at 8am, 12pm, and 7pm. Read more>>

Kenton Elliott

I got my first client back in the fall of 2020. I was roughly two months into doing photography, so I was brand new. One day this young lady hit me on Instagram and asked me what my rates were. At the time, my rates were just $50. I didn’t have the material even to charge high. I just had my camera and lens. The young lady told me she had a birthday upcoming and she wanted to support me. I didn’t know her at the time, so it meant a lot to hear that from someone I didn’t know. I took her pictures, and she loved them, which made me happy. Read more>>

Carla/Tiffany Kessell/Walker

We had purchased a hot dog stand and we were in the process of converting it to our crepe cart. Our cart was not complete, but Carla could not wait to book an event. She signed us up for a small town festival about an hour away in Macon, MO called the Macon Cork and Fork. We had no idea what we were doing or what to expect. We have two crepe makers that run on propane. We now know that we could cook crepes for 16 hours straight off one propane tank, but we took 5 propane tanks for that first event. Read more>>

Jacqueline Marrano

Here is my story on how I got my first client for two different solutions I provide. My first client for tax law solutions was back in 2008. I had a mutual friend give me the referral. They were a person who had a similar background to me and they had been getting estimates from other preparers that were not accurate. Once I helped that person she literally told everyone in the city we resided in at the moment about me. Read more>>

Aissatou Ndiaye

I get my first client when I opened my brick and motar store on June 17, 2014. Everybody was curious to check the new store out. Read more>>

Naomi Lee

When I first became interested in doing hair i was very young . I grew up in the suburbs of Rochester New York , where in the city people were always keeping up with the latest fashion and trends. I was in middle school by the time that I had mastered the cornrow technique. I would practice on my hair all night long trying different braid styles , until I got the part and braid perfect .I would braid my sisters hair , and the kids hair at school during lunch and gym . Read more>>

A’Justice Ellison

I took a leap. I heard a lot of songs on the radio that turned out to be ads and I was intrigued. I reached out to a lawfirm on instagram and they replied with a direct email to their marketing team. They asked for an example of the type of work I do and I quickly replied back with a demo of a jingle that I’d created from scratch in my bedroom. When they said they wanted to go forward with me I was elated. Making music is something I enjoy in every aspect of life so this was the perfect lane for me. 4+ years later the rest is history and I still get excited when I turn the radio on and hear myself and my production at any given time. Read more>>

Kirsten Slocumb

When running a business, marketing is everything. We live in an era where if it isn’t on social media then it doesn’t exist. I got my first client by marketing myself online. I post pictures and use both relevant and popular hashtags. I also pass out business cards and that helps me get new clients as well. When someone reaches out to you after discovering your work online, it feels special because they are essentially choosing you. They picked you because they like what they saw. Social media clients are some of my favorite clients to have. Read more>>