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.

 

Ivonne Montaño

I first received my first client via selling my items on Etsy. The process to getting a sale took a long time. I knew back in 2014 that To make sales I needed to captivate my clients from stunning photos. To get the high quality photos for Etsy, I would work with photographers that I connected on Instagram, and asked if they would like to make a trade; keep the item and trade for high quality photos. This process could take from 1-2 or 3-4 months, due to me shipping items to different states or to other countries. Read more>>

Margherita Riello

This is one of my favorite stories about our business because is still amaze me till this day and remind me how blessed I am. When we opened our door, we truly didn’t have a plan, besides few tips from the franchise we used to be a part of. We truly opened our doors with 0 ( zero ) clients… We were going to the gym, hoping that people would show up, we had a Groupon going and that started to bring some people in. I remember that our first client name was Pam, and Pam taught me a good business lesson… Read more>>

Samantha Snabes

After submitting to the Independence Challenge with Instructables, we heard about Start-Up Chile, an initiative that identifies and supports customer-validated and scalable companies that will leave a lasting impact on the Latin American ecosystem. The program provides equity-free startup funds, as well as access to investors, training and mentors. It seemed like the perfect incubator to submit our idea. The next thing we knew, we received a letter stating we were being awarded $40,000 to start a company, and I was moving to Santiago. Start-Up Chile made it seem like it was really a business. It became very real to me and Matthew. Read more>>

Latoya Massey

My Aunt, Dale Glover, gets full credit! She was my very first client, onside of my mother. I used to watch her do perms (to us it was a Jheri curl) watching them letting their “Soul Glow” lol… she pressed with the hot comb and twirled with the Marcel Irons. She reminded me of a Magician. Seeing that made me want to try different styles with my dolls and myself as well. I really became a mini boss at 13 years old. I started rolling my hair in foam rollers from my grandmother and changed my styles once a week. Read more>>

Luctresa Raphael

My first client was a friend, however the first client I got that was a stranger had me in awe. This client reached out to me on social media because she was referred to me from her friend who was stranger to me as well. I ha a flyer circulating instagram which drew her to my page and she was able to identify with my story, and lead her to support me. Read more>>

Gabrielle Chambers

I was newly licensed and was looking for consistent employment as a massage therapist but interview after interview, nobody hired me until I connected with a massage therapist who had his own massage establishment. Shout out to Ray who helped guide me and polish up my skills. That was an on call deal so I decided to also find a job around massage therapists and network until I got hired as one. So I went to work at a well known massage school in their student clinic as a receptionist. Read more>>