One of the most important things an aspiring entrepreneur can do is validate their idea by finding a client. For first time entrepreneurs, this can often feel intimidating and so we’re hoping that by sharing stories of how others before them have found their first client we can make it feel less daunting. Below, you’ll find the stories of some incredibly bright entrepreneurs and business owners sharing how they secured their first client.

Brian Meert

After selling a business in the entertainment industry, I was eager to start another company. I found a co-founder and we began. After 2-3 years, we realized the business was not getting the traction we had hoped for and made the difficult decision to shut it down. I began looking for jobs to cover basic expenses. Read more>>

Kelsey Kelly

I got my first client before I realized that they were a client. Andre Hustace is one of the artists of Radius Music Group (RMG) and we have known each other since middle school. The work together as an Artist and manager duo began in our Music Business class in high school where I was his manager. This was strictly for class then after high school, it became real. Andre trusted me to be his manager in real life. Read more>>

Jennifer ‘Jen’ Ramirez

It was my first month in real estate and I hosted my first open house. I was nervous, excited and anxious all at once! I could not sleep the night before, in anticipation of my first experience as a new Real Estate Agent. Would people show up? What questions would they ask? Would they like the treats I spent hours preparing? What would I do with all the leftover food if no one came? Yikes! Read more>>

Temika Walker

B4 UR SKN® first client was a judge from the Brooklyn Public Library Power Up Pitch Competition in summer 2021. Someone spiritual was in my ear saying just take a sample of your body butter to the judges at the Brooklyn Library since I’m always there researching data for the pitch competition which required a 21 page business plan, powerpoint presentation and financial projections. Lets just say that was my lucky day and I ran into one of the judges named Arcola. Read more>>

Benjamin Szweda

Landing clients – first and subsequent – was my primary concern as I contemplated starting my business. It turned out not to be the problem I was making it out to be, but I spent much time thinking about where the clients would come from and how to reach them. While I don’t do it anymore, to feel like I was actively tackling this problem, I would comb through job postings on Indeed.com and similar websites and apply to the postings. Read more>>

Alison Midollo

My first client actually messaged me directly on LinkedIn! She saw from my experience I had graduated from the same health coaching training program that she had just completed & was looking for guidance & support starting out. After getting on the phone to connect, I had my first client & my business mentorship program was born! Read more>>

Jessica N. Sauls

I remember it like it was yesterday. Dec 12, 2016. My first client for the day was Brandy. She had been my client during my apprenticeship. Her and I hit it off the first day we meet. I was busy tidying up and a little nervous due to the fact this was it. Brandy walked in and the first thing she said was, ” I love it.’ I knew at that moment that this was the place for me. Read more>>

Shaneice Oree

Well getting my friend client was super exciting. I was speaking at an event talking about my journey on how I fell in love fashion and deciding to becoming a fashion stylist. I met my first client at the event. She was an actress and she was writing and starring in her own independent film. I couldn’t believe it my first real job was working on a movie. Read more>>

Chef Dj

How I got my very first client was very interesting to me, was my family, my friends, and the person I was dating at that point and time they all would brag about my cooking. I started working doing home healthcare while I was doing home healthcare. The lady would always smell food on me at the main office so one day she said, do you cook? I said yes! Then I said I’ve been cooking for a while. Read more>>

Iva Gancheva

I am a Hot Yoga instructor and I have a great opportunity to connect to people at my yoga studio. I often share interesting concepts about neuroscience, the power of our subconscious mind, mindfulness, etc. and I weave and co-relate them to our yoga practice. This is how I got my 1st client and continue to find new ones simply by sharing and educating people about what I do and how I do it. Read more>>

Carla López de Azúa

In the heart of an economic recession after Hurricane María, where businesses were shutting down or tightening their belts and entrepreneurs faced unprecedented challenges, I found herself on the brink of expanding the company’s vision. Armed with a passion for creativity, and a determination to succeed, I embarked on a journey that would not only define my career but also prove that opportunities could arise even in the toughest of times. Read more>>

Kenneth Davis

Having served in the military for an extended period, my network within the veteran community became an invaluable resource. Since I worked during my years of service, I was lucky to find a seeking-help clientele base. Additionally, my father-in-law’s military background proved instrumental in this endeavor. His service history enabled me to tap into a network of his comrades who were in dire need of guidance and support when navigating the complexities of the VA system. Read more>>

Sabrina Mitchell

I had never had any interest in cake decorating, but after helping my grandma decorate cupcakes for my cousins wedding I realized I actually enjoyed it. So for my daughter’s first birthday, I made her cake and smash cake. Our photographer saw them and was really impressed so she asked me to make her daughter’s birthday cake. I think I charged her like $20 for a huge sheet cake, but it was my first order! After I made her cake, I posted it to social media and immediately started getting orders from there. I still make cakes (5 years later) for all 4 of her daughters! Read more>>

Jenny Jones

I landed my first client by following up on a really old RFP that was shared with a network of operations managers I’m a part of. I was still at the point of trying to figure out how to find a client that was outside my immediate network, and figured it couldn’t hurt to see if this business had filled the position, even if the RFP was months old. I drafted a really great response and sent it off, but not really expecting anything to come of it. Read more>>

Riley Shasteen

I always loved writing stories- ever since I was in elementary school and would fill binders with blue lined pages covered in my terrible hand writing, and would even have my friends draw cover art for me. I loved pretending that they were real, published books of mine. But I would never let anyone actually read my stories. That’s why, years later, when I heard about websites where you could write and share your own stories for other people interested in the same topics online, I knew I had to use it to my advantage. Read more>>