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.

Whitney Lyles

My first client journey began with my best friend, who was always my go-to model for practice. Once I started promoting makeup and facials, she became my first paid customer, despite my hesitation to charge her—she insisted on paying. Additionally, when I launched my boutique/brand, my twin sister was my first customer. Because they are my family I didn’t feel comfortable taking their money because I was new to the industry but please know family, friend etc will support and pay for your service/product because they respect your business. Never think you’re not worth it. Read more>>

Candice Howard

My extended family was telling everyone and their mother about me, and I had shared my Valentine’s menu on the local neighborhood page — a bit of a rushed endeavor, but I knew people loved to get sweets for their significant other so I thought it was a good chance to start getting my name out there. The first client I had that wasn’t related to me came from the neighborhood group that saw my post. Read more>>

Charis Nwanze

I had traveled downtown early that morning for my very first business meeting to visit a rental space about developing their website. I was excited but also really nervous. I had DM’d them quite a bit and had let them know that their website needed work. I got to the meeting and, well, let’s just say it was kind of a waste of time. After feeling a little deflated but still glad I went, I walked into my favorite coffee shop. There was an artist selling these really cool resin prints. I went up to her, admiring her work, and asked if she had a website. She said no, so I pitched myself right then and there! She booked me, and that showed me that if I could have the confidence to walk up to a random stranger and pitch myself in-person, I had a business here. Read more>>

Brian Guilmette

In the years prior to me starting my own creative business, I was working as a strength and conditioning coach in Cary, North Carolina, in a sport performance facility. I’d been there for a few years and had started to grow increasingly uncertain about where I could take that career. It can be brutal. Even with a degree in Exercise Science, and several certifications from the most respected governing bodies, it’s still a “pay your dues” industry. You start out by doing unpaid internships, low paying internships or assistant jobs, and your first paid positions are just not competitive…often low hourly wages with zero benefits. I was already burnt out and searching my soul for what was going to fulfill me. The only thing I knew for sure was that I have been a creative person my whole life. From drawing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with my cousin Rob as a child, to teaching myself photoshop and html as a teen, to picking up guitar, going to music college and immersing myself in the early 2000’s Boston music scene, I loved expressing myself through creating. When I started my new career in the field of strength and conditioning, I couldn’t shake this inherent need to just…make things. This turned into things like designing graphics for my boss’s weight room, or editing photographs taken around the gym to be used in the marketing materials I would ultimately help create. Read more>>

Ian Paget

When I first started Logo Geek, it was really just a hobby. A side project among many. At the time, I had a full-time job as a lead designer, and my career goal was simply to climb the ladder within design companies. Any side project I took on was purely to push myself creatively. In my full-time role, although my focus was mainly on designing (mostly websites), I was learning a lot from the people around me – about sales, marketing, SEO, and more. I was eager to soak it all in. When I launched Logo Geek, the website was meant to be a sandbox – a space to experiment and learn, not just about design but also about marketing and SEO. I shared designs I created for friends and family and started writing too, testing out ideas I was picking up in my day job. Read more>>