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.

Katie Keegstra

When I first launched my business, I did what I thought I was supposed to do. I partnered with other vendors, showed up to countless networking events, and put myself out there as much as possible. For three months straight, I didn’t receive a single inquiry. Not one. That season was incredibly confusing. I felt like I was doing everything “right,” yet nothing was happening. Read More>>

Laquita Tate

When I decided to officially start my design business, I made one small but pivotal move — I turned my Instagram account from private to public. At the time, I wasn’t showcasing client projects. I was showcasing my own home. Every paint color, every styled shelf, every room refresh was both creative expression and quiet marketing. Read More>>

Shannon Nottoli

I got my very first client the old-school way—by simply telling everyone what I was doing. I had just started my business and was working out of a tiny closet in a salon, but I was excited and confident in what I could offer. Read More>>

Hari Srinivasan

We launched our startup in January 2020, right in the heart of COVID. The world was shutting down. Offices were empty. Budgets were frozen. Uncertainty hung in the air like fog that wouldn’t lift. And, there we were, full of conviction, armed with a product we deeply believed in. We knew we had built something great. Read More>>

Lauren Isaacson

The first client I had was actually another staff member at my previous school who had a student with unique needs and wanted help in the advocacy sphere of our new business. This staff member knew that I had the student’s best interests at heart and wanted to truly help the family figure out how their child was going to make it through school. Over several weeks and meetings, their child was able to be evaluated for and receive services for special education within a matter of a few months. Read More>>