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.

Miguel Ortiz & Anthony Fioto

How we made our first dollar is unique in the sense that we don’t offer a product. We are a distribution company and we make our own productions/content to distribute. We had to put in about 2 years of our own content using our own money, and making no money, in order for someone to actually approach us and want to hire us for our services. Read more>>

Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix

In January 2017, I was working as a speech therapist at the Palm Beach School for Autism. I also opened the first Love Serving Autism nonprofit tennis organization’s first after-school tennis program at the same school. The families at the school learned about the tennis program and begin to contact me for program questions. One mom told me her son plays video games every day after school and the doctors are concerned about his health and lifestyle. I encouraged the mom to register her son and he began to play tennis with our group once a week after-school. Read more>>

Elizabeth Eguez

Well my sister started designing some cards. Once we had five or seven designs I started going to store that I love to shop at and doing a cold call. I don’t think we had our Business license yet too. So I walk in to Progress in South Park and look around. Waiting for the owner Bruce to be done with another customer. Once he was done I introduced myself and asked if he would like to see our greeting card designs. He was so kind and said yes. I pulled out the 5 -7 designs to show him and the tissue paper color options. He was impressed enough to place an order. Read more>>

Geno MurrY

Starting a business is one of the most fulfilling and meaningful things. Like any other business it requires putting in the ground work and making the right sacrifices. Photography requires a great deal of practice in honing your skills that requires a lot of time. I wanted to make sure that once I start promoting myself as a business entity that I’d be at a professional level. Through a series of practice sessions with local models, my family members and friends I would conduct photoshoots on a TFP (trade for prints) basis with the hope of sharing the images on social media platforms in an effort to get my work out there. Read more>>

Devin Wiesler

At the time, I was doing a field verification for a commercial office in Downtown Orlando. My client was asking me if I knew any interior designers that would do her home. I told her I could recommend someone (not wanting to muddy the waters, as she was my client at the firm I was working at and her project was still in progress. She then said, “Ugh, I wish you could just do it, you’ve done a great job on my office and I don’t want to try and find someone else when I am happy with you. Read more>>

Victoria Haner

I’m going to be completely transparent, I don’t remember my very first client. Like most photographers, I started out just by bringing my camera -everywhere- and photographing -everything-. The first actual photoshoot that I can really remember was my aunt’s engagement pictures, around 2010 I believe. It wasn’t paid, but it was the first full session that I was proud of and showcased on my Facebook page. My first ever wedding, I do remember. It was for a friend-of-a-friend in Florida, and they paid me $500, including travel from Georgia. I slept on an air mattress in the bride’s house. Read more>>

Matty Lansdown

Having grown up as a country kid in a working class Australian family, the idea that I’d ever be in business was hard to fathom in itself so naturally it took a while for my belief systems to catch up before I made any real moves in the business space. I started out working fulltime in my job as a hospital scientist and given I didn’t have any capital to back me I built it as a side hustle beginning with my podcast which I release evry single Wednesday. I didn’t know anything about marketing or nuruturing clients through to a sale which all contributed to the first sale being a shock! Read more>>

Sabryna Wright

When I first developed the idea to start a business…or rather, finally do the thing that had been brewing inside of me for years; I wanted to create trust and longevity. It was important for me to test my services but also respect my client and community by being fair in my pricing. At the time, I had over 15 -years of small to corporate-sized business experience and I knew I could provide solutions for small businesses based on the need that I had experienced as an employee and executive assistant. However, I needed to make sure that the processes I had developed were actually going to work. Read more>>

Janis Foley

I still remember dreaming of becoming a photographer ever since my 10th birthday when I was given my very first camera. I fell completely in love with photography ever since that day. I dabbled in photography though out my life. I always had a camera in my hand even in high school. I still remember my friend Kelly asking me to photograph her first baby, Trevor. I was excited to do so since I never thought it was actually possible to earn a living doing what I love. I photographed her baby with black & white film. I took that film to a black & white lab in Little Italy in San Diego called In-House run by a great man named Gene Nocon. I came in so excited. He asked me to tell him all about it. Read more>>

Maejor E.L.

Never work for free! Advice that would instigate my then over inflated sense of value. I had just finished my degree, my internship was ending, and an offer for full time employment had been made. I declined. Cubicle life didn’t seem all that appealing. Maybe it’s cliché, but I was going to start a business. Unfortunately, the only work I had to display at this point, was derived entirely from my coursework, and the above mentioned internship; which meant the work was either amateur at best, or unethical for me to use. Even still, I was all ego. Right about now, you might find yourself asking, “but aren’t you supposed to have a high sense of value?” Well, let me explain. Read more>>

DJ New Era

My very first client came in 2011. I was asked to Dj a 90’s theme wedding in Birmingham, AL. I was super nervous being I didn’t have much 90’s music. Thank God i have and older brother who is very familiar with 90’s music. He tagged alone with me after making me a playlist and we rocked that wedding! My very 1st wedding/gig fresh out of college paid me 500$. I always told myself to start low and build your price up based on experience and the equipment offered. Read more>>

Jennifer Green

Our first wholesale client was a really big success for the company. Believe it or not, I got it from cold calling. I know that cold calling can have a stigma to it, but for whatever reason, people are intrigued when we call them wanting to offer them our products. I think it is different when you include the healthy and philanthropic elements we have. People want to contribute and they want to support, which makes the whole process much more digestible. Sharing our products with different businesses and organizations has been very special and we are excited to further expand. Read more>>

Alexis O’Brien

When I was first starting out I put an ad on Groupon just to get more practice with real strangers. I got several inquires of people either traveling to Florida and wanting their vacation documented or local people who wanted life events documented. It was great practice and I would have kept my ad going however, Groupon takes over 65% of your ad price which felt like highway robbery! Read more>>

Atiya Spencer

Getting my first client, I went about it in a unique way. I thought outside the box and wanted to find other ways to attract clients. Social media is always a good platform to promote your business, however, I decided to use a different route. I followed a few healing groups on TikTok and one particular had a Facebook group I joined. I utilized that platform to promote by business while helping my target market when they was in need during the most critical time, the pandemic. Read more>>

Jacqueline Coronado

I was working full time as a personal assistant at the time and honestly I had a gut feeling that change was coming. I was working on the side as a photographer but was never able to step away from my other job permanently. However, during my lunch breaks I would look for clients online whether it was company websites or even Craigslist. And Craigslist was actually the thing that gave me my first client. It was a pretty big gig that required my Studio Photography skills and I immediately sent in my portfolio, had a quick phone call with them, and scored a deal. Two weeks later, I quit my job and never looked back. Read more>>

Tosha Wilson-Davis

I remember sending an email to 22 of my current and ex-coworkers on April 5, 2019 stating that I was opening Penciled IN Resume Writing & Career Services, LLC. I had previously worked in higher ed as well as the federal government as a Contract Specialist & Negotiator with Robins Air Force Base. Nervous about the results, I decided to push the send button and had one response from a K-12 educator who was the spouse of one of my former Base coworkers. She was looking to retire in May 2019. Read more>>

Catalina Laverde

Wow! this was tough. I decided to open up my business account in January. I began posting photos I had taken of my friends. I also reached out to people for free pictures. I was posting at least twice a week with deals but nothing was coming in, not even inquiries, but I didn’t give up. I continued doing this for a little over 9 months until someone finally reached out and I completed my first photoshoot. After this one, I didn’t have another client until 3 months later, but I kept going. Read more>>

Dennis Nichols

A little bit of the backstory about how I got started is centered around my Dad being an architect during my childhood. Watching him work each day sparked my interest in design; watching movies on TV that always focused on the husband having a career in marketing or advertising lit the fire for more. I eventually studied at 3 different colleges to get the knowledge I needed. Read more>>

Bobbi Symone

When I first started as a photographer, I mainly did self portraits and photoshoots that featured my close friends. While I was more focused on photography as an art, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity for extra income- especially doing something I enjoy. I had upgraded my camera, purchased a high quality lens and figured it was time to start pushing for paid clients. I ran an ad for senior pictures special on instagram and was connected with my first client, a woman needing senior photos for her niece, who ended up being one of my favorite clients. Read more>>

Debra Jacobs

When I talk about my first client, this is in reference to my first client in the Tampa Bay area. I initially started Debra Model Management in the Northeast as a Fashion Show Production company, where I also taught modeling. I opened my doors in Tampa as a boutique modeling school, during the height of the pandemic. Let me first explain why I opened at that time. It was November 2020 and I remember having concerns about kids staying home, missing friends, and possibly feeling down. Read more>>

Latoya Shelby

When I first launched my business I made a post on all of my social media accounts. My family and friends begin to share all of my products multiple times a day on social media. One day I was received a notification from a chat on my website from someone who lived in Washington DC. At the time I didn’t know anyone from that area. We began to have a conversation and she stated she was interested in purchasing some of my products, but she had a few questions. Read more>>