There are so many varied experiences when it comes to starting a business. From what we’ve seen, there is no one, right answer. Some people found success by writing a business plan, spending months or years perfecting the idea and only then approaching their first client while others found their first client before they had even settled on a name for their business. Below, you’ll find the stories of how entrepreneurs from across industries and markets found their first clients.

Victoria Griffin

I was doing potential client interviews when I started my styling business, similar to market research. I would reach out to women that fit my ideal client and ask them questions to find out what they need from a personal stylist. Through asking those questions, the person I interviewed realized she needed my services and hired me right on the spot. Read more>>

Kim E. Powell

This story is one that makes me smile because it involves Black women through and through. I was in the space of not knowing what I wanted out of freelance. I quit my job – took a month off to put the pieced together. On September 1, 2018, I landed my first gig. Per the recommendation of a lovely Black business women, I started pitching myself to artists coming into town, and companies that I admired. I sent an email to a photographer I adore, Deun Ivory. She was coming to Atlanta to host a workshop for Black women photographers. Within 24 hours of sending her a pitch and my reel, she emailed me to hop on a call! Read more>>

Haleigh & Cody Brown

There were a few things that happened on Instagram soon after the inception of Home Bar Network that got us super excited. When we launched our Instagram, Facebook & YouTube channel in April 2020, we had less than 1500 followers combined. Not worried about it, we started pumping out content, it was the middle of the pandemic and bars were closed, so we were all stuck inside and couldn’t think of a better way to pass the time than to do what we love, online. We hosted live happy hours every Thursday on Facebook and each week was a new round of cocktails. Read more>>

Maritza Burgos.

I launched my company in 2019 when I lived in Florida. Started to advertise on the Knot and WeddingWire. I booked my first real client through the Knot. I was super excited to have this opportunity and I was able to secure a couple other clients as well. Then, of course, the pandemic happened. Some clients decided to cancel or postpone their weddings except for one client. She was determined to move forward with her wedding scheduled in December 2020 and I was all for it! Read more>>

Hannah Batkoski

When starting out, that initial step of finding your first client can feel so intimidating and difficult. When I first decided I wanted to begin freelancing years ago, I remember feeling overwhelmed, not really knowing where to start. I decided to reach out to my online circle – asking my personal instagram community if anyone was in need of brand identity services at a discounted rate. I was ecstatic to have scored my first 2 paying branding projects because of that, one of which I still work with on a regular basis today! Read more>>

Matthew Prater

The first client that was interested in working with me when I first started was my very very close friend [a brother really !] Shun he is the creator of the brand Irui Studios [go follow him on Instagram @iruistudios] we had met in high school and we both had similar interests in fashion, culture, and art and when he told me about his brand right then and there I knew we could both come together and create inspiring impactful art together and that’s precisely what we did. Read more>>

Kenneth Wyner.

My first real work was created by just going out & doing it! I had been doing photography, but only as an art form. I decided to go out & shoot what I liked. I approached a very good-looking restaurant in Georgetown DC. It was Called Paper Moon & it was moody with a lot of blue neon. I had just purchased a Toyo View 4×5 camera. I had no idea how to use it. In a view camera, the image you see is upside down & reversed horizontally so suffice it to say, Read more>>

Candice Warby.

When we went into lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020, I was trying really hard to be a wedding calligrapher. I had been trying for almost 2 years, with very little movement. As many of us can relate to, there were moments of boredom during quarantine, and I found myself on social media. One of the lettering artists that I was following had taken markers and written positive and uplifting messages on the windows of different businesses for free as a way to buoy people up during a hard time. I loved the idea and decided to adopt it. Read more>>

Wycovia Sanders-Dawkins.

The first dollar that your business earns is not only a milestone but it is also an unforgettable moment. The day that I received my first client that wasn’t a friend/family member/friend of a friend was when I was out running some errands. When arriving back to my car i checked my phone to see if i had any messages, emails, etc. Surprisingly there was a notification saying that someone had purchased something from my online boutique “The Klass Act Co”. Long story short…. I turned up the music in my car and had a party all by myself. The risk is definitely worth the reward, and patience is also the key when owning a business. Read more>>

Honey Marie

My first clients have always been my friends and family. Early on, I only wanted to just be good enough to do my own makeup but my friends and family thought otherwise. At first it was just “can you fill in my brows?” or “can you put a little eyeshadow on me?” before we went out, then eventually they started paying me to do their makeup without me even asking. Read more>>

May Stamper.

I do photography for some local area rescues taking photos of adoptable animals. I have gained many friends through the rescue world over 25 years. I also started offering photography sessions for families that were low income, to provide them with family memories. My first paying job was a rescue friend Jess’e. She asked me to do family photos. From there, things blossomed, and I have several repeat clients each year. Read more>>

Shandra Turner

Getting my first client was the easy part! Getting the motivation to start my business was the hard part. I know so many talented people who aren’t living in their purpose. If this is you – the clients will come! Clients will see your passion for your craft because it will come easy and they will bust down your door. You will inspire and the clients will come! And…..That is how I got my first client. I created something I loved and sold out the first day! Read more>>

Alicia & Ben Glover

We got our first clients from our launch party. We had about 30 plus clients attend our launch party. They were able to purchase our first line of clothing. We had our launch party on April 30th, we promoted our launch with a photoshoot and months before by providing secret photos to get our clients excited but without giving them too much information on what was going to be at the launch party. The launch was filled with support, nice decorations, videotaping, photography, food, drinks and good vibes. Read more>>

Robin Shavon

When I took my first lash extensions class, my friend texted me and asked me if I wanted to work in her shop. I said yes & was super excited but nervous at the same time. Once I got my timing down I started to get actual clients. Working in her shop we would get clients from Groupon or I would post on social media and get them that way. Most of my first clients came from Groupon at the time while working in her shop. Read more>>

Christian Williams

Actually, one of my official first clients was a former coworker and friend by the name of Tifa Owe. Prior to launching the business, I would help clients with their professional development needs for free. When I told her that I was toying with the idea of launching a business, she cash apped me $100 and said that she planned to be my first paying customer. Although she didn’t need me at the time, she knew that she would eventually. Read more>>

Celina Kenyon

It was maybe 13/14 years ago but I remember my first client, I met them through mutual friends and it was so great because we had already established a type of relationship where everyone felt comfortable around each other to execute their vision properly. Read more>>

Danielle Barrois Moses

My first clients were family and long time friends. I created my graphics detailing the products from canva and posted on all of my social media platforms, i.e. Facebook, Instagram, and Twiiter. I started out selling products during covid19 such as non-touch tools to open doors, touch elevator buttons, etc. Read more>>

Trachele Shields

I hadn’t been selling real estate that long and had only closed one deal for a friend of a friend, so this was technically my first transaction. I partnered up with a local loan officer and together we reached out to various schools and offered to present a homebuyer readiness workshop. Most of the schools said no, but the one that said yes was an elementary school with a lot of interested teachers. Our pre registration list was long and I was nervous. Read more>>

Celisia Harris

After first successful repairing my own credit I began reaching out to my close family to start the process on those that needed/wanted the help. I provided a family discount of 50% off just to get my feet wet. I can remember helping my mom and dad regain their 700’s club score status very quickly. Once the results of my small customer base consistently proved to be good enough for me to reach out to others outside of my family I began the process of structuring my business and taking the necessary steps to become certified. This is what really gave me the confidence to go public. I remember telling myself “it’s up from here!” Lol Read more>>

Joshua Jones.

I acquired my first client by fibbing. A year ago I was bouncing around the idea of joining the van life movement. I hated my day job and my apartment so it seemed like a great idea. One day at work I noticed a St Pete police officer sitting across the street we chatted I asked him the legality of living in a van. He just assumed I was homeless which I still find funny. Read more>>

Patricia Richards

I worked for Occidental Petroleum and I would bring samples of cake to work. One day a lady asked me to make her wedding cake. Mind you I never made a wedding cake, stacked a cake or made buttercream to ice a cake before I told her I never made one before and she said I trust you will do a great job. I quit doing the cake a 100 times and wanted to call it off a 1000 times before I had a cake I thought was presentable for a wedding. She loved the cake and that started my journey into the world of Cakes. Read more>>

Lauren Tuttle

In the nature of my business, word of mouth is queen. My first year of business, was full of clients that were referrals from mine or my husband’s friends. I hustled really hard that first year, setting up booths at local markets, posting on social media frequently, joining “mom groups” on Facebook to promote myself each week even though I wasn’t a mom yet. Within 8 months of starting my business and about a handful of referral clients, I got an reply to one of the quote emails I sent out after a market booth weekend. Read more>>