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.

Steve Crawford

The key to booking shows is simple. Two steps (1) you make a list (2) You called them. And they tell you yes or no. That’s how I get my first booking. That became the formula for success that I used for many many years until I became a full-time actor. Read more>>

Nikki Becker

This is actually a really odd story haha. At the time, I had been travelling a lot for my 9-to-5 and was looking for a way to keep up with my workouts when I was in hotels across the world. I had come across this app called FitPlan, which basically offered training programs from various social media fitness influencers. They had all kinds of programs that you could choose from – and a good portion targeted home workouts or workouts with limited equipment – which was perfect for me at the time and I was hooked. Read more>>

Rhodesia Jackson

My first client as a business owner wasn’t a typical paying gig; it actually came through a bartering arrangement that was perfect for where I was at that time. I’d just transitioned from working as a full-time graphic designer to building my own business, and I needed experience, portfolio pieces, and momentum. I was actively looking for clients wherever I could find them, so when I saw a life coach looking to barter web design services in a women’s business Facebook group, I jumped at the chance. Read more>>

Samuel Duah

My business was the result of me gaining a new hobby during the pandemic. I had a few years of experience being a graphic designer and decided that I wanted to merge those skills with photography and see what magic I could create. During my time at Temple University I was pretty involved and as a result, I made a lot of connections & friends. Once my friends heard I was becoming a photographer, I was instantly swarmed with requests ranging from birthday & brand shoots, to headshots & group shoots. I was blessed enough to have people around me who saw my potential, saw me trying and decided to invest in me by trusting me with their visions. During my first two years of being a photographer, I was doing photoshoots in the living room of an apartment I shared with 5 other guys, turned brothers, using a backdrop & lighting set that my best friend gifted me. My friends have been my biggest supporters in more ways than one. Read more>>

Michael Checo

I got my first clients in my freshman year of high school through the JROTC program, a military training initiative that required students to wear a uniform twice a month, which included maintaining a specific haircut. Word got around that I was a barber, and soon, students began coming to me for their haircuts. Recognizing that not all students could afford this, the sergeant stepped in and offered to cover the costs for those who needed assistance. That early experience taught me not only the value of my craft but also the importance of community support, and I’m proud to say that many of those students are still clients to this day. Read more>>

Tom Sapp

My first client was the University of Georgia, my alma mater, where I’ve been a diehard Georgia Bulldogs sports fan. In 1980, I watched them play our big rival, the Florida Gators. The Gators had a really impressive mascot, a fierce-looking alligator who energized the crowd, and Georgia’s mascot was an ugly, floppy gray dog named “Fluffie” — certainly not what you’d expect for a championship team, and it didn’t match our team’s tough nickname, “the junkyard dawgs”. Read more>>