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.

April Sibley

The very first time that I was able to make my first dollar of revenue was through a referral for a birthday cake. I had been in business for a solid year and had been receiving support from friends of my friends. It wasn’t until I was contacted by someone inquiring about a celebration cake for their birthday, that I was able to realize my first revenue. I spent my first year in operation honing in on my craft and figuring out how to appropriately price my products. In that second year of operations, after making the necessary product price adjustments, I was able to realize the profit. While filing taxes I learned that consecutive years of profit losses would deem the business a hobby and not an actual business, when first starting out, so I knew that I needed to make adjustments. This is more than just a hobby to me. It is my creative outlet and quite frankly, my therapy! Read more>>

Sydney Porter

In 2019, my impulsive 20-year-old self decided to make a life-altering leap. New York City was calling my name, and I was determined to answer. Fresh off a contracted job and at a crossroads in life, I started looking for opportunities in both New York and DC. Within two weeks, I secured a job, found an apartment, and packed up my life in Washington, DC, to embrace the electric pulse of the Big Apple. Read more>>

Olivia Barrow

I launched my content strategy and writing business after leaving my job as a newspaper reporter. While working at the newspaper, I had built up a sizable following on LinkedIn, where I wrote about my perspectives on work-life balance as a Millennial. When I quit my full-time job, I wrote about it on LinkedIn and announced that I was now accepting freelance projects. My first client was someone who saw that post and inquired about having me write a CEO letter addressing the team. That was my first paid writing gig outside of my previous full-time roles! Read more>>

Estela Leyva

My very first client emerged from a rather unorthodox campaign – 100 cold calls to real estate agents. I targeted properties that were either freshly listed or had been lingering on the market. Let’s just say it was an experience! I didn’t know this client personally, which made it a valuable lesson in stepping outside my comfort zone. Read more>>

Kristine Wang

After setting up my Instagram as my portfolio, I just started reaching out through DM’s. Unfortunately, I didn’t know what I was doing so I ended up shooting at the barn 2 hours away and was almost not paid! Lessons were learned and I was still very excited to have done a photo shoot. It was good practice. Read more>>