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.
Nicole Heylmun
When I first started my business I had a few months of lead time that I didn’t need to make an income, and decided to take my time building my program and testing out my concepts. I decided to start by offering a free business mastermind, and started posting all over local wedding groups offering membership! I had an amazing response, and ended up working with two groups of 5 wedding business owners over 3 months, as I built my official course. As I was hosting this, I created an Instagram page and began posting daily, positioning myself as an expert. Read more>>
Will Hunt
Ethos grew out of my garage with the first few clients being my friends and family. I would take samples to my local gym to sell them to the people that worked at the front desk. When all the front desk staff were wearing the brand every member that would walk through the door would start asking them where they got it and I would become connected from there! Read more>>
Lily Vera
My first client that wasn’t a friend or friend of a friend was directly from my website. I got an inquiry on my site to build a site for a client that had an established business but just no web presence whatsoever. We met and saw how well we aligned with the vision, strategy and aesthetic of the website and the rest is history. As a small business owner it’s important to align with the business and not force anything just to make a profit. I pride myself in being able to relay this in a positive way to all of my clients. Read more>>
Reina Kendall
It was a gorgeous, sunny Saturday in South Florida and I had just moved to West Palm Beach, Florida. As a newcomer to the area, I didn’t know anyone not even my neighbors! I am a car enthusiast and I have been my whole life as my grandfather was in the business having owned several dealerships on Long Island and the Kendall/Miami Area. Hence, my given name “Kendall.” I also have been a Formula 1 fan for years. My favorite team is Ferrari and so when I saw on Facebook that the Concorso Ferrari was happening at the Abaco Club, I had to at least stop by….and that’s where I met the Supercar Werk Team and President, Executive Producer Neil London. Read more>>
Shazett Bullard
In the beginning I was focused on mastering a delicious Key Lime cake recipe. Once I mastered the recipe, I would go to different businesses or people I knew and gift them a cake for an event or just because. Well it took off fast! I booked my first cake for a family holiday dinner. Everyone raved about the taste and texture. Long story short I became their family cake lady. My first client trusted me to be creative with designs as I created cakes for baby showers and birthdays. I took pictures of everything even the not so pretty cakes. I was building my portfolio and half of my portfolio is filled with pictures from my first client’s family. I’m forever grateful to them. Read more>>
Sterling Neilly
Originally, I was utilizing my online store to sell self-care products such as sugar scrubs, diffuser oils etc. From my experience, people were always super skeptical about the effect of essential oil products. When you are creating a product, your customers must trust you! I always appreciate the honesty of the reviews. I sent out samples of my products. A LOT of my customers were originally friends because they just wanted to support. Once they realized the products were actually effective, they started to post reviews on my website or sent video testimonials. Read more>>
Jessica Torres
When I finally decided to pursue hair full time, I began by creating an Instagram page I was able to create the aesthetic for the ideal clientele I wanted to attract. I started marketing “complimentary styles” for practice and to create a portfolio to showcase my work and I finally received a message from someone who wanted to hire me for a bridal style and the rest was history. Read more>>
Christy Lizana
It truly is an honor every time a bride allows me to partake in one of the most important days of their lives. However- my first bride will forever hold a special place in my heart. It was two weeks after I had my appendix removed and to be honestly I was a bit blue. I was marketing and still had not had my “big break”. So you can imagine my excitement then I received that first DM on Instagram. First of all, fun fact my FAVORITE holiday is Thanksgiving and of course we had our first call the day after Thanksgiving. Read more>>