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.

Phil Simon

If you cornered me when I was an adolescent and asked “What do you think you want to do when you grow up?” I would respond “Well, I seem to have a good mind for business and sales, and I’m in the school band and really like music, so perhaps something with music and business?” At the time I didn’t know what that meant, perhaps to sell trumpets and sheet music? Read more>>

Pauline Voss

I got my first client thanks to a seed that had been growing for a long time. In the art entertainment industry you have to reach a certain level to meet client expectations, and it helps enormously to be part of a community that supports and teaches each other. I found that in the Drink & Draw crew in Berlin in 2016. Read more>>

April Spencer

I started by being visible. I made treats for my kids and my nieces and nephews. I posted them on my personal socials. I told friends, family, and even acquaintances about what I was offering. I shared my work online, even when it wasn’t perfect, because I knew I had to be seen to be found. Read more>>