Getting Your First 10 Customers
Getting your first ten customers is the hardest part of starting a business. You have no track record, no reviews and no word-of-mouth referrals yet. But you do have something valuable: the ability to give new customers personal attention and a genuine desire to make them happy. This pathway gives you practical, proven strategies for landing your first paying customers without a big marketing budget.
Your first customers are almost always people you already know, or people they know. Before spending any money on marketing, work your existing network. This is not about being pushy — it is about letting people know what you are doing and giving them the opportunity to help.
Make a list of everyone you know: former colleagues, clients, managers, suppliers, friends, family, neighbours, people you went to school or university with. You are not going to sell to all of them. But some of them will be potential customers, and many of them will know people who are.
Reach out personally — not with a mass email, but with individual messages. Tell them what you are doing, who you help and what problem you solve. Ask if they know anyone who might benefit. Most people are happy to make an introduction if you make it easy for them.
Post on LinkedIn (and other relevant platforms) announcing your business. Be specific about who you help and what you do. Include a clear call to action. You will be surprised how many people respond with "I know someone who needs this" or "Actually, I need this myself."
Good to know
- Write a short, clear description of your business that you can use in messages and posts
- Follow up with people who express interest — do not wait for them to come back to you
- Keep a simple spreadsheet of everyone you have contacted and their response
Watch out for
- Being too vague about what you do — people cannot refer you if they do not understand your offer
- Only reaching out to people you are comfortable with — push yourself to contact people you have not spoken to in a while
- Giving up after a few non-responses — most people are busy, not uninterested
Ready for the next step?
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