How to get your first clients as a small business

Trying to get your first clients can make a new business feel very real, very quickly. The service exists, the calendar is open, and suddenly you need an actual person to pay for it.

Getting there can feel awkward. You’re working without the things established businesses quietly rely on: a long list of reviews, years of word of mouth, repeat bookings, case studies, and a database full of past customers.

So your early marketing needs to be active. You’ll probably have to start conversations, ask for introductions, meet people, explain what you do, and follow up. Waiting politely for strangers to discover the business can make for a very quiet launch.

Before you start, get clear on who you’re trying to reach. Our guide to defining your target audience will help if your current answer is still somewhere around “anyone who might pay me”.

And if you’re building the wider marketing around your launch, use our small business marketing plan guide to give the work some structure.

Key takeaways

• Start close to home. Friends, former colleagues, existing professional contacts, and local connections can open the first doors.
• Make it easy for people to recommend you. Be specific about who you help and what problem you solve, so people know when someone in their network might be a good fit.
• Spend time in the places where your potential clients already gather, online and offline.
• Build relationships with businesses that serve the same people in a different way.
• Treat every early client as a chance to learn, collect proof, earn a referral, and make the next sale easier.

Before you get your first clients, make sure people can actually buy from you

There’s a point where “I’m still setting things up” becomes a very comfortable hiding place.

If you’re serious about selling your services, your clients need to know:

• what you do;
• who the service is for;
• what problem you help with;
• roughly what happens when they work with you;
• what it costs, or how they can get a price; and
• how to book, enquire, or speak to you.

Get those basics into one place you can send people to. That might be a simple website, a booking page, or a clear service page.

For a new physio, that could mean a page explaining which conditions you treat, where the clinic is, what an initial appointment costs, and how to book.

For a beauty business, it could be a treatment menu with prices, location details, booking information, and real photos of the work.

For a coach, it might be a page covering who the programme is for, the type of problem you work on, how sessions run, your fee, and a link to book a discovery call.

Keep it clear. Your first few clients are also going to teach you which questions you forgot to answer.

1. Start with people you already know

Your first client doesn’t need to be a complete stranger.

Start with former colleagues, friends, professional contacts, neighbours, suppliers, people from previous jobs, and anyone else who might either need your service or know someone who does.

Tell them clearly what you’re offering and who it is for. “I’ve started a business” doesn’t give people much to work with.

A leadership coach could write:

Hi Lisa, I’ve recently started working independently with first-time managers who are finding the move into management harder than expected. I’m taking on a few new clients at the moment. If anyone in your network comes to mind, I’d really appreciate an introduction.

A physiotherapist could say:

Hi Dan, I’ve opened my new physio practice in York and I’m currently taking bookings for sports injuries. If anyone from the running club is looking for help, feel free to pass my details on.

The more specific you are, the easier it is for someone to think of the right person.

You can also give them a short description and a link they can forward, so they don’t have to explain your business for you.

Personal messages take more effort than one general announcement, but they are much more likely to start a useful conversation.

2. Go where your potential clients already spend time

The next step is to spend time in places where your potential clients already gather.

• For a physiotherapy clinic, that could mean running clubs, gyms, local sports teams, or community groups.
• A beauty business might look at wedding fairs, bridal communities, neighbourhood groups, or local events.
• A coach could join founder meet-ups, coworking communities, professional associations, or industry groups.

You don’t need to join everything. Pick a small number of places that are genuinely relevant and get involved properly.

Pay attention to the questions people ask and the problems that come up repeatedly. Answer when you can, share something useful, and let people get to know what you do through normal conversation.

For example, if members of a running club regularly talk about recurring knee problems, that tells a physio both what people need help with and how they describe the problem.

The aim isn’t to turn every conversation into a sales pitch. It’s to become known as someone useful and relevant when the need comes up.

3. Build relationships with complementary businesses

Another way to find your first clients is through businesses that already serve the same audience in a different way.

• A physiotherapist might connect with personal trainers, gyms, Pilates instructors, or sports coaches.
• A beauty salon could build relationships with bridal boutiques, wedding photographers, hairdressers, or wedding planners.
• A business coach might get to know accountants, HR consultants, recruiters, or coworking-space managers.

The first step is simply to understand each other’s services well enough to know when a referral would make sense.

You might invite a local personal trainer for coffee, learn more about the clients they work with, and explain the types of injuries or problems you can help with as a physio.

A salon owner could meet with a bridal boutique to understand the services each business offers and discuss the questions brides commonly ask in the run-up to a wedding.

A coach could offer a short workshop for members of a coworking space, giving the community manager a better sense of the problems they help clients solve.

From there, referrals become much more natural because both sides know who they are recommending and why.

You can also give partners something useful to share, such as a guide, checklist, workshop, consultation, or relevant page.

For example, a physio specialising in runners could create a short guide to preparing for a first marathon without aggravating an old injury. A local running coach can then share it with clients and point people towards the clinic when they need individual help.

4. Contact suitable potential clients directly

Direct outreach suits some service businesses far better than others.

It can work particularly well for coaches, consultants, freelancers, trainers, photographers, B2B specialists, and anyone whose potential clients are relatively easy to identify.

The starting point is a short list of people or businesses where there’s a genuine reason for you to get in touch.

Suppose you’re a coach who works with new managers in creative agencies. You could identify local agencies that have recently grown their teams, then contact the founder or HR lead with a short message explaining why you’re reaching out.

Keep the message specific:

Hi Alex, I work with first-time managers in growing creative teams, particularly people who’ve been promoted because they’re excellent at their craft and suddenly find themselves managing former peers. I saw your team has grown quite a bit this year, so I thought I’d introduce myself. If manager support is on your radar, I’d be glad to send over a short outline of how I work.

There’s a clear reason for the contact. The recipient can also say yes, no, or later without sitting through a 9-paragraph autobiography.

Research before you contact someone

Spend a few minutes checking whether the person is actually relevant.

Look at their business, role, recent activity, location, or anything else that affects whether your service makes sense for them. Use that detail in the message when it genuinely explains why you’re getting in touch.

Personalisation means understanding the recipient — merely dropping their first name into a template is mail merge wearing a nicer jacket.

Keep track of your outreach

A simple spreadsheet is enough at this stage. Record:

Contact	Why they might be a fit	Date contacted	Response	Follow-up
Alex / Bright Studio	Growing team, first-time managers	12 Sept	Asked for info	17 Sept
Priya / North & Co	Runs local founder group	13 Sept	No reply yet	20 Sept

Follow up once or twice when it makes sense. People miss messages, get busy, and mean to reply later.

Then move on.

5. Give people an easy first step

A potential client can be interested and still hesitate.

They may be unsure whether your service fits their problem, what working with you feels like, or whether they’re ready to commit. Early-stage businesses feel this more because there’s less proof available yet.

Give people a sensible first step that fits the service.

That could be:

• a short discovery call;
• an initial consultation;
• a paid assessment;
• a taster session;
• a small workshop;
• a first-visit package; or
• a clearly defined starter service.

Pick something that helps the person make a decision and gives you enough room to show what working with you is like.

For a physiotherapist, the initial assessment already does this job. Explain clearly what happens during the appointment, how long it lasts, and what the patient will leave with.

A coach might use a 20-minute fit call before a longer programme.

A beauty salon could create a consultation for higher-value treatments where clients usually have questions before booking.

Be careful with launch discounts

Discounts can bring early bookings, particularly for a new salon or local service. Use them with a clear purpose.

A limited opening offer tied to a specific treatment or date is easy to understand. Permanent “new client” discounts can train people to shop around for the next deal and make your full price harder to establish.

You can also keep the full price and add something useful. A consultation, small add-on, or follow-up may make the first booking easier without shaving another 30% off the service.

Your early offer should still resemble the business you want to run 6 months from now.

Turn your first client into the next one

You found one. Excellent.

Now pay very close attention — this is where the useful clues start appearing.

Your first clients give you information that no planning document can quite replicate. You get to hear why they chose you, what almost stopped them, which questions they asked, what wording made sense to them, and what they cared about after the service.

Ask:

• How did you first hear about us?
• What made you decide to book?
• Was there anything you were unsure about beforehand?
• What part of the service was most useful?
• Is there anything you wish had been clearer before you started?

Write the answers down. Patterns will start appearing surprisingly quickly.

Ask for a review or testimonial

When somebody has had a good experience, ask whether they’d be comfortable leaving a review or testimonial.

Make the request specific and easy. Send the link. Explain where the testimonial will appear if you want to use it on your website or marketing materials, and get the appropriate permission before publishing identifiable client information or images.

For businesses working with sensitive health or personal information, take extra care over consent and confidentiality.

The first few pieces of genuine proof can make a big difference when the next potential client checks you out.

Ask for referrals at the right moment

Happy clients can also introduce you to other people.

A warm referral works because somebody else has already supplied part of the trust. Your client has effectively said, “I’ve tried this person, and I’m comfortable putting my name behind the recommendation.”

Make the ask easy to act on:

I’m taking on a few more clients at the moment. If you know someone dealing with a similar problem, I’d really appreciate an introduction. You can send them this link if that’s easiest.

Then leave it there. One clear request is enough.

Which methods should you use first?

The best place to start depends on how your service is bought.

Method	Cost	Likely speed	Works particularly well for
Existing network	£0	Fast	Almost any new service business
Personal introductions	£0	Fast	Coaches, consultants, specialists, local services
Relevant communities and events	Free to low	Medium	Local services, coaches, niche specialists
Referral partnerships	Free to low	Medium	Physios, salons, coaches, and other trust-based services
Direct outreach	£0	Fast to medium	Coaches, consultants, freelancers, B2B services
Introductory consultation or starter service	Depends on offer	Fast	Higher-consideration services
Client referrals	£0	Builds after first sales	Any service where clients are happy to recommend you

Pick 2 or 3 methods that fit your business and give them enough attention to learn something.

• A newly opened physiotherapy clinic might focus on local sports relationships, personal introductions, and referrals from the first patients.
• A business coach could start with former professional contacts, selected outreach, and partnerships with accountants or coworking communities.
• A new beauty business might lean more heavily on personal networks, local partnerships, launch appointments, and recommendations from early clients.

The methods differ. The principle stays fairly simple: go where trust can form quickly.

What changes once you have your first few clients?

The early stage is unusually manual. You’re having individual conversations, sending messages, making introductions, attending events, and learning from every enquiry.

As the client base grows, you start turning what works into repeatable marketing.

• If 5 of your first 8 clients came through local partners, build a more deliberate partnership routine.
• If former colleagues keep referring the right type of coaching client, make referrals easier.
• If one workshop produces several consultations, run another and improve it.

You’ll also have something you were missing at the beginning: evidence.

Real client language can sharpen your website. Reviews make the business easier to trust. Case studies help potential clients understand the outcome. Repeat bookings give you revenue that isn’t dependent on finding a brand-new person every week.

At that point, our guide to getting more clients for a local business is a useful next step. It covers the channels that matter once you already have some client activity and want a steadier flow of enquiries.

A simple way to find your first clients

When you’re starting from zero, pick a small number of actions you can repeat every week.

For example:

1. Contact 5 people from your existing network with a specific update about your service.
2. Ask 2 people for an introduction to someone relevant.
3. Spend time in 1 or 2 communities where your target clients already gather.
4. Contact 2 potential referral partners.
5. Reach out directly to a small number of well-matched prospects where direct outreach fits your business.
6. Follow up with anyone who showed interest.
7. Ask each happy early client for feedback, a review, or an introduction when appropriate.

That gives you actual conversations to learn from. Some will go nowhere. Some will lead somewhere unexpected. One might become the client who recommends you to the next 3.

Finding your first clients can be scrappy. That’s normal. You’re learning which messages land, which offers make sense, where people hesitate, and where the useful introductions come from.

Once those patterns appear, your marketing gets much easier to plan.

Peerie can help you turn that learning into a practical marketing plan for your business, with industry-specific action steps, ready-to-use templates, and AI assistants to help you get the work done. 

Try Peerie for free →