July 8, 2024 • 15 mins
Starting a business with limited funds can be daunting, especially when it comes to attracting customers. In this episode, we dive into practical, cost-effective strategies for finding your first clients without breaking the bank.
We'll explore the importance of leveraging your existing network, utilizing free online platforms, and creating basic yet effective marketing materials. Learn how to maximize your visibility through community connections and simple advertising methods, ensuring you get those crucial first jobs to kickstart your business.
Discover how to build a professional image on a budget, including tips on creating a compelling online presence and the significance of investing in a proper website as your business grows. Whether you're transitioning from a side hustle to full-time self-employment or starting from scratch, these insights will help you gain momentum and start generating income.
Tune in for actionable advice to get your business off the ground and begin attracting clients today!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
How do you get customers when you have very little money to market,
you're unsure where to turn, you've got a few things in place and you're ready to get to work?
What's the first step in finding those perfect customers?
So you have a few things in place. You've got your transport,
(00:24):
you've got some equipment, you've maybe been practicing on
your own home or on family members homes and
you're ready to get going you want to
make some money you are all
set and what's the what's the next step so
if you are short in cash you don't have a lot of money to apply into getting
(00:46):
logos done and building an online presence and applying into facebook ads and
all these type of things don't be concerned if you have money i still would
advise you to do some of these,
steps to get you started and then in time you can use that money for for trying maybe some other.
(01:07):
Strategies for my own business i've i don't
have any facebook ads i don't have any google ads
in place i don't spend any money in marketing apart
from my website which is always there
and i have to pay a fee for the hosting of
that and for the the web developer just
to keep on top of things there but so i.
(01:28):
I don't have i don't have any paid marketing
as such and that's been at this
stage because i've built up quite a lot of existing customers and
repeat customers and haven't needed really
to go out and find more customers
apart from the organic customers that come through
through the website really so so if
(01:50):
we take all that away and you are by yourself
and you don't have a list of
existing customers where do you turn again i
would say if you're starting your business and
you have another job that can keep your
income at a level that can pay your bills then you
(02:10):
can sort of build on this a bit slower if this is a side hustle
or if this is an additional you know you're
trying to transition between maybe working in a
job and going and to being self-employed if
you can do this gradually then there's less pressure on
on how quickly you need to market if you don't have any work at the minute and
(02:30):
you're all in on your business at this stage then you're going to have to get
customers quickly and you're going to have to be a bit more proactive but for
either scenario whether you're you can happily build up customers.
Slowly or whether you need customers tomorrow,
some of these will work for both.
The first place to look if I was going back
(02:52):
I had no money for marketing what would
I do so the first thing I would probably do is I
would contact my my own
network so I would let everyone know who
that I know that this is what I'm doing now so that
could be people from friends and family to start with I would be one place if
(03:15):
you go to a church or community groups or any other organization that you're
in or a sports team i would i'd be writing out little very basic.
Business cards and just giving them to everyone to say
like this is what i'm doing now if you or anyone
you know needs this type of worked on the
(03:35):
service of gutter cleaning or lawn care whatever it
is if you need this done i'd be happy to
get you a quick quote so that's what i'd be doing for that
i would then turn to online and there's
a few places there that you can put up your
own free listing so places
(03:55):
like facebook again i would
try and hit your network that's in facebook and by
putting up some posts saying that this is
what you're doing if you know anyone one again that's interested
please let us know so i do that
apps like nextdoor are another
one and another great one and i really encourage you to do would be it was called
(04:18):
google my business page it's like a free listing on google so you put in your
your business details your dress your services that you offer and i would add
lots of photos any photos that you have for maybe practicing in your parents'
house or whatever, just get them all uploaded up there. I would also...
One thing that will cost a little bit of money, and you don't need to do it
(04:42):
straight away, but the sooner the better, would be to get a website up and running.
Now, there is lots of free website hosting sites that you can build websites through.
And if you are into that
and if you don't have money then you may have
to do that but i think
(05:04):
the best thing would be if you can or if
you can save or one of the once you can start getting work one of the first
things that i would encourage you to to invest in is a proper website built
by a a proper company who know how to do it right who know how to set up your seo so you're found,
(05:25):
can set up a proper email address these things
look professional if you have bob's gutter cleaning dot one of these free sites
so you know on the domain name there it'll say like bob's gutter cleaning dot
i'm trying to think of some of the ones square square space or something something like that.com.
(05:46):
If you have that, it's not as professional as having just say bobsguttercleaning.com or .co.uk.
So it's one place that I would really advise you to invest in would be getting a website.
It doesn't have to be a huge website, but it should be professional.
It should have keywords in it, all those things. And if you're not an
(06:06):
expert in keywords and search engines and
all that which i'm not i just leave it
with the web guy and he looks after it and so i
would advise that but getting back to at the minute
we're presuming we don't have that you could always build a quick website lowest
package just to have a web address on maybe some of your listings such as google
(06:28):
so so again just to recap we're going to hit anyone Anyone that we know in our
network or Facebook or any social circles that you have,
let everyone know that you are doing this.
Little cards even that you can put up in shops or shop windows.
That's what I started a long time ago. I don't know if that's done now,
(06:50):
but I started doing that and got work from that.
Also, if you could get some type of very basic signage, it doesn't have to be
a full vinyl wrap on your van or your car,
but if you could even get magnetic signs for your trailer or permanent signs
for your trailer, but maybe magnetic ones for your.
(07:11):
Your door of your car just so
that when you do get a job or two and you turn up and in
your clean car or your clean van that you'll
have signage there that neighbors will see and neighbors
are always watching to see who's around and if you have some sort of signage
that they can see you it will surprise you how quickly you will get more work
(07:34):
so again that that would be a big one if you're looking more work is have something
on your van or on your car to tell people what you're doing.
And you will quickly find you'll start to build up
work that way as well just on that once you
get one or two customers again then you want to have a note they're called
five arounds and what you
(07:56):
do is it'll say something like on the
flyer you get to print it properly again it depends on money
if you don't have the money you're going to have to type these out like a little note
typed out if you have money you can maybe get a proper flyer done and once you
get a logo and a proper business name you can put all that on it but if not
you just have a note wrote out and you say on it you do so you say you do number
(08:19):
10 on a street then when you finish the job you have,
five or ten flyers that you'll put through all the houses directly around number 10 it'll say
on it it'll say we have just cleaned guttering
at number 10 if you
would also like a quote please give us a call something like that
(08:41):
and what happens is that number 12 and number 14 are the neighbors of number
10 or sorry number 8 and number 12 are the neighbors and likely no number 10
and they'll get the flyer and then they'll say to number 10 oh i got this flyer
through the door I see you were getting some guttering work done. How did they do?
And then if you've done a good job, number 10 will say, yeah, they were great.
(09:04):
Recommend them. And then you find that you've now got to go and give a quote
to number 12 and number 8.
So that's another low-cost way of...
Of advertising and and there's that thing of social
proof where number 10's got it done their gutters now look great so number 14
and 16 and 8 and 6 and all the neighbors there they're thinking okay well yeah
(09:29):
maybe i should get mine done so so that's another another tip you can also if if you,
really need the work or you you feel comfortable doing
it you can just wrap the door at number 8 at number 12 and
say like hello sorry to disturb you i'm working at number 10
here i'm doing their guttering while i was up there i
looked across and could see that you've got some debris in
(09:52):
your guttering would you like a quote and just leave it at
that and maybe that a lot of them will say no but you
will get some that'll say yeah please so if there's
that thing instead of just cold calling to a house where
you're not doing any work on the street just a random street if once you start
getting a job or two or this might even be at your if you say you've done your
parents house well then you're you're going to the neighbors around your parents
(10:15):
house and saying look i've done got her in here if you'd like a quote and just
let me know there's my number so these.
Methods and then setting up social media pages all that
i would encourage you to do all that because the more funnels that
you have for for leads to potentially come into
then the more work you're going to get so it takes time
(10:36):
if you don't have money to pay for these things to be done then
you need to do them on your own and you'll have
time because if you don't have money you should have time if you
have more money then you can start delegating getting
other people to do this as i always say i wouldn't advise
you get into debt or put things like this on credit
cards or flyers you shouldn't need to get in
(10:57):
where you fit in financially and marketing is
no different I wouldn't start pumping money into Facebook ads
I would I would get on Facebook get your business on Facebook
get it on next door get it on Instagram get
it on TikTok get it on Google and Bing and whatever else get it on all these
free listing sites that'll help with your SEO long term do do all these free
(11:22):
things first and then as you have more money you can you can You can upgrade your wrap on your van.
You can start doing other types of advertising. But for now,
we just want jobs. You want jobs.
You want to start learning how to deal with clients, how to price your jobs
right, how to do the job right. You want practice at that.
(11:43):
Your invoicing system, all these things will come after, but nothing,
nothing happens until you make some money.
And if you don't have any jobs, you want to go out and find them.
People, people need this, need your service. They have problems.
You want to find people with problems and you want to provide the solution to
them and people will pay you for that. And they will pay you very well.
(12:06):
If you do it correctly, if you can advise them, if
you can teach them what's how their property works what's wrong
with it if you can educate them yeah
people are keen to pay money people
like spending money on improving their house on keeping
it safe and keeping it watertight and they
(12:26):
will do it happily but you need to let them
know that you exist get out there and tell
everyone evangelize that you are doing
this work now and that you
do a great job you work hard you go
the extra mile things that we can all talk about or we can
talk about later was doing you know exceeding people's
(12:48):
expectations especially at all times but
especially when you're getting started and you need that work you're then
asking them once you get a few jobs you're asking them could you
leave me a google review i'm just getting this started and we'd
really appreciate if you could help me out with
a google review and people will do
that people are keen to to help you if you show.
(13:09):
That you are a good worker and that you will work hard
so yeah there's lots lots
in there but that's just a few things today to to
get you started and looking for jobs again if you have any questions just
let us know and i can can make some episodes very specific to to your questions
and if you haven't already if you hit subscribe there on your podcast feed for
(13:35):
this would be great just to help other people find it as well so have a good day i hope you're.
This will encourage you to get some some work get out there and start making.
Music.
How do you get customers when you have very little money to market,
you're unsure where to turn, you've got a few things in place and you're ready to get to work?
What's the first step in finding those perfect customers?
So you have a few things in place. You've got your transport,
(00:24):
you've got some equipment, you've maybe been practicing on
your own home or on family members homes and
you're ready to get going you want to
make some money you are all
set and what's the what's the next step so
if you are short in cash you don't have a lot of money to apply into getting
(00:46):
logos done and building an online presence and applying into facebook ads and
all these type of things don't be concerned if you have money i still would
advise you to do some of these,
steps to get you started and then in time you can use that money for for trying maybe some other.
(01:07):
Strategies for my own business i've i don't
have any facebook ads i don't have any google ads
in place i don't spend any money in marketing apart
from my website which is always there
and i have to pay a fee for the hosting of
that and for the the web developer just
to keep on top of things there but so i.
(01:28):
I don't have i don't have any paid marketing
as such and that's been at this
stage because i've built up quite a lot of existing customers and
repeat customers and haven't needed really
to go out and find more customers
apart from the organic customers that come through
through the website really so so if
(01:50):
we take all that away and you are by yourself
and you don't have a list of
existing customers where do you turn again i
would say if you're starting your business and
you have another job that can keep your
income at a level that can pay your bills then you
(02:10):
can sort of build on this a bit slower if this is a side hustle
or if this is an additional you know you're
trying to transition between maybe working in a
job and going and to being self-employed if
you can do this gradually then there's less pressure on
on how quickly you need to market if you don't have any work at the minute and
(02:30):
you're all in on your business at this stage then you're going to have to get
customers quickly and you're going to have to be a bit more proactive but for
either scenario whether you're you can happily build up customers.
Slowly or whether you need customers tomorrow,
some of these will work for both.
The first place to look if I was going back
(02:52):
I had no money for marketing what would
I do so the first thing I would probably do is I
would contact my my own
network so I would let everyone know who
that I know that this is what I'm doing now so that
could be people from friends and family to start with I would be one place if
(03:15):
you go to a church or community groups or any other organization that you're
in or a sports team i would i'd be writing out little very basic.
Business cards and just giving them to everyone to say
like this is what i'm doing now if you or anyone
you know needs this type of worked on the
(03:35):
service of gutter cleaning or lawn care whatever it
is if you need this done i'd be happy to
get you a quick quote so that's what i'd be doing for that
i would then turn to online and there's
a few places there that you can put up your
own free listing so places
(03:55):
like facebook again i would
try and hit your network that's in facebook and by
putting up some posts saying that this is
what you're doing if you know anyone one again that's interested
please let us know so i do that
apps like nextdoor are another
one and another great one and i really encourage you to do would be it was called
(04:18):
google my business page it's like a free listing on google so you put in your
your business details your dress your services that you offer and i would add
lots of photos any photos that you have for maybe practicing in your parents'
house or whatever, just get them all uploaded up there. I would also...
One thing that will cost a little bit of money, and you don't need to do it
(04:42):
straight away, but the sooner the better, would be to get a website up and running.
Now, there is lots of free website hosting sites that you can build websites through.
And if you are into that
and if you don't have money then you may have
to do that but i think
(05:04):
the best thing would be if you can or if
you can save or one of the once you can start getting work one of the first
things that i would encourage you to to invest in is a proper website built
by a a proper company who know how to do it right who know how to set up your seo so you're found,
(05:25):
can set up a proper email address these things
look professional if you have bob's gutter cleaning dot one of these free sites
so you know on the domain name there it'll say like bob's gutter cleaning dot
i'm trying to think of some of the ones square square space or something something like that.com.
(05:46):
If you have that, it's not as professional as having just say bobsguttercleaning.com or .co.uk.
So it's one place that I would really advise you to invest in would be getting a website.
It doesn't have to be a huge website, but it should be professional.
It should have keywords in it, all those things. And if you're not an
(06:06):
expert in keywords and search engines and
all that which i'm not i just leave it
with the web guy and he looks after it and so i
would advise that but getting back to at the minute
we're presuming we don't have that you could always build a quick website lowest
package just to have a web address on maybe some of your listings such as google
(06:28):
so so again just to recap we're going to hit anyone Anyone that we know in our
network or Facebook or any social circles that you have,
let everyone know that you are doing this.
Little cards even that you can put up in shops or shop windows.
That's what I started a long time ago. I don't know if that's done now,
(06:50):
but I started doing that and got work from that.
Also, if you could get some type of very basic signage, it doesn't have to be
a full vinyl wrap on your van or your car,
but if you could even get magnetic signs for your trailer or permanent signs
for your trailer, but maybe magnetic ones for your.
(07:11):
Your door of your car just so
that when you do get a job or two and you turn up and in
your clean car or your clean van that you'll
have signage there that neighbors will see and neighbors
are always watching to see who's around and if you have some sort of signage
that they can see you it will surprise you how quickly you will get more work
(07:34):
so again that that would be a big one if you're looking more work is have something
on your van or on your car to tell people what you're doing.
And you will quickly find you'll start to build up
work that way as well just on that once you
get one or two customers again then you want to have a note they're called
five arounds and what you
(07:56):
do is it'll say something like on the
flyer you get to print it properly again it depends on money
if you don't have the money you're going to have to type these out like a little note
typed out if you have money you can maybe get a proper flyer done and once you
get a logo and a proper business name you can put all that on it but if not
you just have a note wrote out and you say on it you do so you say you do number
(08:19):
10 on a street then when you finish the job you have,
five or ten flyers that you'll put through all the houses directly around number 10 it'll say
on it it'll say we have just cleaned guttering
at number 10 if you
would also like a quote please give us a call something like that
(08:41):
and what happens is that number 12 and number 14 are the neighbors of number
10 or sorry number 8 and number 12 are the neighbors and likely no number 10
and they'll get the flyer and then they'll say to number 10 oh i got this flyer
through the door I see you were getting some guttering work done. How did they do?
And then if you've done a good job, number 10 will say, yeah, they were great.
(09:04):
Recommend them. And then you find that you've now got to go and give a quote
to number 12 and number 8.
So that's another low-cost way of...
Of advertising and and there's that thing of social
proof where number 10's got it done their gutters now look great so number 14
and 16 and 8 and 6 and all the neighbors there they're thinking okay well yeah
(09:29):
maybe i should get mine done so so that's another another tip you can also if if you,
really need the work or you you feel comfortable doing
it you can just wrap the door at number 8 at number 12 and
say like hello sorry to disturb you i'm working at number 10
here i'm doing their guttering while i was up there i
looked across and could see that you've got some debris in
(09:52):
your guttering would you like a quote and just leave it at
that and maybe that a lot of them will say no but you
will get some that'll say yeah please so if there's
that thing instead of just cold calling to a house where
you're not doing any work on the street just a random street if once you start
getting a job or two or this might even be at your if you say you've done your
parents house well then you're you're going to the neighbors around your parents
(10:15):
house and saying look i've done got her in here if you'd like a quote and just
let me know there's my number so these.
Methods and then setting up social media pages all that
i would encourage you to do all that because the more funnels that
you have for for leads to potentially come into
then the more work you're going to get so it takes time
(10:36):
if you don't have money to pay for these things to be done then
you need to do them on your own and you'll have
time because if you don't have money you should have time if you
have more money then you can start delegating getting
other people to do this as i always say i wouldn't advise
you get into debt or put things like this on credit
cards or flyers you shouldn't need to get in
(10:57):
where you fit in financially and marketing is
no different I wouldn't start pumping money into Facebook ads
I would I would get on Facebook get your business on Facebook
get it on next door get it on Instagram get
it on TikTok get it on Google and Bing and whatever else get it on all these
free listing sites that'll help with your SEO long term do do all these free
(11:22):
things first and then as you have more money you can you can You can upgrade your wrap on your van.
You can start doing other types of advertising. But for now,
we just want jobs. You want jobs.
You want to start learning how to deal with clients, how to price your jobs
right, how to do the job right. You want practice at that.
(11:43):
Your invoicing system, all these things will come after, but nothing,
nothing happens until you make some money.
And if you don't have any jobs, you want to go out and find them.
People, people need this, need your service. They have problems.
You want to find people with problems and you want to provide the solution to
them and people will pay you for that. And they will pay you very well.
(12:06):
If you do it correctly, if you can advise them, if
you can teach them what's how their property works what's wrong
with it if you can educate them yeah
people are keen to pay money people
like spending money on improving their house on keeping
it safe and keeping it watertight and they
(12:26):
will do it happily but you need to let them
know that you exist get out there and tell
everyone evangelize that you are doing
this work now and that you
do a great job you work hard you go
the extra mile things that we can all talk about or we can
talk about later was doing you know exceeding people's
(12:48):
expectations especially at all times but
especially when you're getting started and you need that work you're then
asking them once you get a few jobs you're asking them could you
leave me a google review i'm just getting this started and we'd
really appreciate if you could help me out with
a google review and people will do
that people are keen to to help you if you show.
(13:09):
That you are a good worker and that you will work hard
so yeah there's lots lots
in there but that's just a few things today to to
get you started and looking for jobs again if you have any questions just
let us know and i can can make some episodes very specific to to your questions
and if you haven't already if you hit subscribe there on your podcast feed for
(13:35):
this would be great just to help other people find it as well so have a good day i hope you're.
This will encourage you to get some some work get out there and start making.
Music.
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