When you started your business you thought finding clients would be a breeze. You have an awesome product or service to offer – definitely better than the competitions, but yet you aren’t having much luck landing clients.
If you’re in this position – don’t feel bad. A lot of new small business owners underestimate just how hard finding clients can be.
Luckily, there are some things you can do to attract the right type of clients. Here are three tips for finding clients for your small business.
Table of Contents
Build a Strong Brand
You have a website, business cards, marketing materials, and stationary. But are they all cohesive?
It’s important that your business can be remembered, and that means having a cohesive brand. Your brand is much more than just the look of your business. Your brand includes your businesses message, the way you interact with your customers, the quality of your product or service, and your overall presentation.
An easy way to keep your business in other people’s minds is by creating a cohesive flow between your marketing products. Your business cards and website should reflect each other. It’s also important to think about the quality of your marketing materials. I’ve found that sometimes the smallest changes have the biggest results. For instance, using quality stationary like Ace Envelopes is one simple way to make your marketing materials look better. And, since it doesn’t cost much more to go with a nicer envelope verses a cheap one, this is money well spent.
You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to make your business presentable. Some small changes to your current materials can have a huge impact.
Identify Your Customers
Pinpointing customers can be tricky. At times your mind is telling you to be as broad as possible so that you don’t miss out on any great clients. However, this is usually a mistake.
Your product or service is meant for a certain type of person and you need to figure out who that person is.
Ask yourself who would benefit the most from your product or service? Who has the budget for it? Who is most likely to get the most value out of it? Just by asking yourself these three questions you’ll be to narrow down the ideal customer for your small business.
Market Your Business
Once you’ve built your brand up and identified your core group of potential clients it’s time to hunt them down!
At the startup of your business you’ll have to experiment with your marketing methods until you find those few key strategies that work.
Here are some of the most common marketing methods:
- Direct Mail
- Conferences
- Cold Calling
- Personal Networks
Think about where your target customer would be and how he communicates. If you think that’s email start sending some emails to introduce yourself and your business. If a direct mail campaign would be more appropriate start narrowing down your marketing list.
Sometimes starting closest to you is the best way to find new clients for your business. Make sure all of your friends and family know that you are looking for clients. They may know someone who needs what you offer.
It Takes Time
When first launching a business it takes time to build up your client base. If you build a solid brand, identify your target market, and experiment with your marketing strategy you’ll be able to secure as many clients as you need. Just remember to stay consistent.
What other tips do you have to market your business?
About Carson Derrow
These are great tips! I always wonder what people are thinking when their business cards do not match the style of their website. Branding is so important. Thanks for sharing.