Help with finding new clients

Re:Help with finding new clients

I always think its useful to have a website so that your potential clients are able to find out a little bit more about you in their own time.

It is very hard to measure how successful this is at turning potential clients into actual clients but I know that I always do a bit of research on anyones services that I am about to engage so I'm sure my clients are no different.

I don't think I have ever gained any customers purely from them stumbling/googling into my website. It has always been there to back up the initial contact.

Most of my clients come from online networking i.e. contributing to various industry forums with advice and attracting clients that way. It doesn't usually cost a penny.

Re:Help with finding new clients

By industry forums I mean online ones like this one. Obviously I am not here to pick up clients but the principle is the same. Dish out some free advice and people will then contact you when they need paid advice.

I contribute to certain IT forums, contractor forums, journalist forums.. Just find out where people in the industries you like 'hang out' and get in amongst them! (Sounds a bit 'wolf in sheeps clothing' I know..!).

For offline networking I guest lecture at a London design college business start-up course. Always good for picking up new clients and none of them cost a penny, other than your time..

As far as timescales go it took me about 6 months to get a 'reasonable' amount of work in. I would say I had enough work in to cover the mortgage after about 12-15 months and now (after 2 years) any new clients are pure profit.

It's tough at first. I just jacked my job in and jumped in at the deep end with no clients. It is probably better to try and build up some clients on the side first and then make the switch to full-time self-employment.

Re:Help with finding new clients

Hi Jo

Another route to try are the local busines clubs. I was put in touch with one (South Devon Business Club) by one of my clients. They hold breakfast meetings each month, which gives me the opportunity to give a one minute overview of my services and hand out business cards. There is then the chance to chat to various people over breakfast.

Although it has only brought in a couple of new clients, it has been incredibly useful in getting to know people - including other accounting bods who can do what I can't. I have been able to pass on enquiries when the work has been outside of my expertise. One person I met there invited me to one of their social events and I was able to meet representatives from finance companies etc who would be in a position to pass on my details.

I only had one client when I left my last job but as I was looking to take some time out, this suited me. They then put me in touch with some-one who needed 'a bit of help'. And so it goes on.

My next step is to put a small advert in the local parish magazine. Although the distribution is small (600 per month), the cost is for 10 months and it may be that other businesses that advertise will contact me.

Good luck with it.

Sharon

Re:Help with finding new clients

Thank you for all of your advice. Funnily enough my first client came from my daughters school, as a result of chatting to parents at sports day!

I will definitely be using your advice, its good to have tips from people who have been doing this longer than me, as it is a bit daunting knowing where to start sometimes.

Jo

Re:Help with finding new clients

The work I took on, and still do, is predominantly accounts and tax return based, be it individual or corporate.

There is a lot of talk in our industry about 'value added' services but right now I am happy to concentrate on my core compliance service.

It actually depends where you tout for business as to the type of work you take on. I used to contribute heavily to the Tax Tips forum of TaxationWeb.com and am actually a moderator. This used to produce a reasonable amount of tax planning enquiries - particularly in the areas of property taxes.

However, this is not an area of great interest for me and I prefer the 'meatier' accounts work.

My preferred clients are generally one-man-band limited companies, particularly management consultants. The accounts are relatively straight forward and it is very easy to point out the tax advantages to incorporation so clients can see what they are paying for.

Because of my particular background I have a number of clients in the creative industries. It is all interesting work but not particularly lucrative. I think everybody has clients they enjoy and clients that feed them. If you can match the two then you're onto a winner!


P.S. The website is all my own work - Multimedia Design degree came in handy after all!