Guide for start-ups part 2

How does my start-up get clients?

Colourfully painted shop windows in a typical Soho backstreet in London. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You’ve set up your business and made decisions about forming a limited company, you are ready to trade, but how do you get clients for your start-up?

Hopefully you already had some contacts before you started your business, but whatever your situation it is always good to expand your network.  Networking events can be a useful way of making yourself known and get your business in front of other decision-makers.

It is better far start-ups to give than receive

Before people will buy from you, they need to know something about you.  You need to generate goodwill within your wider network before people will consider buying from you.  A useful model to think of is a reservoir.  You need to fill up a reservoir for it to be working efficiently.  No-one expects you to work for free, but giving advice or posting information about your services on your website will increase your social capital.  Before people will feel confident about buying from you or giving you money they will want to have the impression that you are competent and knowledgeable.  Your website is a way of getting your message across, but even in today’s online world nothing beats meeting someone in person.

So to go back to the reservoir analogy, fill up the tank by sharing your knowledge at networking events and on your marketing material.  Before you start drawing on these resources the reservoir needs to be 75% full.  If you are wondering how big the reservoir needs to be, only you know the answer to that!

Put your networking skills into practice

If you would like to find out more about starting up your own business and you are in the Creative Industries, sign up for my networking event Creative Industries Networking for Business on 19^th September when I will be giving a brief talk in London with guidance on setting up and running your own business.  There will be other creative entrepreneurs at the event to help you expand your network and share ideas.

For more information please contact Tim Alter through the Alterledger website.

If you missed Part 1 of the Guide for Start-ups, click here.