How long did it take to build up a customer base for your business?

[tranguyen]

Hey everyone 👋

When you are starting a new venture, it can take a while before you get your first customer and build up a community of customers around your business. And the work doesn’t stop after those early days either. 

Inspired by @Committed's question on how to attract more clients to their business, we’d love to know:

How long did it take to build up a customer base for your business?

What did you do to source them and how did you feel when you got your first yes or that first sale? Share with us below!

[2baddogS]

It took us about 2 years to really get a following and subscriptions for our Dog Treats,  we are in our 6th year now. We went to local pet stores and did some pet events and fairs, it took off from there.

We have some very faithful customers and this is giving me a great idea...

I need to thank them for their loyalty!  We are launching a new flavor for the summer, so they will be the first to receive a free bag of that flavor! Thanks for letting me brainstorm while joining in on the conversation!

[maxpete]

Oh very cool! Tagging @JTPets as I feel like you two would get along!

That's awesome to hear about your loyalty program too!

[tranguyen]

Yay, glad we could help @2baddogS ! Definitely let us know how the flavor launch goes ❤️

[flavawear]

Hello community, I've been in business for over 20 years and still today if a customer thinks they can find something cheaper they'll go elsewhere. I have to chalk it up to human nature and don't blame anyone or get angry. My customers come to me for what I specialize in and in knowing they can't locate my items anywhere else. I'm sure to give the best and personally customize when possible. Being you while being unique will keep them coming back.

[maxpete]

This is the way to be!

[Fairestcape]

While many people look for "cheaper", any temptation to reduce prices or offer huge discounts should be avoided. Most people who look for "cheap" shop on places like eBay - and eBay is a total disaster for any serious company looking for sales and profits. eBay is interested ONLY in "eyeball retention" - ie: keeping a visitor on-site for as long as possible - and knowing that such people are after the lowest price, they PROMOTE your competitors on the very page where you are showcasing your product - so the visitor simply navigates to the buffoon selling at the lowest price - and in 99.9% of cases, is thus selling at a loss. Because most eBay sellers conflate SALES with SUCCESS, they reduce their prices simply to get SALES - totally ignoring the fundamental principle of PROFITS.

eBay proudly advocates: "It's EASY to selll on eBay" and here they are totally correct... What eBay will NEVER says is: "it's EASY to make profits on eBay..." because eBay does not care a hoot if its sellers make or lose money... eBay gets a significant cut either way. eBay just wants eyeball retention and ultimately a transaction - from which it pockets a sizeable fee.

You are correct in focusing on VALUE - (not PRICE) - and attracting customers who appreciate that you offer value. No business can afford to "sell" at a loss. Business is about profits - and "sales" are simply a channel through which profit is garnered.

[CareyJo]

Sounds a lot like our Book Club book Worth Every Penny - talking about boutique businesses.  That's the way to go!  If they're only looking for cheap, they're not looking for value 🙂

[21Carpet]

For my carpet cleaning business every year I started getting repeat clients.  I started my business by doing cleaning for friends and family members first. They are more likely to use your services and give reviews. They will also refer you to other customers.

[maxpete]

Tapping into your network of friends/family is a great idea! As you mentioned, super helpful in building referrals and word of mouth marketing too. 

[Fairestcape]

Reminds me of an interesting encounter with a carpet cleaning company. They cold-called me and the sales rep immediately launched into a lengthy script (probably written by his incompetent manager) telling me how fantastic my carpets would look and to get a price he asked how many rooms, how many square feet, when I'd  be in, and a lot more besides.

I let him blabber on telling me all the fantastic things about his company, their methods, their reputation... blah, blah, blah.

After nearly 10 minutes I said: "All this sounds terriffic... but there's one small issue... I don't have any carpets: my floors are all tiled."

"Oh," he gasped, "Why didn't you tell me you don't have carpets?"
"You never asked me," I replied. "You were so keen to boast about your company and your activities, you didn't bother to establish whether I was a potential customer. When you phone the next person, your first question should establish whether they are a valid prospect or not. Say something like - 'dirty carpets are not only full of grit and grime, but are home to a number of tiny creatures such as dust mites, as well as home for bacteria and fungus. If you've got carpets, we'd gladly come over and get rid of all these nasty critters and make your home much safer...' ... this will prompt the person to tell you whether they have carpets or not."

[minersandmonroe]

We've been at this since 2018 and we are still grinding to build up a customer base, especially online. We are in a small community and we still find new customers, but we are really working to gain traction outside of our community from our online presence! 

[tranguyen]

Hopefully you'll find some good tips from this thread @minersandmonroe ❤️ 

Also, our recent blog post on advertising your business might be of interests! You can check it out here. 

[Chrisdon]

I've been in business for 6 years now and I feel like we have not reached our potential. My juice bar is the only one in the area and yet we have yet to see a bug jump in new customers. Any pointers?

[maxpete]

Always room for growth!

There are A LOT of great tips here in this thread, but also do you subscribe to our blog? If not, highlighting some articles for you.

Marketing Strategies for Small Business

5 Tips on how to use Social Media

How to choose the right advertising platform

Hope this helps 🙂 

[CareyJo]

You need someone local that you can network with, maybe even a mentor, who can help guide you and show you some steps to take, for little to nothing, to get a jump on it.  The articles that @maxpete suggested are good and we've got a lot of groups here in Square Community that can help you.  But I feel like you'd benefit from finding someone in your area that would be willing to just sit with you and talk it out.  It would help you get a physical sense of how to move forward.  If I were in your area, that's what I'd be doing.  I've done this for a few others who were new in business.  Find someone you trust, who's got business experience, who's been successful at marketing their business, but don't look for someone who's bragging about how much money they've made.  They will only tell you to spend money that you don't have.  Find someone who'd has $1000 hidden in a pocket on their overalls and you never knew they were rich.  There's a bid difference in these two kinds of people.  One is interested in helping others and the other is interested in helping themselves.  Find a networking group you can join, even if you have to buy a membership.  I PROMISE you, it will pay for itself.  Go to your local Chamber and look for a mentor.  Ask questions, join the Chamber.  Be looking outside of your circle and you will find resources you didn't even know you had.  Let me know if you need more suggestions.  🙂

[airman548]

I am a professional Phorogapher and shoot mostly Real Estate. I would say it tookabout 2-3 years to get a good, solid, refrring, customer base. I now get many rerals and a still serving customers from whe I first started. I feel like I no longer need to "pound the pavement" like I used to.

[maxpete]

Congrats on the success of your business! Love hearing this 🙂 

[Fairestcape]

Established my online business in April 2013. Configured the websites and developed Google Adwords campaigns (took 3 months). Launched the business at Noon on 5 April 2013, and made Google Adwords live at the same time. First order came in ten minutes later. Within a month was getting 60 - 80 orders per day - but Order Values were small (average £15 to £20). Started to re-focus the business to attract corporate and industrial customers, developing product lines more suitable for big companies.

I discovered that 1000 orders each for £10, was not as valuable as 1 order for £10,000. I then started wo "wean" the business off small customers (private individuals) and concentrate on big companies. (Making a "sale" is not the same as making a "profit"). High value orders are key to scaling and operational efficiency.

Today - 12 years later - we have over 2,500 corporate companies in 22 countries around the world, and are in a position to choose whether we take on a customer or not. (Some customers are not worth having... eg: those that haggle over price, or want significant discounts, or give lots of hassle. Let them cause your competitors to lose money - focus on customers who appreciate the value you add, and don't haggle on prices).

Focus on the CUSTOMER, not the SALE - and make sure that you apply diligent financial principles in the business. Aim to make a PROFIT - (not a SALE).

For online operations, make the navigation heirarchy of the website simple, logical and quick. Customers must get to the product they want/need in under 3 "clicks". Checkout must be fast and simple (like Amazon does it).

Square Payment system is relatively good, but Square Online (their website system) is woefully inadequate for our needs (where our customers need to add a lot of data to an order, upload design files, spreadsheets and custom configurations). Square websites do not offer most of these functions.

As with all businesses (online or physical bricks 'n mortar) fundamental business principles apply. These start with prudent financial management and controls, fast and efficient service, keeping valuable customers and getting rid of those that offer little or no value, and making sure to keep up with trends in your line of business, and watching what competitors are doing.

[maxpete]

Thanks for sharing your journey and happy 11 years since launching your business! That is no small feat.

Great tips you shared as well!

[Fairestcape]

It's important also to LIKE what you do, because starting a business takes huge commitment and a lot of other inputs (money being just one). Be prepared to devote 14 - 16 hours a day, 7 days a week (for at least the first year). In a lot of cases, family and friends are happy to offer "verbal" support and encouragement, but may say "give it up and go get a real job" when the going is tough and things may be looking precarious. Keep to the strategy (strategy - plans are easy) but also know if it's time to throw in the towel and try something else. Not all business ventures work out - around 75% to 80% of business startups fail within the first 2 years, and of the remaining 20%, half may fail before year 3 is out.

If you're lucky enough to have lots of investment cash, be VERY CAREFUL not to spend it carelessly. I know of a lot of startup business people who got a ton of investment money - and then went and bought a new BMW ! (The claimed they needed a "reliable company car"...)

On finding customers... This is plain and simple marketing, and involves every activity where you showcase your products and services to (potential) customers. There are no "rules" here - every business is different, even if it is operating in a popular sector.

A key point to note is that you should NOT try to SELL what you do...
Rather, find people willing to BUY.
There is a big difference... You will get sales ONLY when someone is willing to BUY - so the marketing should focus on how you get people to BUY... What are your USP's? What are you offering that helps them meet a need or desire, or to solve a problem?

People BUY things when they have such a need/desire, or have some problem to solve.
When you meet (or exceed) that need / desire - or when you quickly solve the customer's problem, they remember that and develop trust... they come back time and time again.

A good friend of mine was in the real estate business and when he started out, I asked him what it was like "selling houses"...

He replied: "Oh... I don't sell houses... I help growing families find the best and most affordable accommodation."
He kept track of his customers and if a family had a new baby, he'd call them up and advise them that a bigger house could be a good idea for a growing family. Before he contacted them, he'd research the market for properties the family would seriously consider, based on what he knew about them and their lifestyle. Today, he's a multi-millionaire and still maintains "I DO NOT sell houses".

[Flavorfulbbq]

A solid strategy for business start up MUST include a written business plan. We spent several months writing our business plan. once written we started sharing our vision with potential customers immediately. On day one, opening day, we had an instant "customer Base". Because friends, family and associates tried us first and with these acquaintances came immediate loyalty.