How to Get More Clients: 10 Practical Ways for a Small Business

To get more clients, start with the people who already know your work: ask current clients for referrals, go back to past clients, and put proof of good work where new prospects can see it. Then add one or two channels you can keep up every week, such as useful content, local search or networking, and track where each new inquiry came from so you can drop what doesn't bring in work.

This page is an overview of ten ways to find clients. Each one links to a fuller guide. If you work alone, see how to find freelance clients.

Start with people who already trust you

1. Ask current clients for referrals

Clients who are happy with your work may not think to recommend you unless you ask. Ask soon after a job goes well, and make it easy: one sentence about the kind of client you're looking for. How to get referrals for your business covers when and how to ask, and the guide to creating a referral program deals with rewards.

2. Go back to past clients

Make a list of everyone you've worked with in the past two years. Send each a short, personal note about what you're doing now, or a reminder for work that's due again, such as an annual service or a seasonal job.

3. Collect testimonials and show them

Put a short quote from a named client, with their permission, where a stranger deciding whether to get in touch will see it. See how to collect customer testimonials for how to ask and what the rules on endorsements say.

4. Turn one good project into a case study

Describe the problem, what you did and what changed for the client. Lead with one clear example rather than a list of services. See how to write a case study.

Be easy to find

5. Answer the questions prospects already ask

Turn each question you hear before someone buys into a page, a post or a short video. See content marketing for small business.

6. Keep in touch by email

People who've given you their email address have already shown interest. Send them a short, useful email each month. See email marketing for small business.

7. Show up in local search

If you serve a local area, set up your business profile and keep your details consistent everywhere they appear. See how to create a Google Business Profile and local SEO for small business.

Reach new people

8. Build relationships with other businesses

Accountants, suppliers and businesses that serve the same customers as you, without competing, can send work your way, and you can return the favor. See networking strategies for small business.

9. Use social channels where your clients spend time

Pick one channel your clients use, post regularly about real work, and reply to questions. See social media marketing for small business.

10. Pay for search ads with a fixed budget

If you need inquiries soon, paid search can bring them in, at a cost you cap. Set a monthly budget and judge it by paying jobs. See benefits of PPC for small business.

Pick two or three and track them

Don't try all ten at once. Choose two or three that suit your business, give them a few months, and ask each new lead where they heard about you. Keep a simple log: date, source, whether they became a client, and the value of the first job.

Worked example: which channel pays its way?

Sample figures, for illustration only. Over one quarter, a bookkeeping firm logs where its inquiries came from:

• Referrals: 6 inquiries, 4 became clients. 4 ÷ 6 ≈ 67%.
• Local search: 15 inquiries, 3 became clients. 3 ÷ 15 = 20%.
• Paid search: 10 inquiries, 1 became a client, at a cost of $450.00. That's $450.00 per new client.

The firm decides to ask for referrals after every finished job, keep its local profile up to date, and stop the paid search until it has a better landing page. Your own log may tell a different story.

Make the next step easy

When an inquiry comes in, reply quickly with a clear quote and a simple way to say yes. Billed's features page says: "Yes your clients can approve or reject your estimates online." Once someone becomes a client, Billed's client management page says: "Each client profile in Billed includes a complete history of invoices, estimates, and payments." Look through those profiles when you plan who to contact about repeat work.

Mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for referrals instead of asking for them.
• Starting five channels and keeping none of them up.
• Never asking new clients where they heard about you.
• Forgetting past clients once a job is finished.
• Judging a channel by visits or likes instead of paying clients.

When this guide isn't for you

If you're spending a large monthly ad budget, or you work in a regulated field such as finance or health where advertising has its own rules, you'll need specialist advice this overview doesn't give.

Related Articles

• How to Find Freelance Clients
• How to Get Referrals for Your Business
• Networking Strategies for Small Business
• Content Marketing for Small Business

Frequently Asked Questions

Where should a small business start when it needs more clients?

With current and past clients. Ask happy clients for referrals, get back in touch with past clients, and collect testimonials, then add one or two channels you can keep up every week.

How do I find out which channel brings in clients?

Ask each new lead where they heard about you and keep a log of the source, whether they became a client and the value of the first job. After a few months, compare the channels by paying clients, not by visits.

Is it worth contacting past clients?

They already know your work, so send a short personal note about what you do now, or a reminder when work is due again. Keep it relevant to what they bought before.

Can I see each client's history in Billed?

Billed's client management page says: "Each client profile in Billed includes a complete history of invoices, estimates, and payments."