How to find new clients when you are new to business

This week I have spoken to two different TBR Practitioners who are both relatively new to business but wanted to know how to attract more clients and get their business off the ground and flying high. 

*DISCLAIMER* I am not a marketing guru. 

I am someone who in my first year of flying solo in this game of self employment and business nearly didn’t make it past the 12 month mark because I thought all I needed was a website. 

But I stayed consistent. 

I always regularly sent the email or FB post, showed up for the live webinar and was able to get in front of people who were interested in the same things as me: perinatal mental health. 

Here is what I have learnt in the last 6 years of life as a full time business owner. 

Think creatively about how to get in front of your potential clients. 

Everyone thinks it has to be about social media but actually what worked for me most in the early days was connecting with parents over coffee mornings, hypnobirthing taster days and newsletters that offered value with free downloads or valued information. 

Yes, parents in the early days are on their phones a lot but they are also, often looking to get out, connect and find support. 

Either way, whether you feel social media savvy or, like me, prefer to connect in person, you will need to find a way of letting people know about your services.

Find a way of engaging those people with your content, your years of experience as a parent, HCP or other expertise. 

Never underestimate what you know! 

Share content that they find valuable, bearing in mind that might simply be your perspective on something that is effecting them! 

Here are a few ideas to get you started if you are brand new or just starting to grow your business: 

• Post regularly on social media and build a community there. Use free tools like Publer to make scheduling easier and play around with Reels or Lives to see what happens, who engages and if you enjoy it this could be you place.

• Put a ‘Free Consultation Call’ on your website. Offering 15 minutes of you time to potential clients allows you to share how your services could benefit someone, book them in for the full paid service and also find out what folk want, what their desires are, what their fears are.

• Offer a ‘Free download’ on your website and begin collecting email addresses in return for the for said freebie. Email these folk regularly.

• If you are comfortable in front of a camera then share your services, knowledge or expertise using YouTube videos. A lot of parents search ‘how to….’ And end up on YouTube.

• Ask your local church or community hall if they will let you have their space for free (or very cheaply) to hold regular coffee mornings for parents or pregnant folk.

• Build your network and community of support. Organise meet up events with other professionals to share ideas, joint initiatives, support and comradeship. Don’t be tempted to see others in the same line of business as competition but see them as allies because really they are and if you all bang your drums together then it’s louder than a solo performance.

• Follow and subscribe to marketing coaches who speak your language and who you feel aligned with. Many of them have a ton of free content. This is largely how I have grown my business over the years.

• Be hugely expansive in your thinking and be very aware of ‘I just need enough to get by’ scarcity thinking. It is this kind of thinking that nearly extinguished my business in it’s formative years. Go big or go home as they say…..

Most of all, if you are new to business, or just starting out I would really like you to know that it does get easier and easier. 

Especially if you can relax and let it be easier than what your stressed out, under pressure mind is probably telling you right now! 

It’s ok to find the marketing stuff a bit of a bore (I didn’t want to be writing this email on a Friday afternoon - hahaha!) but always, always, always stay connected to WHY you choose to do this. 

This is what will keep you going long term. And really it is from this WHY that your service has evolved and exists at all, so don’t forget it. 

And trust me, when your followers, clients, audience and market starts to grow and grow you will be so grateful that you stayed the course, learnt to do new things, put yourself outside your comfort zone and evolved into the business badass that you undoubtedly will become.  

If you are a TBR Student or Practitioner we have some great free business training coming up with Coach & Mentor Tricia Murray and Midwife & Coach Lisa Thompson. So please drop me an email if you want to be in on these free sessions that will be happening over the next few months. 

If, like me you like to read (or listen via Audible), here are a few of my favourite books about growing your business: 

You are a Badass by Jen Sincero 

Chill & Prosper by Denise Duffield Thomas 

We should all be millionaires by Rachel Rodgers 

Now, go forth and shine!!! Because trust me, what the world needs right now is more compassionate, heart centred female business owners!