Self Employed? How do you get new clients?

Is the best way and the cheapest. It helps if you are below the going rate at least to start and be talkative if they want it. I mean tell them or show them what you are doing, I get allot of flack for this. Because if you show them how to fix some thing they may not call the next time. But it builds great customer relations and they will tell others about how good you are.
Be professional and do not walk around with your nose in the air, more contractors are not called back because the customer feels like the contractor thinks they are better then them.
Make friends and chat with them.

Hi Darren.

I recommend you research a marketing technique known as viral marketing. If anything, it's good knowledge to have. The techniques are low cost and could yield good results.

Here are some other methods or techniques you can apply to market right away (taken from: Marketing Your Consulting Services - by Elaine Biech)

Fast Fourteen to Do Today
1. Print mailing labels for fourteen of your best clients; then purchase fourteen
appropriate (funny, thank you, thinking of you) cards from your local card
shop.Write a sentence or two in each and mail them off.
2. Find a great article in a recent business magazine issue. Purchase fourteen
copies of the magazine and mark the article with a Post-it? and a note from
you. Send it to fourteen potential clients.
3. Attend your next professional or service organization meeting. Select fourteen
people and give each person two business cards?one to keep and one
to pass on.
4. Call people you know and ask them to suggest others you might help. Do
not stop until you have fourteen names and phone numbers.
Preface xxv
5. Call the fourteen names provided to you in the previous idea. Ask for time
on their calendars to chat with you about how you might be able to help
them.
6. Add fourteen names to your mailing list. Send each a brochure with a note
from you.
7. Identify fourteen dormant clients (people you have not spoken to in two
years) and call them to see what they have been doing.
8. Read a good book? Seen a great website? E-mail the title and author or the
website address with fourteen words about why you liked it to fourteen people
who could refer you to new clients.
9. Write a fourteen-paragraph article for your website. Then contact fourteen
clients and ask them to read it and provide you with feedback.
10. Take fourteen minutes to decide how you could improve your answering machine
messages. Then implement the ideas.
11. Go to your local bookstore. Scan at least fourteen of the newest books that
focus on your area of expertise. Identify phrases, concepts, and thoughts you
could use in your next prospecting letter.
12. Identify fourteen events, such as conferences, meetings, or social gatherings,
that will occur in the next year, where you could touch base with potential
clients. Add all fourteen to your annual calendar.
13. Identify fourteen strangers to whom you would like to sell your services. Skip
ahead and read Chapter Seven to determine how to prospect.
14. Identify fourteen journals, magazines, and newspapers to which you could
submit an article or a press release.

For what it's worth... Some of these may be a good fit for you business.

The difference between self-employed and unemployed is as simple as what clothes you wear on a given day. Boxers and a T-Shirt till noon and you my friend are not working for yourself but extending your unemployment vacation. - Yes lesson learned from personal experience.

Publish a phone number (mobile or 800 service) on your web site and on your business cards. Answer that phone when it rings. Answer your email as soon as possible. Make sure you would consider services from your own web site, and then make sure it is on the first page for key words targeting your city and services. Use Google suggest (free) to see which 2 or 3 relevant phrases are searched most often and then get better position for those phrases. Don't bother with related terms - focus! Have good business cards and carry them with you everywhere you go. Be ready, (not dressed like a bum) relaxed, friendly and professional if you run into a client or potential client while out in public - like shopping at Best Buy or when you go out to eat.

If you project and deliver value for the few clients you have your business will grow without crazy marketing schemes and time consuming marketing to-do lists! You are your business and how you project yourself and deliver on your services to your clients - that is your marketing plan.

P.S. if you need to promote just to drive revenue to pay some bills short term (hey, been there, done that.) then make appointments with your existing contacts. If they do not need your services right away ask if they have partners, suppliers, etc who may need your services? Conversation can open up unexpected opportunities; spend time with your clients instead of doing viral marketing which is, I believe the business equivalent of speed dating.

Stay focused and good luck!

Hi and good luck. It's a tough biz to get started, I know from 1st hand experience. I offer setup, installation of hardware and software and instruction at the customers site.
What I did was start by getting some inexpensive biz cards printed. I handed them out when appropriate and posted them at places like public bulletin boards at grocery stores, local public or semi-public social gathering places like bingo halls, church basements, the unemployment office etc. I was going to put up a web site but realized my potential clientele wouldn't be able to see it without a computer that was already up and running. I advertised in the local paper at Xmas time for people getting a computer as a gift. When possible I left or posted my biz card at places like Circuit City, Staples, Office Max and the like. With some places it was OK. With some they said no.
I used friends, relatives, social clubs (Lions, VFW, bars, barber and beauty shops etc.) for word of mouth advertising. I asked my wife and kids to spread my card around at their spots. I offered discounts (Ha Ha) if you were a member of anything, church, VFW etc. Actually it was my standard price that I needed to make it work.
Draw up a business plan and determine how much you have to charge based on how many hours you'll work to set your price. Some jobs are best by the hour, some by the job. When someone buys a computer new or used it can have a bunch of spy ware, malware, bots, cookies etc. on it from being used in a showroom or by the previous owner. Get a disk with "removers" for all those things. Free stuff like SpyBot, Ad-Aware, Ewido Asquared etc. I had a few customers who bought broad band and when it was installed wouldn't work because of the above. The installer from the broadband company wouldn't/couldn't spend the time to clean up his computer and so his broadband was useless....till I came along and got rid of the crap on his "new" system.
I'm rambling. Write me at jbm125 at icontech.com if you want.

Daz:

You are getting clients the most effective way possible. If there is a BNI chapter near you, join it. That is a great way to get new clients. Here is the link to BNI Europe:

BNI UK Official Website
http://www.bni-europe.com/

Allen

I have been self employed for 21 years and have 6 business running at this time. I had a friend that told me the following. "Your mouth is your business, keep it open." So no matter where I go to eat lunch, have a drink, or pay a bill. If someone will listen then I am always talking.

Network, and advertise in some form or fashion, also ask your current clients if they know someone that could use your expertise.

"Forget about the yellow pages unless you can afford $1,000+ a month! Local papers may work sometimes depending on your demographics."

There comes a point where Yellow Pages become a viable proposition. We started WOM, then local papers, then YP, yes it's nearly a $1000 a month, yes it's worth $1000 a month, 4 or 5 calls a DAY from YP plus our existing customer base brings in plenty to cover the cost.

Our website brings in some custom, after years of work we are very hi on ranking for google but that doesn't compare to YP, we even get calls from eastern states (we are in W.A) looking for help for their local business branches after they find on the web.

Keep in mind that it's a gradual process, you can get into Yellow Pages, as we did, for a few hundred a week and build your advertising over several years.

Dear Darren,

I did contract system engineering work and custom programming (successfully) for over twenty years from 1985 to 2005. Here are some of the secrets:

It always takes twices as long, costs twice as much and is twice as hard as you anticipated.

You must deliver what you say you are going to deliver. This is extremely difficult and rare.

You must have skills and credentials that people can verify and validate by your past performance with other clients.

You must be an excellent listener and be skilled in explaining technical options to your clients and potential clients without intimidating them with techy jargon.

At the risk of sounding quaint ... you must be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courtious, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, (morally) clean and reverent. Don't smoke, drink or take drugs either.

Be in the right place and the right time with the right information and the right solution for each client.

Have a nice day.

Save your advertising dollars. They won't do much for you in the beginning. Advertising only helps reinforce the idea that you still exist. There are better ways to get GOOD customers:

1. Join the Chamber of Commerce and go to Chamber socials. All of them. Get involved on a committee or two.

2. Join BNI http://www.bni.com It is a structured business netowrking group focused solely on passing referrals.

3. GET INVOLVED in your community. Rotary Club, Lions Club, Kiwanis, little league, whatever. People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

4. Have a listing in the Yellow Pages. If you aren't in there, you are not a "legitimate" company. However, you don't get good cusotmers this way - just people looking for the lowest price.

Do 1 -3 and you won't have a shortage of referrals.

Ive been in the pc service on my own for over 15 years. Six years ago iI moved from southern CA to northern AZ. I tried several types of advertising from yellow pages, buying miling lists, joining the loacl Chamber of Commerce, etc. But the best money I spent was to have magnetic signs made and put on my car. I have signs on both sides and on the trunk. The cost was cheep, less than $150, and the results were great. Wherever I go people see my car. Also set your prices at a reasonable level. If you overcharge you'll only see a client once.

I've been an independent consultant for 15 years now. Almost all of my business has come via word of mouth, or by sending something free to someone who looks like a prospect.

Blogging is, as Robert Scoble and Shel Israel say, "word of mouth on steroids". If you blog regularly and link to lots of people, you'll get seen. I also post to a programming tips site (http://www.chipstips.com), which has drawn in some business as well. Put yourself out there, offer some freebies, get your name known.

I've had a small classified ad in a local paper (8 of them, actually) and have gotten the majority of my clients that way. I briefly joined a networking group, which def paid off, but not sure how it will be long-term.

I read a great book recently by an IT consultant and one idea that has paid of huge for him is to build a network of salespeople (regardless of their industry) and offer them a flat 10% cash commission on any new clients they get him. Of course, that was for biz contracts, but it worked well for him.

We used a combination of referral fees, %35 off of an hour if a new referral used an hour's services, %50 off if a second hour was used, and networking. Local organizations like Leads or Le Tip, or community organizations like Rotary were a great source of new clients. Volunteering at a social center was yet another good source. For each hour we volunteered, we typically received 3 extra leads for work with people who benefitted from the volunteering.

Mark Raintree
Raintree Solutions, LLC

My son bought me magnetic signs for my car for $35. They brought in about as many calls as the Yellow Pages (not very many - see my earlier post), but it's a one time cost and it pays for itself with just one job. Just remember to curb your road rage - people will mark you OFF their list if they see you are an aggressive driver.

Also, the signs were stolen after about 8 months. I still can't figure out who would want them, although I think it was a competitor. I think they were stolen while I was parked at a CompUSA. I really should get some new ones, but I haven't. That was about a year and a half ago.

Another tip is to really charge less than everyone else to get started. I started at $25 an hour and quickly moved to $35 and $50. Most of my clients are now at $65 and my price structure for the past 3 or 4 months has been $75 for residential and $95 for business. It's worked out pretty well.

I have been in business since 1991 and started out of my home. What I leanred was with word-of-mouth, for every new customer you get that way, if you treat them right, you'll get approximately 5 more referrals from them over the next year or so. It's the Best AND the worst way to get clients. It takes hundreds of good clients to build up your business, but only ONE to tear it down. Don't be in a rush to just get new clients, get GOOD clients. Learn when to back away from a sale. (I had to learn the hard way once or twice). Set aside some money on a regular basis if you want to advertise. Almost all forms of media advertising are going to be expensive, and most advertisers will tell you whatever it is they think you want to hear to get your money. You need advertising that is directed to the clientelle that are interested in what YOU have to sell. Join a group (online and local) that share your interests. Be community-oriented. Give some of your talent free to deserving groups. That alone will give you a lot of referrals if you are SINCERE in your desire to help. Hope this helps you. I've been there and done that.... :)

Daz,
Congratulations! You are living the dream of thousands of technical professionals around the United States.

Focus on your existing clients, stay in contact with them throughout the year and remind them of the services you provide. Use advertisment cash to start a reward program for you existing customer, they will drive new customers your way.

but here in the USA a simple network and media set-up in a booth at the local County Fair is a relatively cheap way to get the word out. There's usually a local business expo indoors at the fair. The fair is definitely a good way to see and meet people from all walks of life. It's interesting, to say the least.
Have somebody work with you, dress lightly and bring at least 3 good fans. Use one fan for each of you and one for your customer. Comfortable chairs are a must. Make sure you have plenty of business cards and flyers.

Offering a class is a great way to establish contacts and build trust. Figure out who your target customers are and find some area of your expertise that you can fashion a seminar about. Perhaps its "Network Security". What ever it is, make sure you have a title that will make your targets feel like they have to come to it.

Really prepare the seminar - script it and rehearse it until you know it cold and give it without notes - like it comes right out of your head. That way you can concentrate on relating to your audience. Rehearse it in front of family and friends - people that will give you honest and harsh critique.

Next is to find the right venue - some place that is EASY for your targets to get to.

Now the crazy part - Set a price! (What make them pay - you bet!). Let's say it's $100. That will establish a value for your services.

Now the Promo part - get a mailing list or other way to target your audience and offer it to them for FREE! Now they have to come - they're going to learn about how to protect their networks against terrible threats, and the seminar is normally a $100 but they get to go for free.

Finally the close - a little R&R at the end - reward people for networking. It wouldn't hurt to have some nice friendly young people around at this point. Adjust the refreshments - beer and chips or wine and cheese - against your target audience and make it a point to introduce yourself to each and every one. By the way, while you might serve drinks to them - you're going to stick to strictly water!

Get good enough at this and you'll want to hire others to do the consulting work and you'll just do sales!

Duff Bailey, Predident
Kensico Group, LLC

Now

Word of mouth worked for me when I was starting out and it still works for me 14 years later.
I have clients now in both the U.S. and Canada as well as a handful from other places around the globe that I deal with on-line.
I also found that working within a niche keeps me in plenty of business. I also work for some of my competitors from time to time when they get overloaded with work. I have made friends with many others that have brick and mortar businesses and buy parts from them at discount (it saves both time and money rather than buying on-line).
Most of my client base is very poor with a large handful of small businesses that can't afford to keep a full time IT on staff.
I also started a website several years ago that caters to the new user and when I work on their computers I show them the website and most have me bookmark it for them for future reference.
I make friends with my clients and even show them how to fix many of their own problems. This seems to make them want to call me up whenever they have a larger problem that they think they can't handle themselves.
Although I build custom machines (mostly gaming or video surveillance machines) I mostly fix older machines and I take the time to explain things to them in non-technical jargon.
I hope all this helps you.

what do you use to create it?
You could probably get into that type of work pretty easily, you just have to get your name out there. If you have already done some previous website work for clients, include a client portfolio page so that others can see the work you've done on other sites - website design work isn't that bad and when you have the skills which you apparently do, it could pay very well.
Also, who is your webhost provider?

I've been at it since '83. I've tried EVERYTHING. Only 2 things have worked for me. THE SINGLE BEST way to get new clients is word of mouth. At times I've augmented that by joining business networking groups such as LeTip or BNA or the local Chamber of Commerce. In my opinion, they will only work if you can get in tight with a complimentary business or two. The CPA and Tax Attorney were my best allies and referrers when I was in LeTip. It will take a while (8 to 24 months) to build up a trusted relationship with the other business people in the group so you'll actually get quality referrals. Also, you need to be willing to make referrals to the other members for it to work.

what you're doing sounds like 'unwanted' soliciation to me.