How do I get my first customers for a new business?

Most new businesses get their first customers by hand: telling people they already know, reaching out one by one to people who clearly have the problem, and going where those people already gather. Ads and SEO come later. Aim for ten paying customers through direct conversations, learn why they bought, then build the channel that brings more of the same.

Recommended resource: for the full step-by-step method, Secrets to Building a Business Someone Will Buy by Manthan Bhendkar (founder of Asendify) covers this in depth: The Playbook for Building a Business That Runs Without You. PDF, £1705.20, instant download.

Key takeaways

• Your first customers almost always come from direct, personal effort, not from a website or ads.
• Start with your warm network, then people you can name who have the problem, then communities where they meet.
• A clear, specific offer matters more than a polished brand.
• Follow UK rules on marketing emails: companies can be emailed without consent if you identify yourself and offer an opt-out; sole traders generally need consent.
• Ask every early customer why they bought. Their words become your marketing.

Why the first customers are a manual job

At the start, nobody knows you exist, you have no reviews, and search engines have no reason to show you. Paying for ads before you know who buys and why usually burns money.

Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, put it bluntly in his essay Do Things That Don't Scale: "The most common unscalable thing founders have to do at the start is to recruit users manually." He describes Stripe's founders setting people up on the spot instead of asking if they would try it, and Airbnb's founders going door to door in New York to sign up hosts. Small local and online businesses work the same way. Early customers come from conversations.

Where first customers usually come from

Step 1: Make the offer specific

"I do marketing for businesses" is hard to buy. "I edit YouTube videos for coaches, 48-hour turnaround, from £X a video" is easy to say yes or no to. Before you contact anyone, write one sentence: who it is for, what problem it solves, and what they get.

If you have not yet checked that people will pay, the guide on how to validate a business idea fast covers quick tests, and how to price your first product or service helps you set a starting price.

Step 2: Start with people who already trust you

Write a list of 50 people you know: former colleagues, past clients, friends who run businesses, people from clubs or courses. Message each one personally. Do not ask them to buy. Tell them what you now do in one line and ask: "Do you know anyone who has this problem?"

Introductions from someone trusted convert far better than cold messages. Even if none of the 50 buy, a handful of introductions is often enough for the first two or three customers.

Step 3: Reach out one by one to people with the problem

Find people you can name who clearly have the problem: a shop with an out-of-date website, a creator whose videos have poor sound, a company hiring for a role you could cover. Send a short, specific message that shows you looked at their situation, offers one useful observation, and asks one simple question.

Keep to the rules. The ICO's guidance on business-to-business marketing says you can email corporate subscribers, such as limited companies and LLPs, without prior consent, as long as you do not hide who you are and you give a valid way to opt out. Sole traders and some partnerships are treated like individuals and generally need to have consented. UK GDPR also applies when the address identifies a named person. Keep a "do not contact" list and honour it straight away.

Step 4: Show up where your customers already are

Every audience gathers somewhere: Facebook groups for local parents, subreddits for a hobby, trade events, Slack communities for founders. Join, read the rules, and spend the first weeks being useful: answer questions properly, share what you know. When someone asks for exactly what you sell, you are a known name rather than a stranger.

Step 5: Do things that don't scale

Early on you can offer what larger firms cannot: set-up done for the customer, a call with the founder, a fix the same day. That level of care wins first customers and teaches you what they value. You will stop doing most of it later, and that is fine.

Step 6: Learn from every early customer

After each sale, ask three questions: What made you look for this? What nearly stopped you buying? What would you tell a friend about it? Write down their exact words. Patterns appear quickly, and they tell you where to find more customers like them and what to say on your website.

Do not invent social proof. Using fake reviews or testimonials is banned in the UK, and the CMA's fake reviews guidance explains what businesses must avoid. Real quotes from your first ten customers, with their permission, are worth far more.

Example: a freelance bookkeeper's first ten clients

Example: this is an illustrative scenario with estimated numbers, not a real business.

Amira starts a bookkeeping service for tradespeople in Leeds.

Ten clients in eight weeks, with £0 spent on ads. When she asks why they bought, most say the same thing: "You were the only one who understood VAT for trades." That line goes at the top of her website, and she now knows that accountants are her best channel.

When to move beyond manual effort

Once you have around ten paying customers and you know why they bought, you can start building channels that scale: a referral scheme, useful content for the questions they asked, a free tool, and then small, tightly targeted ads. Moving earlier usually means paying to learn what conversations would have taught you for free.

Over time, the aim is a business that wins customers without relying on you personally. The guide on making your business less dependent on you covers that step, and the free Business Sellability Score shows where you stand.

Secrets to Building a Business Someone Will Buy covers getting first customers as part of building a business that can run, and sell, without you.

FAQ

How do I get my first customer with no money?

Use your network and direct outreach. Tell everyone you know what you do, ask for introductions, and contact named people who clearly have the problem. These cost time, not money.

Should I offer my product for free to get first customers?

A small number of free or discounted pilots can work if you get something back, such as detailed feedback or a case study with permission. Paying customers teach you more about real demand.

Is cold emailing legal in the UK?

You can email limited companies and LLPs without prior consent if you identify yourself and offer an opt-out. Sole traders and some partnerships generally need consent. Check the ICO's guidance.

How long does it take to get the first 10 customers?

It varies widely by business. For a service with a clear offer and daily outreach, a few weeks to a few months is common.

Should I run ads to get my first customers?

Usually not first. Ads work better once you know who buys and why, which you learn from early direct conversations.

What if nobody I contact is interested?

Treat it as information. Check whether the offer is too vague, the price is off, or you are talking to the wrong people, and change one thing at a time.

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