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Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by Work In My Pajamas
With more people deciding to start their own home-based business, many areas of the business world are changing. One of the more essential ways is how clients are sourced as historically this has been a face-to-face process, but this is now all changing (although face-to-face remains highly effective).
There are many ways that clients can be sourced from the comfort of your own home, so whether you are getting started or you are looking to expand your existing client base, read on for a guide to sourcing clients from your own home.
In This Post:
Create A Strong Presence Online
Before you start, you will need to create a strong presence online for your business. This will include a high-quality website that clearly outlines your skills, experience, previous client reviews, and a portfolio. You should also have a presence on social media, including LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Digital marketing can also be used to increase your visibility online.
Speculative Applications
One way to start sourcing clients from your home is to simply begin emailing different companies, which is a “casting a wide net” approach. This means that you might only hear back from a handful of companies, but all it takes is one, and you might find that if they do not have work for you now, they could put you on their list and/or recommend you to another business. Crucially with this approach, make sure that you tailor each email to each individual client as generic messages are more likely to be ignored.
Online Job Boards
Online job boards are a highly effective way to source clients as a home-based business as you can search for clients in your industry up and down the country and even internationally. This does mean that it can be highly competitive, but with a standout cover letter and a strong online presence, you should be able to get your foot in the door.
Social Media & Online Communities
Social media is an excellent platform when you are a home-based business as it provides the opportunity for networking, promoting your brand, and connecting and maintaining relationships with clients. You can also similarly use online communities and build your brand reputation while finding work opportunities.
Learn Negotiating Strategies
It is also essential that you know how to negotiate and strike a good deal even as a home-based business. Using helpful negotiating exercises can help to develop this skill, improve your confidence and equip you with everything that you need to negotiate with potential clients and to strike a deal that benefits both parties and allows you to form a positive working relationship from day one.
Maintaining Professional Relationships
Sourcing clients is one step, but you must then also make sure that you maintain and nurture these relationships. This will include regular communication, showing an interest, asking for feedback, and engaging with clients on social media.
Sourcing clients as a home-based business can be a challenge, but the above steps should help you to find success and build strong working relationships.
