22 September 2022
By Roger Kennedy
roger@TheCork.ie
Tips on Getting Your First Clients as a Student-Run Business
Are you thinking about starting your own company while still getting your degree? Read on to learn more about getting your first customers as a student-run business!
Getting your start-up off the ground can be quite difficult. The competition among businesses is insane right now because everybody seems to have some good ideas and determination. Sadly, you can’t go far on ideas and dreams only. There are many other things that you need to be good at, like marketing, customer relations, and networking.
Some say that students have insane potential when it comes to business. They have dreams, fresh insights, and lots of friends who will support them. Also, there are some university connections that they can use for networking, along with the wisdom of their professors. Of course, there is one disadvantage of not having enough money, but who cares about that?
Lack of finances can be that push that you need to succeed in this market. Sure, combining your new company and your studies can be quite tricky. Don’t hesitate to use purchase essay on EssayHub services when you are feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities! You will get that extra time to manage day-to-day business operations, and your professors won’t even know the difference.
So, are you ready to take the first step towards success? Here are some tips about getting your first customers as a student-run business!
Create a business plan
New start-ups seem to lose money from the moment one has their first idea. Statistics show that most newly created companies fail within 12 months. Even if you think that your business will be successful immediately, you have to put a lot of effort into creating a presentation for your investors and a business plan for future partners.
Here are some important things to include in your plan!
- mission statement;
- marketing strategy;
- financial projections for the nearest future;
- vision statement;
- market analysis and what part of it are you planning to corner;
- growth projections for the first six months.
Know what your target audience is
You can’t make a profit and stay afloat without any clients. Of course, you can market to random age groups with different paying abilities and hope for the best. But you will quickly see that this method doesn’t really work and takes up a big portion of your budget. So it’s always a good idea to conduct market research, find your niche, and find your perfect customer!
Networking, networking, and networking!
One of the definite advantages of starting your business while still in college is lots of opportunities for finding useful partnerships! Don’t worry if you can’t keep up with your homework. Use a writing service reviews website and find some online help! And in the meantime, you can work on your connections and relationships with other people.
Look for referrals and recommendations
Some might say that this is a part of networking. It can get pretty annoying for your friends, but this is a step that you have to take if you want to get your business somewhere. You can ask your peers to recommend someone who would be interested in buying what your company is selling. Or maybe, you can create a collaboration agreement and become partners with other start-ups.
Launch your own marketing campaign
When the finances are tight, sometimes the only option is to go with the standard practices. On the other hand, a personalized ad campaign will bring you many more paying customers than a standard marketing operation! A great specialist can determine what type of campaign you need and why! Here are some types of ad techniques that you might want to try:
- user-generated content, which is great for social media;
- product marketing;
- acquisition marketing;
- paid ads;
- emails;
- promotion on social media.
Use every social media website that you can
In most cases, young entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to people of the same age. You will always find something that you can offer to another student because you understand what they need! So, make sure that your website and social media campaigns reflect that you are on the same page as your clients.
The most relevant websites for advertising are Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. You don’t even have to spend a lot of money on ads! Look for some simple trends that you can do on your own, and maybe your video will go viral! After that, you can ask some influencers for collaboration and sponsorship. This will get you amazing exposure!
Be ready for anything!
Starting your company is not easy at all. You might not get your first clients for weeks or even months! But don’t worry, because, with a steady plan and some luck, you will get there. Students often get discouraged when something doesn’t go as planned, but this is just a part of being an entrepreneur. They need to adapt and learn from their mistakes instead!
To Sum Up
Now you know a little bit about getting your first clients as a business owner! This road will be long and hard, but you will get there with some help from professionals in this field. Don’t worry about not having experience because your fresh perspective might be exactly what the market needs right now!