If you've been following my blog then you already know I started my business after I was laid off from my old 9-5 job. I later got into blogging because I learned so much on my entrepreneurial journey and I wanted to share that with other aspiring entrepreneurs/freelancers. I asked a question on my Instagram a couple of weeks ago and most persons wanted to know how to get more clients, so I decided I would write a blog on the topic. I get it, clients/ customers are the livelihood of the business. Your business NEEDS clients/customers. Without clients, you can’t keep your business going and without them, you can't grow.

I also want you to understand that your business will not become a hit overnight... Let that one sink in for a second.

At the time I started my business, my main goal then was to make some money to pay my bills. I expected to make sales the very first day after launching. Did that happen? NO. I got my first sale one month after I started freelancing! When I say I was frustrated... I mean FRUSTRATED. I almost gave up but I didn't. I got up every morning hungry and ready.

What is my point exactly?

Patience. You'll need to understand the concept of patience. You'll need to understand that you won't make sales the minute you launch your business. You'll need to have a plan in place to have enough resources to keep the business going until that first client or two comes. While they are things you can do to get more clients, you should also be prepared for that period when you have no clients. Ask yourself this question: How long can you last without any clients or income?

Now that I have you thinking... let's talk about some methods you can practise to get more clients.

Talk to your friends and family. I don't want to hear how SHY you are. There is no room for "shyness" in business. Tell your friends and family about the business. The more I talk about my business the more comfortable I get. Keep talking about your products and services to the people you know and ask them to refer you to people they know that would want your service.

Build your social media presence. Social media builds trust and expands your reach. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn all offer excellent opportunities to connect with potential clients who may need your products or services. I've seen a major increase in my business sales just by being active on social media.

Your business needs a website. Having a website for your business is a great way to get potential clients. Here's how my website works for me. Whenever someone stumbles on my Instagram account they'll see that I build websites. They'll see a link in my bio that takes them to my website where they can see a list of all my services, they'll see samples of work I've done, reviews, ways to contact me, prices etc. So my website acts as a sales representative. I also made sure to optimize my site's SEO so that I can reach a wider audience and increase my potential for getting more clients.

Offer to work at a reduced rate to get testimonials. Not everyone will like this method but if you can afford to offer your services at a reduced rate this is a great way to get clients through the door. You can simply let them know you're offering a reduced rate because your offering a new service and the testimonials will help your business and help others know about the experience they had.

Go the extra mile for clients. I've been in situations where I quoted a specific price for a particular task but when I actually started the work, realized that I should have charged more but still continued the task to the best of my ability simply because I just love what I do and I want my clients to be happy. Almost always that client is so pleased that they either give a tip or refer me to someone else.

Create blog content that your clients can appreciate. Blogging is a great way to build relationships and become an expert. You want to be blogging about topics that go hand in hand with the services or products you are offering. By posting quality content it says that you are an expert, you know what you are talking about, you'll drive traffic to your site, build your audience and increase your chances of getting new clients.

Build your email list and stay in touch with your subscribers. The money is in the list. Think of your email lists as a list of as a phone with a list of contacts. It allows you to stay in touch with your subscribers. With your list, you can share giveaways, sales, discount codes, limited time offerings etc. Building a list is one of the best things you could do for your business.

Follow up with those potential clients that never purchased. Not everyone will go through with a sale, for whatever reason but it doesn't mean they aren't still interested. Give them some time but make sure to check back to see if they are still interested in the services they originally inquired about.

These are the methods that I have used over the years to get new clients. I would love to hear from you. What strategies do you use in your business to get new clients?