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The Sunday TillOne real business and its numbers, every Sunday.Subscribe free

Finding customersHow-to guide

How to find your first 10 customers without paying for ads

A 4-step guide built from what verified owners actually did in their first month.

In 30 seconds

  • Do one job where the neighbours can see it
  • Pick a small area and cover it well
  • Ask every happy customer for one name

What you’ll need

  • About 500 leaflets or door-hangers
  • A simple way to take bookings
  • One free or cheap first job

Step 1Do one job people can see

For trades where the result shows from the street, one free or cheap job is the best advert you will ever get. Blue Hour washed one driveway and hung door-hangers on the 500 homes around it.

Step 2Pick six streets, not a whole town

Cover a small area properly. Customers close together mean less driving and more jobs in a day.

Step 3Post in local groups every week

Local Facebook groups and neighbourhood apps cost nothing. Post once a week with a photo of real work, and answer every question.

Step 4Ask for one name

When a customer is happy, ask if they know one neighbour who would want the same. Ask for a name, not for “anyone”.

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Clara WhitfieldSmall business writer, HumDays

Clara interviews owners for HumDays. She has written about small business for twelve years and once ran a market stall.

More from Clara

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The Sunday TillIssue #87 · Sep 2026How Brightside Window Cleaning grew to 1,900 customers on dense rounds and direct debits12-month revenue$242,160Price properly from day oneDensity is the profitGet out of the van5 min read · Verified via Stripe + GoCardless

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