Build your first-customer plan in five steps
In short
Start with a defined service and area, genuine examples of your work and introductions from people who know you. Add an accurate local business profile, reply within a timeframe you can keep, and record where each enquiry came from. Use your first 10 distinct paying customers as a learning milestone: check which jobs and channels suit your business before spending more. This sequence does not guarantee 10 customers or a deadline for reaching them.
Step 1
Choose where enquiries will come from and how you will respond
Use the checklist below before advertising. Choose a small set of job types you are qualified and equipped to do, nearby suburbs you can service profitably, and your actual booking availability. Confirm the registrations, licences and insurance needed for your work before taking it on.
Start with one relationship channel and one public channel you can maintain. The sequence below is an original planning example, not a forecast of how many customers any channel will deliver.
Channel and response checklist
| Channel or task | Prepare and check |
|---|---|
| Personal introductions | Explain your service and area in person. Give willing contacts a business card or page link they can pass on; let the interested customer contact you. |
| Other local businesses | Meet complementary trades or property businesses. Agree which jobs fit and how a customer can request an introduction without sharing their details unexpectedly. |
| Google Business Profile | Check eligibility, use accurate services and hours, and list places you actually serve. Hide your address if customers are not served there. |
| Local community groups | Read the group rules before posting. Describe a specific service, your area and how to enquire; respond only where promotion is permitted. |
| Paid advertising or leads | Set a spend limit and record enquiry cost, quoting time and completed work. Check job fit before committing money. |
| Every incoming enquiry | Log the source, suburb, work requested and response due. Ask about scope, access and timing, then agree the next action. |
Step 2
Prepare a small, honest proof of work
Put a few relevant photos and short job descriptions on a business page or simple website. Say what you did, the materials or finish involved, and any limits on the example. Ask permission before publishing customer photos, remove identifying details and use only images you have permission to use.
If the work was completed while employed by another company, get permission to use it and explain your role. Do not present that company’s projects, customers or reviews as your new business’s own. If you have no publishable examples, describe your experience accurately and add completed jobs as you obtain permission.
Step 3
For customers 1 to 3, start with introductions
Speak with people who already know your work and meet local businesses serving similar customers. Make your request specific: “I have started a painting business covering these suburbs. I am taking enquiries for interior repaints. If someone asks, would you pass on my business page?” This is an example to adapt, not a message to send to an unconsented contact list.
Make the first jobs manageable enough to quote, schedule and complete properly. A discount that leaves no allowance for travel, preparation or a return visit can make early work costly. Track distinct paying customers separately from repeat jobs and unpaid practice work.
Step 4
For customers 4 to 7, make the enquiry routine repeatable
Use what the early jobs taught you to improve your public profile and job examples. Check messages at planned times during your working day. Publish a response timeframe you can meet and use voicemail to explain when you will return calls. Reply safely between tasks, rather than while driving or doing work that needs your attention.
Ask for the suburb, photos where useful, scope, timing and access details. Explain whether you need an inspection and whether it has a fee. Send a written quote with clear inclusions and exclusions, then agree when the customer would like you to check back. If they decline or ask you to stop, close the enquiry.
Example reply to an enquiry: “Thanks for contacting me about the bedroom repaint. Which suburb is the property in, and does the work include the ceiling and trim? I can arrange a visit on Tuesday afternoon. I will confirm the quote and timing after checking the surfaces.” Change the availability and process to match your business.
Step 5
For customers 8 to 10, repeat what fits and review the numbers
After each job, resolve outstanding issues and invite honest feedback. Ask for a genuine review without offering a reward or requesting a particular rating. Google permits sharing a review link or QR code but prohibits incentives for reviews. If a customer wants to recommend you, give them a contact link to pass on.
Review your tracker each week: enquiry source, response time, fit, quotes sent, jobs accepted, completed work, revenue, job costs and channel spend. Include travel and quoting time. Before increasing spending, check whether the completed jobs left enough to cover overheads and pay you for your time. A channel with many enquiries can still produce little suitable work.
At the tenth distinct paying customer, choose the next action from the evidence: continue the channel bringing suitable work, narrow the jobs or service area, improve slow replies, or pause spending that is not paying its way. If you have not reached ten, make the same review now rather than waiting for the milestone.
Sources and useful links
Sources checked 6 October 2026
- Business.gov.au: guide to starting a business
Business preparation and finding applicable licences and permits. Requirements depend on the work and jurisdiction.
- Business.gov.au: 5 ways to reach new customers
Networking, referrals and complementary business relationships. For Google reviews, follow Google’s prohibition on incentives.
- Google Business Profile Help: service areas
Service-area businesses and address visibility. An accurate profile does not guarantee visibility or enquiries.
- ACMA: avoid sending spam
Consent, sender identification and unsubscribe requirements for electronic marketing.
- Business.gov.au: communicate with customers
Clear communication, response expectations and records of customer interactions.
- Google Business Profile Help: tips to get more reviews
Genuine reviews, review links and the prohibition on incentives.
