BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

How Solopreneurs Reap The Rewards Of Repeat Business

This article is more than 3 years old.

There is a vein of gold hiding in your database. This is the list of past clients.

Instead of chasing strangers on the Internet or people who have showed some interest in you, if you are a solopreneur first pursue those who did business with you in the past.

According to the Intuit website, “a solopreneur is someone who runs their business alone and is ultimately responsible for its success or failure.” While entrepreneurs will usually turn to employees to help grow and expand their business over time, a solopreneur may choose to continue to run things themselves and instead may engage with other freelance solopreneurs for help.

Typical solopreneurs might include independent consultants, coaches, and professionals. They might be architects, accountants, attorneys, bookkeepers, HR experts, marketing service providers, freelance writers, graphic artists, sales process coaches, real estate agents, and IT consultants, just to name a few.

“If you are starting a new business it is naïve to think you can just put money behind some ads and attract new customers, especially for the solopreneur, when the business is you,” says Sue Styles.

Styles is an author, business coach, professional speaker, and the host of The Successful Solopreneurs Podcast. We met years ago when I helped her edit a book. Styles offers these tips for the solopreneurs who want to reap the rewards of repeat business.

Do the database. “The best way to start strong is to build and nurture your community and keep all of them in a safe place in your heart and in a good place like a CRM (Customer Relationship Management database) in your computer. Make a habit of capturing every person you have ever connected with and including them in your database. Keep notes on them and keep in touch.”

Keep in touch. “Don’t turn your brains off after the transaction is done. Keep in touch with phone calls, text messages, social media, and emails. If you think you are too busy to handle this mundane task, then hire it out—there are thousands of dollars lost every day because we lose touch! My husband is great at doing this with me and often will send me a little text with TOY, which is his code for meaning ‘Thinking of You.’ This is how you want your past clients to feel about you, you want them to know that you are always thinking about them.”

If you do not ask you do not get. “Ask your past customers for a review. Ask if they would not mind sharing their experience with you online to help others who have not met you yet. Third-party endorsements are priceless. Ask for their referrals, if they come across anyone that you could help, just like you helped them. Reaping the rewards of repeat business is one of the strongest ways to grow your own business.”

Say thank you! “Reward your referrers and make it a fun surprise! The minute someone passes your name or business along, respond with your own unique brand of thank you. This could be a bottle of wine delivered, a card with a handwritten note, an email with a coupon for a coffee—I often drop off or mail bottles of Tabasco to those I appreciate because of a story I always tell when speaking at conferences and I also share it in my book, The Little Red Stick: What Gets Measured Gets Done. If you can find something that is on-brand with your business, you will create loyalty from a happy surprise and a memory that will keep you top of mind when it comes to your specialty.”

Styles offers some final advice. “As I often say, ‘Your daily habits will determine your yearly results.’ If you lean on the best practices everyday, every action you take will bring you the results you desire.”

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedInCheck out my website