Want to know where my last 5 clients came from?
It’s probably not the answer you’d think…
If I asked you where your last 5 clients came from, could you tell me?
Knowing where your clients come from is super powerful intel.
As this year comes to a close I’ve been looking at my own stats, and for me networking, referrals and solid SEO and messaging bringing clients in via my website and emails, are my top 3.
So sharing my message clearly online AND offline in plenty of places has been my strength this year. And the lovely thing about those three channels… they’re all very much under my influence and feel more ‘owned’ by me than a social media platform or algorithm ever does.
Networking in person is also an absolute joy for me, which is funny as I know it’s many people’s most-hated business development activity.
The key is finding the people and places that yes, are full of your ideal clients, but also match your energy and are led by people you admire. The kind of leaders who create communities you genuinely want to be part of.
Find a network of people you love, and you’ll never have to ‘network’ again – you’ll just be hanging out, chatting, making friends – and the sales will follow naturally, as you build relationships along the way.
My 3 favourite (and most fun!) business communities:
✨ Passion and Purpose Club (aka Photo Club) – a community for female founders with monthly in-person meet ups across the UK, with professional photography included by talented photographer and Founder Karen. The focus is on visibility in a truly authentic way, with plenty of cheerleading and support for each other thrown in. I always leave Photo Club meets feeling so inspired and lifted, as well as with some great new photos every month. The groups are small (typically max 12 per meet) which I love, as I am much more of a deep 121 chat kinda gal, than a work-the-whole-room person. The photo above is a Photo Club session 🥰
✨ Found & Flourish – A powerhouse of purpose-led founders building profitable businesses, led by the wonderful Lara Sheldrake. It’s a place to share challenges, learn, and connect with owners who are serious about building businesses with impact. This feels like the place I go to when I want to feel inspired and to learn alongside ambitious women who help me feel anything’s possible. Usually it’s a Waitlist to join, but as I’m a member already you can sneak in the back door here.
✨ Doing It for The Kids – If you’re juggling business with small humans, this is honestly gold. It’s the place for honest, funny chats and is packed with people who truly get the juggle. Feels like when you finally click with that funny parent who just ‘gets’ it at the school gates, only DIFTK Founder Frankie has gathered hundreds of them for you all in one place. She also has a hilarious podcast if you want a flavour of her humour and vibe (be warned, you’ll probably spit out your tea/lol to yourself several times per episode).
It’s worth saying all of these networks I’m in seem to hit a great balance between offline and online support – they all have communities on either Circle or Whatsapp (not on social media!) that are busy and chatty, and also offer places to meet in-person for networking and online for learning and development opportunities, too.
Are you in any great networks for self-employed business owners? If you are and you LOVE it, please let me know – I’m always keen to hear about good ones as I feel they can be few and far between (hence why I wanted to share my faves with you here!).
FYI: This post contains some affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. I only ever share products and services I personally would choose and invest in myself.
If you’re curious about how you could boost referrals and networking in your business, book in for a free 30-min Consultation Call, and I’ll help you figure out what levers you need to pull to get this working better in your own business.
