I decided to start posting somewhere, to make it sort of “build in public”, but for business. Maybe, my posts would be helpful for someone - that’d be great.
So, I’m a web developer and willing to start my service-based business - I’m providing wordpress security services and some SEO assistance (besides the web dev itself, of course). I decided to focus on these services because, in my opinion, it would be easier to find clients than doing just general software engineering as a freelancer/agency.
During my journey, I clearly understood that creating a product (an app or some tech stuff) is easy. Sometimes it’s even very easy. But getting clients is not.
Trying LinkedIn and Facebook has led me nowhere so far, but I’m still in progress. The major problem I see with Linkedin is that people are not responding at all, they accept connection requests and then disappear, leaving only their portrait hanging in my connections list. Another huge Ln problem is groups. Really, have you seen them? They are spammed with videos with cats and posts like “hey, we just changed our main colors for the website, check it out!”. And, which is more surprising, such posts get likes… from somewhere:)
Anyway, here are some lessons I learned:
Warm outreach seems to be a better strategy. Let’s be honest, I’m doing business for two reasons: to make money for a living AND because I really like my niche, so I want and I can (I believe) help people. That’s why I want to find active people who also want to build a great business - they’re active enough, they care about their business, and they want to make money and (hopefully) make this world better. I don’t care about people who don’t respond to messages, who don’t show any activity, who are way too passive - I would spend my time assisting them while they don’t need my help, they’re totally in their comfort zone. So be it, okay. That’s why I decided to try warm outreach - I believe it will help me find people for awesome collaborations.
Don’t do just a business or just a SaaS or another Wordpress plugin or something. Find a problem, find a niche, and think about how you can help others. You know, let’s take this hysteria about AI as an example. While it might be something revolutionary, many apps that use AI are just wrappers or gateways for ChatGPT and other tools. And while their goals might sound helpful (”we’ll help you create video ads in seconds!”) the real benefit is… uh… well, you know. So, is it an interesting business? Maybe. Is it interesting technically? Hmm, maybe. Is it helpful for people? Mostly, no. So find something that a) you like and b) can help other people, and aim to this stuff.
Work-life balance, aha, again. It’s important to remember that our life does not 100% consist of work. Spend time with your family, friends, dogs & cats, enjoy your hobby, read books, travel! Not only is this what life Is, but also will it help you find more inner resources for achieving your goals. Tested, trust me.