I’ve always wanted to be a business owner and have always enjoyed advertising and marketing, so a few years ago, I decided to create a digital agency. At the time, I had recently finished Uni and worked at a bank. I hated it and couldn’t stand being there. After weeks of thinking about it and second guessing myself I quit and started my business.

I started off by first creating myself a website, taught myself using YouTube and then making a direct mail campaign. At that stage it was really just a letter introducing ourselves to the businesses in my area.

I used my budget printer and initially sent letters to just over 100 businesses in my local area.
A few days went by and I had no calls. I thought that it was a bit odd, so I checked over my letters and realised I put the wrong phone number on them all. How stupid. It was the first and last time that mistake was ever made.

So the next week I resent another lot of letters to those same businesses as the week before, with the right phone number on there. Surprisingly, I actually got a few phone calls and booked some meetings. I remember ringing those first few leads up on the phone and being really scared of what they might say or do as I really had no idea what I was doing.

My first meeting ever was with a painting company. I can still remember it so clearly. I was nervous, over prepared and unsure of myself, but somehow I sold them on monthly SEO services. BOOM MY FIRST CLIENT. I got a 12 month contract at $350 a month. Actually, to this day that same client is still a client of mine.

Over the next few days had the other meetings however didn’t get any new clients.
So I went back to the drawing board, I thought if it worked once, it could work again. So I decided to send out another bunch of letters to a new lot of new businesses. Brilliant idea.
Just fewer than 100 letters went out to a whole new list of businesses. From that I got another couple of calls. I rang them, booked in meetings, went and saw them and had no luck, they were interested but didn’t sign up. After a few weeks, I figured maybe I should follow up with the, so I sent an emails, phone calls, and another letter.

Finally they decided to meet with me again. I went to the meetings feeling really confident and full of positivity. I actually set the meetings to be back to back. One of them was a swimming pool builder and after a very tough meeting and probably the best convincing I had ever done, they became a new client for SEO and Adwords. I signed them up for $650 a month for 6 months. I still remember how that money, only $650 a month felt like all the money in the world to me.

The meeting after that was with a Water Tank Manufacturer. It took me about an hour to explain the benefits of having a website and being on Google. Then about another half an hour explaining why that was better than having a listing in the yellow pages. After a long, frustrating meeting, I actually managed to get them as a client. They signed up for a new website at $1400 and a 6 month SEO contract at $450 a month. I felt on top of the world that day.

So that’s how I got my first 3 clients.

Today I run a successful digital agency in Adelaide, South Australia with many small and large clients. We help businesses and brands become brilliant to their target market. We have a small in house team and a large virtual team. We offer a full range of services from branding, to websites, to social and mobile solutions and marketing campaigns.

To check us out or find out more, visit us at www.kidis.com.au

We created software to help you get your first dollar and beyond.