How to Get Customers for a New Business: A Practical Guide to Steady Growth

• Start with people who already know you. Friends, neighbors, and past coworkers are often your fastest path to a first sale and your first referrals.
• Pick two channels to start. Choose the places your ideal customer already spends time and show up there consistently.
• Collect contact information every time. An email address lets you follow up, so one visit can turn into a repeat customer.
• Track where customers come from. Ask how each new customer heard about you, then put more time into what’s working.

You’ve launched the website for your new business and told everyone you know. Now you’re wondering how to get customers who aren’t your aunt or your college roommate.

You’re in good company: Our Spring 2025 Small Business Now survey of 1,600 small businesses found that 52% of early-stage owners named customer acquisition their top marketing challenge. That means the slow start you’re feeling is normal, and it’s a problem you can solve with the right plan.

This guide covers what getting customers really involves and eight different places to find them. You’ll also get a simple plan to get you started winning new customers, and learn the habits that turn first-time buyers into regulars.

What getting customers really entails for a new business

Customer acquisition is the repeatable path that takes someone from “never heard of you” to “paid you.” For a small business, that path usually has a few stops. Someone finds you, decides you’re trustworthy, takes a first step, and buys.

Think of it as planting a garden. You don’t get tomatoes the day you plant the seeds, but steady watering eventually produces a vine full. Customers work the same way when you keep showing up in the right places.

It also helps to know the difference between a lead and a customer. A lead is someone who’s shown interest in your business, like a new follower or email subscriber. A customer is someone who’s paid you. Your job is to move more leads across that line.

Many new owners hope one big break, like a viral TikTok, will suddenly flood them with business. In reality, customers tend to arrive from a mix of places. It helps to understand the how customers find businesses before you decide where to focus your efforts.

This blog guides you through the whole process of getting new customers, from the first sale to the second and beyond. If you want a deeper look at capturing interest online, our guide to lead generation for small businesses walks through that part in detail.

Why getting customers feels hard in the first few years

New businesses compete for attention from day one. The U.S. Census Bureau counted 531,728 business applications in August 2026, adjusted for seasonal changes. That’s a ton of new businesses competing for the same shoppers’ attention, so standing out takes a clear message and steady effort.

Time is tight, too: In our 2024 Small Business Now survey, 56% of small business owners said they have an hour or less a day for marketing. Picture a bakery owner fitting social posts in between baking in the morning, serving customers, and cleaning up at closing time. If that sounds familiar, your plan for how to get customers has to fit into small blocks of time for it to be sustainable.

Here are the roadblocks most new owners run into:

• No name recognition yet: People can’t choose a business they’ve never heard of, so your first job is getting seen.
• A tight budget: Paid ads can drain cash fast before you know what works.
• Too little time: Marketing competes with serving customers, ordering supplies, and doing the books.
• Too many channel choices: Trying to be everywhere at once spreads your effort so thin that nothing gets traction.
• No follow-up system: Someone visits once, leaves, and you have no way to reach them again.

The good news is that every one of these hurdles has a simple, low-cost fix. Keep reading to learn how to tackle each one.

8 ways to get customers for your business

Where do new customers actually come from? For most small businesses, it’s a handful of different sources, and you don’t need all of them at once. When you’re working out how to get customers, start with the two or three that fit your business and your ideal customer best.

Your personal network

Your first customers often come from people who already know and like you. Friends, former coworkers, and neighbors are warm contacts who are more likely to give you a chance. A new house cleaner, for example, might book her first three clients just by asking around their neighborhood.

Use your personal network to:

• Tell people exactly what you do and who you help
• Ask for introductions to one or two people who might need you
• Collect early feedback and testimonials

Word-of-mouth referrals

When a neighbor raves about a new dog walker, people on the block start calling them too. That kind of recommendation costs you nothing, and you can encourage word-of-mouth marketing by making great service easy to talk about and easy to share.

Use word-of-mouth referrals to:

• Ask satisfied customers who else they know that might need you
• Offer a small thank-you for every referral that turns into a sale
• Give customers a card or link they can pass along

Online reviews

Say a shopper is comparing two nearby cafes, and only one has reviews. According to BrightLocal’s 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey, 93% of consumers have made a purchase after reading online reviews. That’s why it pays to ask customers for Google reviews right after a good experience.

Use online reviews to:

• Show new visitors that real people love what you do
• Learn what customers value most, so you can say it in your marketing
• Respond to feedback in a way that shows you care

Local search and your Google Business Profile

When someone searches “plumber open now,” local results decide who gets the call. A plumber whose Google Business Profile lists hours, photos, and a website link gives that searcher everything needed to call. Learning the basics of local SEO (search engine optimization, which makes your business easier for nearby people to find) helps even more.

Use local search and your Google Business Profile to:

• Appear on Google Maps when nearby shoppers search
• Share hours, directions, and photos in one place
• Collect and display reviews where people are already looking

Social media

Social media lets people get to know you before they buy, like a salon posting short video clips of a fresh cut. Pick one or two platforms your ideal customers already use, then try these tips for finding customers on social media. Simple social media marketing tools can help you schedule posts and run ads from one place so you don’t have to switch back and forth between a bunch of different apps.

Use social media to:

• Show behind-the-scenes moments that build a personal connection
• Share offers, events, and new products as they happen
• Invite followers to join your email list

Email marketing

Email marketing is your direct line to people who’ve already said they want to hear from your business. With email marketing, you own your list, so your emails still reach your subscribers even when a social platform only shows your posts to 10% of your followers. You can collect email addresses in person and online with sign-up forms and list-building tools. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, post a QR code at the register so people can sign up on the spot. Offering an incentive to join, like a 15% discount, is a great way to grow your list faster.

Use email marketing to:

• Welcome new subscribers and introduce your business
• Share offers, news, and helpful tips on a regular schedule
• Remind past customers that you’re ready when they need you

First-time offers

Someone curious about a new yoga studio might hesitate to pay for a full month. A low-risk first step, such as a free first class, makes it easier to try you. Promote your offer using a clear landing page with a clear call-to-action so visitors know exactly what to do next.

Use first-time offers to:

• Lower the risk for people who are curious but unsure
• Collect an email address in exchange for the offer
• Turn a one-time visit into a reason to come back

Local partnerships and community events

A local partnership is a team-up with a nearby business that serves the same people but sells something different. A coffee shop and a bookstore, for example, can swap flyers and share audiences. Partnerships are also a quick way of growing through your local community while you’re still building trust.

Use local partnerships and community events to:

• Swap flyers, social shout-outs, or email features with a partner business
• Set up a table at farmers markets, fairs, and school events
• Co-host a workshop or open house that brings both audiences together

How strangers become regular customers

Say you’re a new dog groomer handing out flyers at the park. A few people call and book once, but most never return because nobody reminded them. Most advice on how to get customers stops at getting found, and that’s the gap that separates busy businesses from quiet ones.

Here’s how each stage of winning a customer works:

• Getting found: Search, social, referrals, and events put your name in front of new people.
• Building trust: Reviews, photos, and a clear description help people feel safe choosing you.
• Capturing contact info: A sign-up form or first-time offer turns a visitor into someone you can reach again.
• Following up automatically: Welcome emails and reminders keep you top of mind while you’re busy working.
• Inviting them back: Seasonal offers, loyalty rewards, and check-ins bring past customers through the door again.

Each stage hands off to the next one. If a stage is missing, such as capturing contact info, people slip away even when everything else works.

Automation is where a lot of small businesses find extra time (and revenue). Constant Contact customer Wellington Brewery sends automated emails to customers who filled their cart but left the website without checking out; those automations earn the brewery $36,000 each year.

You don’t have to build all of this in a week, and each piece you add makes the next customer easier to win.

How to get customers step by step

Make a simple plan to get new customers that includes who you want to reach, where you’ll reach them, and how you’ll follow up. Each step builds on the last, and none of them requires a big budget or a marketing degree.

Step 1: Pick one type of customer to focus on

Write down who you most want to serve, where they live or spend time, and what problem you solve for them. A new bakery might focus on busy parents who need custom birthday cakes with little notice.

If you’re not sure where to begin, these tips will help you find your target audience. With that focus, the bakery knows to post cake photos on Instagram and partner with local party supply stores.

Step 2: Choose two channels to start

Where does your ideal customer already spend time? Start there, then pick the two channels that fit your budget and schedule. You can always add more once those two are running smoothly.

This quick comparison can help you decide:

Free channels usually take more time, while paid options move faster but cost more. For most new owners, a free channel plus email is a solid start.

Step 3: Make your business easy to find and trust

A shopper who finds one phone number on Google and another on Facebook may not call either. Use the same business name, address, phone number, and hours everywhere you appear online. It’s a small fix that protects how you show up in search.

Then write one or two plain sentences that explain what you do and who it’s for. A mobile car detailer might write, “We clean your car in your driveway, so you don’t lose a Saturday.” Put that description on your website, social profiles, and Google Business Profile.

Step 4: Give people a reason to take the first step

A first-step offer is one small, specific thing you invite people to try. Pick one offer and one action, like a yoga studio offering a free first class booked online.

A studio that promotes a free class, a discount, and a punch card all at once makes visitors stop and compare. One clear offer gives them a single, easy yes.

Step 5: Capture contact info and follow up

Every visitor who leaves without sharing contact info is someone you can’t reach again. Ask for an email address at checkout, on your website, and at every event. Let people know what they’ll get, like tips, early access, or a birthday treat.

Send a welcome message within a day while your business is still fresh in their mind. A quick “thanks for stopping by” with a helpful tip can bring someone back sooner than you’d expect. An automated welcome email sends that note for you, even on your busiest day.

Step 6: Track where each customer came from

The fastest way to learn what’s working is to ask. Find out where every new customer heard about you, and log the date, their name, and the answer in a simple spreadsheet. Once a month, look at which channels brought in the most customers.

It also helps to know your customer acquisition cost, or CAC, which is how much you spend on marketing to win one new customer. If a channel costs more than a customer is worth to you, shift that time or money somewhere else.

Best practices for getting and keeping customers

What separates businesses that grow from those that stall? Usually it’s a few steady habits, repeated week after week.

Here are the habits that make the biggest difference:

• Show up on a schedule: Post, email, and update your profiles on a regular rhythm, so people know when to expect you.
• Respond quickly: Answer messages and reviews within a day. A same-day reply about Saturday hours can turn into a booking.
• Make it personal: Use names, remember preferences, and thank people for coming in. Small touches are something big chains struggle to copy.
• Ask for reviews every time: In the same BrightLocal survey, 83% of people asked for a review left one. A quick request is often enough.
• Reward repeat business: A punch card, a loyalty discount, or a thank-you email gives customers a reason to pick you again.
• Stay in touch with past customers: A friendly check-in or seasonal offer can bring back someone who simply forgot about you.
• Keep your promises: Show up on time, deliver what you said, and fix mistakes quickly. Reliability turns a first visit into a referral.
• Change one thing at a time: Test each new offer or channel for a few weeks. Then you’ll know which change brought in customers.

The bottom line is this: The customers you already have are your best source of new ones. A salon regular who feels looked after books again and brings her sister next time. That’s why it pays to learn how to keep the customers you win.

Start turning first-time buyers into regulars

Put your customer acquisition plan into action

Winning your first steady stream of customers isn’t about trying to be everywhere at once; it’s about building a simple, repeatable follow-up system. You can get started this week with three basic steps:

1. Pick one target customer and one clear offer: Choose a specific audience (like busy parents or local weekend shoppers) and give them one easy, low-risk reason to try your business.
2. Set up a way to collect contact details: Put a sign-up form on your website and place a QR code at your counter or booth so every interested visitor can join your list.
3. Automate your welcome message: Create a single, automated welcome email that delivers your offer immediately, while your business is still fresh in their mind.

When you’re running a new business, juggling separate apps for email marketing, social media posts, and sign-up forms takes time you don’t have. Constant Contact brings your lead-capture forms, social scheduling, and automated follow-up emails together in one easy-to-use platform. Start your free 30-day trial today (no credit card required) to set up your first welcome series and start turning strangers into customers.

FAQs

What’s the fastest way to get customers?

The fastest way is usually to reach out to people who already know you and offer them an easy first step. Then ask each new customer if they know someone else who could use your help.

How do I get my first customers with no budget?

Start with free options like your personal network, a Google Business Profile, regular social posts, and partnerships with nearby businesses. Collect email addresses from the start, so you can follow up for free.

How long does it take to get customers?

Your personal network can bring in customers within days or weeks. Search, social media, and email usually take a few months of steady effort to build momentum.

How much should a small business spend to get customers?

There’s no single right number, so start small and track what each new customer costs you. Put more money into the channels that pay you back and cut the ones that don’t.

Where can I find customers online for free?

Your Google Business Profile, social media accounts, and local community groups are free places to get found. Add a sign-up form to each one, so interested people can hear from you again.

How do I get customers to come back?

Stay in touch with helpful emails, reward repeat visits, and ask for feedback after each purchase. Customers return to businesses that remember them and make them feel valued.