4 Ways To Build A Strong Service-Based Business On The Side In Less Than A Year

Leverage the skills, experiences and relationships you already have to supercharge your service-based business.Pankaj Patel on Unsplash

Your side hustle is only as strong as the clients that support it.

Simply put, if you’re able to build a group of loyal clients who repeatedly come back to you for new projects, your new business will be in good shape. If not, well there’s a reason why many people don’t ever grow their side hustle into a full-time business.

But what do you need to do, in order to build a strong service-based business that does have the potential to scale—in a relatively short amount of time?

To better understand this important element of what makes a successful side hustle, I had the pleasure of sitting down and interviewing Lydia Lee, founder of Screw the Cubicle where she helps people navigate the murky transition into their own self-employed careers.

Here’s what she had to say about successfully growing your service-based side hustle.

1. Build On Your Strengths

Building a client-based business isn’t always easy, which is why Lee strongly advises others to leverage their own existing experience to identify services where they can quickly provide at a high level of quality, rather than trying to chase current trends or enter into a completely new field with a learning curve.

“There’s nothing wrong with eCommerce or drop-shipping,” Lee says, “but at the end of the day, not everyone’s built for that. Instead, find a focus where there's already expertise and skills, there is so much experience that you’ve already accumulated in the years you’ve been a professional. Put that to work for you.”

Rather than looking externally and trying to conform to other businesses you see, Lee believes that leveraging your own background and experiences is far more likely to result in success—especially when challenges arise.

2. Zero In On Your Target Audience And Marketing Message

Passion for your idea is one thing, but creating something that fills a unique opportunity gap is required to attract high-paying clients. This means creating buyer personas that are much more detailed than something like, all males aged 35-55.

Fellow guest of mine, entrepreneur Troy Osinoff, co-founder of the rapidly growing a seven-figure ad agency JUICE, also echoes this sentiment when it comes to developing a deep understanding of your audience.

“At JUICE, one thing that’s been key to our success is that many of us are former entrepreneurs who've decided to go into the marketing side of things,” Osinoff explains.

“We know the exact types of challenges these startups are dealing with. We know what founders are worried about since we’ve been there ourselves. Because of this, we know what solutions will help them, and we know how to get this message across in a way they’ll understand.”

Your target audience should define everything about how you craft your sales pitch. Take your time and do your research to create meaningful buyer personas. Look at problems from your client’s perspective, and it'll become easier to persuade potential clients of your value.

3. Leverage Old Connections

Email outreach campaigns, a quality website, an active social media presence and even old-school tactics like handing out business cards can all help you find new prospective clients—but they all pale in effectiveness when compared to the potential of re-activating the relationships you already have.

For Lee, her first client was someone she'd already met through her last corporate job while attending a conference.

Though she had to be careful looking for her own opportunities that didn’t violate her work’s non-compete clause, she found a gap in her industry that wasn’t being serviced by her employer. Once she settled on an idea, using contacts she already had, it was was an easy place to start.

These initial connections made it much easier to open up a dialogue about her services.

As Lee explains, her pitch would often start with, “I’ve built social equity with you, I’ve worked with you in the past; is this a project we can work on together?” This direct approach even allowed her to transition to a part-time consulting role with her then-employer.

Don’t neglect the relationships you’ve already built through your years of industry experience. These people already know what it’s like to work with you—and past positive interactions will make them much more likely to try out your services.

4. Make Things Personal

“It’s not enough to get clients to sign on with you,” Osinoff says.

“You need to ensure that they’ll stick with your services for the long run. As you actively build a personal relationship with your customers—including by following through on any feedback they give you—you’ll become an extension of their team. This allows you to build a loyal client base that'll provide a steady source of revenue. Forming positive relationships with your current clients will make it that much easier when you reach out to new prospects.”

Of course, creating a strong client relationship depends on much more than being personable in meetings or phone calls. Your commitment to providing a quality service will make or break the client experience.

Studies have estimated that acquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one, so fortifying relationships with current clients will ultimately have a huge impact on your bottom line.

As you consistently deliver strong results and stay easy to work with, you’ll also be in a better position to ask your clients for referrals. These warm leads, paired with client testimonials, are one of the most effective ways of growing your client base.

Follow these tips to quickly build a strong client base for your side hustle, and you’ll be better positioned for long-term success with your business once you're ready to turn it into a full-time gig.

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