If you're anything like I was when I first started my side business, you're probably not only wondering where the hell to find paying clients, but also how to start charging what you're worth.
You see, I desperately wanted to get paying clients, so I could get my side hustle properly going, but I had no clue where to start. The truth is, I was full of thoughts like ‘Who would even pay me when there’s so many other amazing coaches out there already?’.
So if you're feeling the same, wondering 'How do I start charging what I'm worth?' then you're gonna want to keep reading.
May 2020
I’d been coaching people for free for a few months as part of my studies. And as great as that was for the experience, some clients stopped taking it seriously. They’d either turn up late or cancel last minute & I realised it was because they had no skin in the game.
So I decided I needed to start getting paying clients. I was still off social media after the emotional breakdown I’d had at work, so I had to find another way. I was scared but pulled my big girl pants on & created my first offer of £50 for 4 sessions.
This may sound bargainous, but because I'd worked in a corporate job my whole life and had never asked anyone for money, this felt like a HUGE sum to be charging. Nevertheless, I took a deep breath & sent it out to everyone I knew.
May-July 2020
My friends passed my offer on to their friends (one even posted it on her slack channel at work) & over the next few months, I got my first six paying clients!
After the first couple though, I realised that £50 was peanuts, so with the help of my coach & my fave Money Mindset book ‘You are a Badass at Making Money’ by Jen Sincerro, I increased my price to £125.
July 2020
After studying my ass off, I qualified as a coach one month earlier than planned & hired my first business coach to help me get it off the ground. He taught me the ‘Prosperous Coach’ methodology which involves inviting people in your network for a complimentary coaching session with the idea that they’ll either sign up or refer you.
And after helping me go from an hourly rate to a package model, he encouraged me to start increasing my prices every time I signed someone new. I still remember the bum-quiver as I practiced saying the new price out loud with him. Still internally not quite believing that anyone in their right mind was gonna pay me that much.
August 2020
But I trusted in the process, put in the mindset work & signed my biggest client yet (a whopping £400 for 4 sessions) who was a referral from my wedding photographer - one of my original £50 clients!
September 2020
Having spent the last 2 months offering everyone I knew a complimentary coaching session, I signed 3 more paying clients, increasing the price every time. Brainstorming who to offer the sessions to was the inspiration for what is now my ‘Outreach Onion Method'
So by now I was charging £900 for a 3 month programme, which would've seemed impossible four months before. I now felt like a legit, small business owner, charging 'proper' money for doing something I loved.
This organic method not only got me 6 paying clients in less than 3 months, but also helped me go from zero to 4 figures months without posting ANYTHING on social media.
And it's now the basis for my 121 coaching, which helps badass women like you get paying clients without social media, so you can start a business without work finding out.
And look, I know you're probably thinking 'That's all great but I don't see how its possible for me', but let me tell you that is total bollocks. You just need to break that 'impossible' big goal down into smaller, more manageable chunks.
Start small, work on your money mindset & build your confidence. And you'll be charging the big bucks in your side hustle in no time.
Meet Lauren
Business Coach & Side Hustle Queen
Hi, I'm Lauren. I burnt out from the corporate world, hit rock bottom and used the experience to create my dream life. I now help passionate and ambitious women start and grow businesses. I'm living proof that you can - and deserve to - have it all.
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