Is there a secret to growing a successful business?
I am a software engineer and I want to start my own business of providing IT software solutions and web application development. How can I get clients to provide me with projects and hire me to work for them? I have created some accounts on freelancing sites, but I am looking for some great source or successful idea to grow my business.
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Jun 29, 2016
You need resources: I agree with Matt, Freelance Worksites, Outsource.com, Craigslist, and the like are good place to start but the entry prices levels can be low from my experience. Do price by the hour or by the project? Knowing that can be all the difference to which freelance sites you want to align yourself. I would create a lead generation Wordpress site, optimize it for SEO for keywords you want to be known for, add the site to online industry specific directories, etc. http://vedcentrepreneurcenter.com/
Jun 29, 2016
Dipen, there are developers dime a dozen. You won't be the only person on a freelance site. In the USA alone, there are more than 100,000 software solutions companies. That does not include individuals like yourself.
So the best way to go about it is to first build a customer base while you have a steady income, and as you save money and grow, you can break off from your employer and start on your own.
Jun 25, 2016
Freelancing sites are the best place to find the work for your business. So keep on work on these sites. If you delivered your project successfully then some client hire you on regular basis So focus on your work's quality & deliver your project timely.
You need to build a strong online presence so that people know about you & your business. If you did some work in past then create a portfolio and promote it. Discuss with your happy client & educate him to post the review about your work.
Jun 24, 2016
*Marketing to include "your market research for your target market".
*Building out your processes and operations.
*Ensure you have the capital/funding you need up front or the ability to invest on a regular basis.
*Continue to learn and grow in your field with classes and keeping up on the latest technology.
*Network! Network! Network!
*Most importantly stay abreast of your customer focus and service skills so that you will keep the customers that you obtain.
Jun 21, 2016
Hi Dipen,
It is great to see you have decided to start an IT business. Congrats!
A few months ago, I supported an IT company which had the similar question as yours. The IT firm also provided software solutions including web applications. This company had a difficult time getting clients because his market was saturated with similar businesses.
My recommendation for this company was based on my research. I examined how IT companies were operating, what value they proposed, how they delivered their services, and what the actual need of many customers was.
First of all, you have to decide what kind of solutions you want to provide. Do you want to provide marketing solutions or do you want to provide internal organisational IT solutions?
Based on this decision you should, like mentioned before, find a target market. Identify what kind of businesses need your IT solutions. You should research whether the IT solutions would add value to their business. Based on our research we found that many companies invest in IT solutions, which didn't add value rather it cost them money, time and effort. You want to avoid this because you rather have clients who want to come back in the future.
After you have identified your target market, you should research how they currently use IT solutions, whether the current IT solutions add value to their business (essential element), and if your solutions can add more value. Maybe, you have to develop a new solution because the current ones could be missing something. Based on this research you can identify the demand of a particular market. Subsequently, you can develop an appropriate solution and then promote the IT online or offline software to the target market.
For example:
You decide to provide marketing solutions focused on private dentists. Start researching how technology is currently used and whether it adds value to their practice. Based on this you can identify gaps within the current solutions. The gaps you can potentially fill in with your creative solutions. Maybe, dentists in your local area are not well connected with mainstream platforms, which many potential customers visit. They maybe have a beautiful website, but it is not connected appropriately with Google, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, Local Directory websites, Local Medical Directory sites or even national medical directories. Also, they could be well connected, but their website hasn't been updated for months or even years or their website doesn't work anymore partly.
You can offer them the following:
- Development of the website
- Connecting website with mainstream platforms (This will make their dentist practice accessible for potential clients)
- Providing monthly reports about the maintenance, security and analytics of their website (visitors). (paying you a monthly fee)
- Providing recommendations about how they could reach more customers.
- Proving recommendations how they could stay in contact with their clients by using your other "add-on" IT solutions such as email newsletter or sending a notification to their customers for his or her yearly check up.
By having a close relationship with your clients and continuously researching their organisation and asking for feedback and recommendations you can develop new ideas how to add value to their business and maybe earn decent amounts of revenue. In this way, you can learn and expand your services based on a particular target market. Eventually, this will enable you to become an IT expert in a particular industry.
Hopefully, my answer is appropriate.
Good Luck,
Wais
Jun 20, 2016
I believe Matt hit the nail on the proverbial head but you may want to niche even further than software. It's tough to make a (credible) business case for businesses you do not understand. You could identify an under-served market, for example dentists. This provides a focus for ACTIVE marketing, i.e. locate dentists with poor/no internet presence and make the pitch to them.
Good Luck!
Doug
Jun 20, 2016
Do you have a solid business plan? If you want to start your own business of providing IT software solutions, here are some tips how to realize your ideas - https://www.ogscapital.com/blog/implementing-business-startup-ideas . Always try to arrange your thoughts and remain faithful to your dream!
Jun 16, 2016
Hi Dipen,
The short answer is yes but here's the long "hussle" answer.
1. Understand which parts of the business is doing very well, why and how.
2. Build on what's working by understanding the why.
3. Determine what parts of the business needs to grow - more customers or product volume etc
4. Marketing - Using business intelligence to map out the timings - market and competition reaction, when and where to reach your (existing/new) target market etc
5. Designing your value proposition to meet the expectations of existing and new customers - how you can keep them and repeat the process.
Hope this helps and feel free to connect if I can be of further help.
Best of luck
Jun 14, 2016
Initially start contacting established companies in your business field, they sublet you some work, although it will not be highly paying some times you may be at loss also. Subsequently you can build your own client base.
Jun 13, 2016
You need to hustle. You need to build your web presence, social media, make calls, promote, fight, rinse and repeat. Don't expect it to be easy. If it was, everyone would do it.
Jun 17, 2016
I think Freelance sites are a great place to start. it's how I started.
You MUST separate from the crow of software guys who are ALL DOING THE EXACT SAME THING it goes something like this - (Hello Sir/Maddam I am Joe or Saqib or Jacques... I do software -here is my portfolio) DON'T DO WHAT THEY ALL DO>
I put together a mp3 package, spoke of ways the business owner could identify their top 3 selling points, Gave ideas and how to get better conversion on their sites. I Included PDF's Demo's and Offered them a Free 30 minute consultation and access to my open schedule calendar.
I separated myself from my competition and almost always won the gig . I was very rarely the lowest price. Several became long term customers , spending tens of thousands with me .. Many refereed new business to me.
Key Take Away Here: Do what your competition isn't doing..
Jun 17, 2016
Lastly, I would think about niche marketing - don't be the go to guy for every software type - narrow your focus then branch out.. it's much easier to be a big fish in a little pond - Especially when you are trying to gain credibility.
I like your answer, I am doing same too.. I am also doing job and doing part time activities of freelancing. So I am looking for steady income from that, and then will decide to grow with business.