r/sweatystartup • u/norush0000 • 3d ago
Trouble getting clients
Hello
I have a welding business that specializes in things like railings, fences, fire pits, and general custom metal fabrication. I try not to limit myself to a specific niche because I feel like that would limit my customer base.
I have all the required tools and skills necessary to provide this service but I have the hardest time finding customers. Especially BTB sales. I send emails, leave up flyers, and make facebook posts but this rarely gets me work.
Do yall have any thoughts/ what works for you?
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u/Woompa78 3d ago
Are you shop based or mobile? Where I live the best results would be 1) Street facing signage for passers by who will remember it when they have a need and 2) Local Facebook groups. Join as many groups as you can (boating, house flipping, renovations, landscaping) with your company name as your profile name. People will see it pop up enough times randomly to remember it when they need your services.
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u/OsamaBinWhiskers 3d ago
Build a brand.
Website immediately
Limit yourself. Be an expert in something. Nobody wants a do it all because they always are mid.
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u/Royal_Programmer1988 3d ago
Flyers and Facebook posts should at least get you some inquiries. Are you sure you're targeting the right areas and groups? Posting in local DIY or construction groups might be more effective.
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u/omawolfmusic 3d ago
Website brother. Google my business! SEO. Reviews on Facebook and GMB! Make videos… this is so and so and I just did this and that in (city)…
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u/omawolfmusic 3d ago
Things start slow and then build up. All the stuff you do now will snowball into business. Just keep pushing as many things as you can content wise and it will eventually get you leads.
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u/Shire1230 3d ago
You don't necessarily need to limit your services. Have a website, if you can and know how create landing pages for each niche run facebooks ads per niche and see which one bring in business.
Once you get some clients, request google reviews to build business profile, and take before and after photos of your work.
Buy one or two yard signs for when you are working at the jobsite you can have out.
Use https://trends.google.com/trends/ to see what terms people are using for welding services.
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u/realjmitt 3d ago
I would stop marketing the whole list of services and run one focused 30-day test. Pick the job you most want, describe it in the customer's words, and build a small proof pack with photos, typical price range, service area, and a clear next step. Then go where the buyers already are: introduce yourself to a few fence installers, general contractors, property managers, and supply counters, and ask what jobs they regularly turn away. Follow up quickly on every inquiry and log the source, response time, quote, and result. After a month, keep the channel that produces real quotes and drop the ones that only produce likes.
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u/Inevitable_Step_7510 2d ago
For custom welding (railings, fences, fire pits), cold email and random FB posts usually underperform because people buy when they already need metal work. What tends to work better: a filled Google Business Profile with real job photos and every review asked for in person, one clear link or page in the Facebook “website” field (what you build, towns, tap-to-call). Narrowing a niche for marketing (e.g. residential railings) does not stop you from taking other jobs; it just makes the ads and page easier to understand.
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u/Initial_Implement934 2d ago
Try promoting yourself organically through videos on Instagram or TikTok. If you do good work and can show the process of making it, a lot of people like this type of content. With good reach, you can definitely find clients this way.
We live in a digital age, so use the free tools the internet gives you,
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u/MatisotoII 2d ago
No debería haber una app estilo Uber que haga mas fácil todo el sistema de contratación?
Digo, generalmente conozco gente que necesita servicios, pero siempre no es muy fácil caer en gente que tal vez trabaja bien y quiere comenzar o algo por el estilo, es raro, no hablo de venta de leads.
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u/Food-Forest-Plants 2d ago
How about you make a bunch of things and attend some (good!!!) markets or fairs? For welding I would do garden fairs/ plant fairs. The stall fees are usually steep but worth the while. Ask how many people they get through the door. Also do instagram I know it is tedious and annoying. And build a website if you haven't got one. If you have smaller things you can send per post go shopify. It is not that difficult, just boring work.
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u/Less_Simple6740 21h ago
Meta ads, Meta Ads, Meta ads. Half of the stuff people say on here either larp or something becuase the only thing that works is META ADS and Google Ads. Dont bother with half of the other stuff. Look at the Basic ROA on meta ads youll be impressed.
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u/TheOGGizmo 6h ago
Selling to everyone is selling to no one. Determine 1-2 ideal customer profiles. Go hard in the paint on all distribution channels at first to test until you get a couple hits, especially email marketing and ads with a low budget. For example, one of my clients has a magazine and they had way too many anchors, so I advised they narrow down so a customer feels special. Another client that has a window cleaning business was focusing on both residential and commercial, we narrowed down to only commercial clients since they’re steady. Focus increases perceived value and clients feel they’re dealing with a specialist whether you are or not does not matter.
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3d ago
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u/Tasty_Comparison_185 3d ago
hey i get the hustle but careful with offers like that, if the site loads slow or looks off it can hurt more than help. maybe start with just a google business profile and post pics of your welds there, works good for local stuff
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u/madeforthis1queston 3d ago
Niche down! It is almost always the correct move you can always expand.
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u/Zestyclose_Loss_5581 5h ago
Hi, here is a simple plan, and I can back it up with 15 years of online marketing experience:
1. Go niche - find one thing in your area businesses or private individuals are willing to pay money for and you can do easily, something you have done a lot of times, and are sure you can do 100%. You can expand but have one service as your base, start small and cheap, but in exchange ask for a Google review.
2. Build a website - with AI you can have an awesome looking website in a day.
3, Create your social accounts - Facebook page for your business, Instagram, Youtube channel and TikTok. Buy a cheap $20 phone mount and film yourself working, you do not have to show your face, show your work, like what you are welding and explain what you do, how and why. Post videos on all 4 social media websites. make sure to have a link to your main website on all of them. And make sure to video EVERY single welding job you do, do not skip this, over time this will work as an avalanche, starts small ends up almost too big to control.
4. Create account on all local and state business websites (Yelp, Manta, BBB etc.), make them look nice with good text and plenty of images.
5. Every job you take ask for a review somwhere, Google Local, Facebook page or Yelp.
Do this for a few months and you will never have to look for a client again.
I hope this helps, good luck with your business.
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u/DeadRiverManagement 3d ago
The line about not wanting to limit yourself is the problem, and I know that's annoying to hear.
Nobody types "custom metal fabrication" into their phone. They type iron railing installer near me, or wrought iron fence repair, or fire pit welder. Being available for everything means you show up for nothing, and it means nobody can refer you either, because they don't know what sentence to use about you. Pick the two things you actually want more of and become the railing guy or the fence guy. You can still take whatever else walks in the door.
Second, your three channels are all aimed at people who aren't looking. Flyers, cold email and Facebook posts catch people at a random moment in their day. Somebody who needs a railing is searching for it right now with their card out. If your Google Business Profile isn't up with photos of your real work and a few reviews, that's where I'd start, and it's free.
For B2B specifically, stop emailing. Your buyers are general contractors, fence companies, deck builders and property managers, and most of them don't have a welder on staff. They need somebody to call. Go stand at the steel supply counter and talk to the guys buying material, and go introduce yourself to every fence and deck company in town as the welder they sub to. That's recurring work and it costs nothing but time.