Find your first ten customers

The first ten customers are never strangers. They are people who already know you, people who know those people, and people in the groups you are already in. Ads come later, once you know what sells. This lesson is about asking well.

The order to ask in

1. 1WhatsApp status. Post your store link with one product photo and one line. Everyone who has your number sees it, and it costs nothing. Do it on three different days with three different products, not three times in one day.
2. 2Family and close friends. A personal message, not a broadcast: I started this, here is the link, I would love your honest feedback — and if you buy, tell me what was confusing. The feedback is worth more than the sale.
3. 3Groups you are already in. The college group, the society group, the parents group. Read the group's rules first; one thoughtful message with a photo beats a forward. Offer to deliver by hand locally if it makes sense.
4. 4Instagram stories. Put the link in your bio, then post a story a day for a week: the product, the packing, the first order going out. Use the link sticker. Reply to every comment with the product link.
5. 5Local, offline. A QR code on the counter, on the parcel, on a card in the gift. Your store's Home tab gives you a printable QR code the moment you publish.

Ask for the three things that matter

• A review. When the parcel arrives, ask for an honest review — on your store once reviews are on, or a line you can quote in a story. Never ask for five stars; ask for honesty. Honest reviews are what the eleventh customer reads.
• A photo. A customer's own photo of the product, with permission, is the most convincing thing you can post.
• A referral. Who else would like this? A happy customer in a family WhatsApp group is worth more than a week of posts.

What to notice in the first ten orders

Which product sold first. Which question every customer asked before buying (put the answer on the product page). Where the orders came from (that is the channel to double down on). What the courier actually charged you (update your pricing sheet). Ten orders is a small number, but it is enough to see the shape of the business.

Next

Ready to build? If you are selling products, go to Open your online store. If you offer a service or want a site before a store, start with Build your website. When the first ten are in, Get your first 100 orders is the next course.