If you’ve just started out as a sole trader, get work by doing three things fast: tell your existing network exactly what you do, make yourself findable on Google, and ask every early customer for proof. Don’t start with branding exercises. Start with conversations, local visibility, and jobs you can actually deliver well.
Start with the people who already trust you
Your first few jobs probably won’t come from a stranger typing into Google at midnight. They’ll come from people who already know you, used to work with you, live near you, or know someone who needs what you do.
This is not begging. This is telling the market you exist. If you’ve gone self-employed and nobody knows, you haven’t launched a business. You’ve started a secret.
Make a list of 50 people. Former colleagues, suppliers, neighbours, friends, old customers, local business owners, family contacts, sports club mates, parents from school, anyone who could either need your work or refer you.
Send a simple message. No essay. No life story. Something like:
“Hi Sarah, I’ve just started working as a sole trader doing bathroom fitting around Northwich. If you hear of anyone needing reliable bathroom work, I’d really appreciate you pointing them my way. I’m taking bookings now.”
That’s it. Clear service, clear area, clear ask. No cringe motivational waffle. You’ll be surprised how many people say, “Actually, my brother needs someone.”
Pick one clear offer people can understand
New sole traders often make the same mistake. They say they do “a bit of everything” because they don’t want to turn work away. I get it. You want money coming in. But vague businesses are hard to recommend.
If someone asks what you do and the answer takes 90 seconds, you’ve already lost them. People refer simple things. “He does emergency plumbing in Chester” is easy. “He helps with property maintenance, odd jobs, repairs, installations, some outdoor stuff and whatever else really” is mush.
Start narrow. You can widen later. Your first offer should answer three questions quickly:
- What do you do?
- Who do you do it for?
- Where do you do it?
- What problem do you solve?
| Weak offer | Better offer |
|---|---|
| I do marketing | I help local accountants get more enquiries from Google |
| I do building work | I fit kitchens for homeowners in Cheshire |
| I do admin | I provide bookkeeping support for sole traders and small businesses |
| I do fitness | I help busy parents in Crewe get stronger with 1-to-1 personal training |
You’re not marrying this offer forever. You’re making it easier for people to buy from you this week.
Sort your Google Business Profile before anything fancy
If you work locally, your Google Business Profile is one of the most important things you can set up. It’s the thing that can show in Google Maps when someone searches for “electrician near me”, “mobile hairdresser Warrington”, or “bookkeeper in Chester”.
It’s free, but free doesn’t mean optional. Leaving it blank while you mess about with logo colours is daft.
Your profile needs the basics done properly. Use your real business name. Choose the right category. Add your service area. Put in your phone number, website if you have one, opening hours, services, photos, and a short description that says what you actually do.
If you work from home and don’t want customers turning up at your house, set yourself as a service-area business. Don’t stick a fake office address on there. Google doesn’t like that, and neither do customers when they realise you’re pretending.
For a local sole trader, decent Google Business Profile optimisation can be the difference between being invisible and getting phone calls from people who are ready to buy.
Build a simple website, not a monument to your ego
You do need a website. You do not need a 25-page masterpiece with drone footage, animated counters, and a homepage that says “passionate about solutions”. Nobody cares.
A starter website for a sole trader should do five jobs. It should say what you do, where you do it, why someone should trust you, how to contact you, and what the next step is.
That might only need four pages at first: home, services, about, contact. If you offer more than one clear service, give each important service its own page. A plumber who has separate pages for boiler repairs, bathroom installations, and emergency callouts has a better chance of matching what people search for than a plumber with one vague “services” page.
Put your phone number where people can see it. Add your location or service area. Show real photos if you have them. Add proof as soon as you get it. A short testimonial from a happy first customer is better than three paragraphs of self-congratulatory nonsense.
And please, check the contact form works. You’d be amazed how many business owners pay for a new website and then discover six months later that enquiries were disappearing into the void. Brilliant. Money well spent.
Use local SEO before you burn cash on ads
SEO is not instant. Anyone promising you page one by Friday is either lying or selling something ropey. But if you’re a sole trader who wants steady work, especially in a local area, SEO is worth starting early.
Local SEO means helping Google understand what you do, where you do it, and why you’re a credible option. That includes your Google Business Profile, your website pages, reviews, local mentions, and the consistency of your business details across the web.
If you’re a decorator in Macclesfield, you don’t need to rank nationally for “decorator”. You need to show up when someone nearby searches for “interior decorator Macclesfield” or “painter and decorator near me”. That’s a very different job.
Good local SEO is practical. It’s not mystical wizardry. It’s clear pages, sensible keywords, trustworthy information, reviews, and technical basics that don’t trip Google up.
Start now because SEO compounds. The work you do this month can keep helping you in six months. Ads stop the second you stop paying. SEO, done properly, keeps earning its keep.
Ask for reviews while the customer still likes you
Reviews are not a “nice to have”. They are proof. For a new sole trader, proof is everything because people are taking a chance on you.
The best time to ask is right after the job is finished and the customer is happy. Not three months later when they’ve forgotten your name and lost your number. Send them the review link and make it easy.
Don’t make it weird. Don’t write a 400-word grovelling message. Try this:
“Thanks again for the work, I really appreciate it. If you were happy with everything, would you mind leaving me a quick Google review? It helps a lot while I’m building the business.”
That is polite, honest, and normal.
Do not buy fake reviews. Do not get your cousin to leave 12 reviews under different names. Do not review yourself from your dog’s Gmail account. It’s desperate, and Google is getting better at spotting that rubbish.
A steady trickle of real reviews from real customers builds trust. It also helps future customers choose you when they’re comparing three similar businesses.
Use marketplaces carefully, not as your whole business
Sites like Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Bark, Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, and industry-specific directories can be useful when you’re starting out. They can get you in front of people who are already looking.
But they come with a catch. You’re often competing on price, speed, and who responds first. That can turn into a race to the bottom if you’re not careful.
Use these platforms as a bridge, not your entire business model. They can help you get early jobs, build confidence, gather photos, earn reviews, and understand what customers ask before they buy. But you should still build your own assets at the same time: your website, your Google profile, your email list, your local reputation, and your referral network.
If all your leads come through someone else’s platform, you don’t really control your business. They can change prices, rules, rankings, or visibility whenever they like. That’s not a stable foundation. It’s renting attention.
Take the work if it makes sense. Just don’t become dependent on it.
Price yourself like you want to stay in business
When you’re new, it’s tempting to charge too little. You think cheap prices will bring in work. Sometimes they do. They also bring in awkward customers, tiny margins, and that lovely moment when you realise you’ve bought yourself a job that pays worse than employment.
Your price needs to cover more than the hours spent doing the work. It needs to cover travel, tools, software, insurance, tax, admin, quoting, phone calls, delays, no-shows, and the quiet weeks when nobody books anything.
Cheap can be useful as a short-term tactic if you’re building a portfolio, but be clear with yourself. Is this a discounted first job for proof, or is this your actual pricing? If it’s your actual pricing and you can’t live on it, fix it now.
Also, stop apologising for charging. If you do good work, turn up, communicate properly, and solve the customer’s problem, you are allowed to make a living. Revolutionary stuff, I know.
The goal is not to be the cheapest sole trader in town. The goal is to be the safest, clearest, most trustworthy choice for the right customer.
Do one boring sales habit every working day
Most new sole traders don’t fail because their logo is wrong. They fail because they don’t ask enough people to buy, refer, book, review, or reply.
Sales does not need to mean sleazy scripts and fake urgency. It means consistently creating chances for work to happen.
Pick one daily action and do it before the day gets swallowed by admin, tools, WhatsApp messages, and staring at your bank app like it owes you an apology.
Good daily actions include:
- Message five local contacts or past customers.
- Follow up on every quote sent in the last seven days.
- Post one useful example of your work on your Google profile or social media.
- Ask one happy customer for a review.
- Contact one local business that could refer work to you.
- Improve one page on your website.
- Add one real photo from a job, with permission if needed.
None of that is glamorous. That’s the point. Boring consistency beats occasional panic marketing. If you wait until you’ve got no work left before trying to get work, you’ll always be stressed.
Get your admin right, but don’t hide behind it
You do need the basics sorted. Register with HMRC when required, keep records, put money aside for tax, send proper invoices, understand your insurance needs, and have clear terms so customers know what they’re agreeing to.
The official GOV.UK guidance on setting up as a sole trader is a sensible place to check the rules. If you’re unsure about tax, get an accountant. Guessing your way through HMRC paperwork is a poor hobby.
But don’t spend six weeks “getting ready” because you’re scared to ask for work. That’s a common trap. People polish invoice templates, tweak business cards, research bank accounts, compare project management apps, and convince themselves they’re making progress.
Some of that matters. None of it pays you until customers know you exist.
Get legally and financially tidy, yes. Then get out there. Your first few jobs will teach you more than another afternoon watching YouTube videos titled “10 hacks for self-employed success” by someone who has clearly never had to chase a late invoice from a bloke called Dave.
Make your first 30 days painfully practical
Your first month as a sole trader should be about movement. Not perfection. Not brand theory. Movement.
Here’s a simple 30-day plan that works for most local service businesses, consultants, trades, and professional sole traders:
- Write down your main service, ideal customer, and service area in one sentence.
- Tell at least 50 people you’re now taking work.
- Set up or improve your Google Business Profile.
- Build a simple website or landing page with a clear contact option.
- Create one page for your most profitable or urgent service.
- Add your business to a few relevant local or industry directories.
- Ask every completed customer for a Google review.
- Take real photos of your work whenever possible.
- Follow up every quote within 48 hours.
- Track where every enquiry came from.
That last one matters. If three jobs come from referrals, do more referral activity. If Google starts bringing calls, improve your Google presence. If a paid directory sends nothing but time-wasters, cancel it.
Don’t run your business on vibes. Track what happens.
Know when to get help instead of guessing
You can do a lot yourself at the start. You should, frankly. It helps you understand your customers, your offer, your local market, and what kind of enquiries you actually want.
But there comes a point where guessing gets expensive. If your website is live but nobody finds it, your Google profile exists but never rings, or you’re ranking below competitors who seem to be doing bugger all, it may be time to get someone who knows what they’re looking at.
Proper SEO help should be plain English. You should know what’s being done, why it matters, and how it connects to enquiries. If an agency can’t explain the work without hiding behind jargon, that’s a red flag.
For new and growing sole traders, the right SEO services should focus on the basics that bring work: local visibility, service pages, technical fixes, Google Business Profile improvements, reviews, and clear reporting.
You don’t need magic. You need a system that helps the right people find you and trust you enough to get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way for a new sole trader to get work? The fastest route is usually your existing network. Tell people exactly what you do, where you work, and that you’re taking bookings. Combine that with a properly set up Google Business Profile, a simple website, and follow-ups on every enquiry. Early work often comes from trust before Google rankings have had time to build.
Do I need a website as a sole trader? Yes, if you want to look credible and get found online. It doesn’t need to be huge or expensive at the start. A clear website with your services, location, proof, contact details, and a few good photos is enough to begin. The main thing is that it answers customer questions and makes contacting you easy.
How long does SEO take for a sole trader? SEO usually takes months, not days. Some local improvements, such as fixing your Google Business Profile or adding clearer service pages, can help sooner. Stronger rankings often take longer because Google needs signals of relevance, trust, and consistency. Start early, keep improving, and don’t expect overnight miracles.
Should I use sites like Checkatrade, Bark or MyBuilder? They can be useful for early leads, especially if you need work quickly. The downside is that you may compete heavily on price and pay for leads that don’t convert. Use marketplaces as one channel, not your whole business. Build your own website, reviews, referrals, and Google visibility at the same time.
How much should I spend on marketing when I’ve just started? Spend carefully until you know what brings real enquiries. Start with low-cost basics: your network, Google Business Profile, reviews, a simple website, and local relationships. If you pay for ads, directories, or SEO, track every lead. The question is not “what did it cost?” but “did it bring profitable work?”
What should I do if I’ve had no enquiries for weeks? Stop guessing and check the basics. Is your offer clear? Can people find your phone number? Does your Google profile show the right services and area? Have you followed up old quotes? Have you asked for referrals? If all of that is done and nothing moves, get your website and local visibility reviewed properly.
