What is the fastest way to get more clients?

Stop losing the ones who already contacted you. A plumber who takes 40 calls a week at a 65% answer rate loses 14 calls. At a 50% conversion and a £280 average job, that is roughly £2,000 a week, recoverable with a missed-call text-back rule that costs about £20 a month. Measure your answer rate, first reply time and quote win rate before you spend on anything else.

Can I cold email potential clients in the UK?

If the recipient is a limited company, yes, without consent. Say who you are and give a valid opt-out address. If the recipient is a consumer, a sole trader or an ordinary partnership, you need consent first. A partnership in Scotland counts as a company. If you sell to consumers, cold email is closed to you, and leaflets, post and partnerships do that job instead.

Do leaflets still work?

If your catchment is walking distance, yes. A leaflet through 2,000 doors in the streets round a finished job works for trades, cleaners, groomers, driving instructors and tutors. A letter to the neighbours while the van is on the street works better. Post sits outside the email and phone marketing rules, so it needs no consent.

When do I start paying for ads?

After reviews, a working website and a way to keep the clients you win. Ads point at whatever is already there. If the gross profit from a new client in the first 30 days covers the cost to win and serve them, paid ads fund themselves. For a £45 groom or a £16 cut, that only happens through retention.

How many techniques do I run at once?

Fewer than you think. Do more of what already works, then convert more of the enquiries you already get, and only then open a new channel. Most small businesses open a fourth channel while they run three badly. One channel, run until it works, beats four run monthly.

Guide · 45 techniques · 22 trades · 6 steps

How to get clients

To get more clients, work in the order that pays back fastest. Keep the enquiries you already get, sharpen what you sell, get found by people who are searching, and only then pay to reach strangers. Which techniques fit depends on how your buyer buys, so the table on this page shows every technique against 22 UK trades.

The short version

01Plug the leaksKeep the demand you already paid forNear zero · Days
02Sharpen the offerDecide what all later work is sellingNear zero · A day, plus the rewrite
03Get foundBe the one people find when they searchLow · Weeks to months
04Get knownMake people want you before they searchMedium · Months
05Go and askReach people who have never heard of youFree when warm, high when cold · Weeks, with effort
06Get referredTurn clients and partners into a channelLowest of all · Months, then it compounds

Steps 1 and 6 are the cheapest and the most neglected, because neither feels like marketing. Step 5 is the most expensive and the one most people reach for first, because it feels like action. Acquisition before the leaks are fixed is water into a holed bucket.

Pick your business type

Choose your trade for its own page: where your customers look, the shape of your year, and a 90-day plan in order. The table below still holds every trade's sheet, which techniques fit and which to skip.

Every technique, by trade

45 techniques, grouped into the six steps. The 22 trades fall into 8 groups that market alike. Choose your trade to swap the comparison for your own sheet and shortlist. Every lever behind these techniques, one by one with the rule on each, is in the register.

Your trade

Columns

Key move
Fits
Skip
Closed by law or ethics
Varies by trade

			Emergency local	Considered project		Repeat local			B2B practice
Technique	Cost	First result	Emergency trades	Project trades	Events	Regular bookings	Venues	Health	Practices	Regulated advice
01 Plug the leaks			Keep the demand you already paid for
	£	Days	Key move	Key move	Key move	Fits	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Fits, varies by trade	Fits, varies by trade
	Free	Days	Key move	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Key move
	Free	Days	Key move	Key move	Key move	Skip, varies by trade	Skip	Skip	Fits	Fits, varies by trade
	££	Days	Skip	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Key move	Key move	Key move	Skip	Skip
	£	Days	Skip	Skip	Fits	Key move	Key move	Key move	Skip	Skip
	Free	Days	Skip	Skip	Skip	Key move	Skip	Key move	Skip	Skip
	£	Weeks	Fits	Fits	Fits	Key move	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Fits	Fits
	£	Weeks	Fits, varies by trade	Skip, varies by trade	Skip	Fits, varies by trade	Skip	Fits	Key move, varies by trade	Fits
	Free	Days	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits
02 Sharpen the offer			Decide what all later work is selling
	Free	Days	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Key move	Key move
	Free	Days	Fits, varies by trade	Key move	Key move	Skip	Skip	Skip	Fits	Fits
	Free	Days	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Skip	Closed by law or ethics	Key move	Skip
	Free	Days	Skip	Fits	Skip, varies by trade	Skip, varies by trade	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Key move	Fits, varies by trade
	Free	Days	Key move, varies by trade	Fits	Key move	Fits, varies by trade	Fits	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Fits
03 Get found			Be the one people find when they search
	Free	Weeks	Key move	Key move	Key move	Key move	Key move	Fits, varies by trade	Skip, varies by trade	Key move
	Free	Weeks	Key move	Key move	Key move	Key move	Key move	Closed by law or ethics, varies by trade	Fits	Key move
	£	Weeks	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Key move	Key move	Fits	Key move
	Free	Weeks	Fits	Fits	Skip	Skip	Skip	Skip	Skip	Skip
	££	Months	Key move	Key move	Key move	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Key move
	Free	Days	Skip	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Key move	Key move	Key move	Skip, varies by trade	Fits, varies by trade
	Free	Days	Key move	Fits, varies by trade	Fits, varies by trade	Fits, varies by trade	Key move	Key move	Fits, varies by trade	Key move
	££	Days	Fits	Fits	Fits	Skip, varies by trade	Skip	Skip	Skip	Fits
	£££	Days	Key move	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Fits, varies by trade
	£££	Days	Key move	Fits	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Skip	Skip	Skip	Skip
04 Get known			Make people want you before they search
	Free	Weeks	Fits	Key move	Key move	Skip, varies by trade	Key move	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Skip
	Free	Months	Skip	Fits	Fits	Key move, varies by trade	Key move	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Skip
	Free	Weeks	Fits	Fits	Fits	Key move	Key move	Skip, varies by trade	Skip, varies by trade	Skip
	Free	Months	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Key move	Key move
	£	Months	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Key move	Fits, varies by trade	Key move	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Fits, varies by trade
	Free	Months	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Fits	Skip, varies by trade	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Key move	Fits, varies by trade
	£££	Weeks	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Key move	Skip	Skip	Skip
05 Go and ask			Reach people who have never heard of you
	Free	Days	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Key move	Key move
	Free	Days	Fits	Key move	Key move	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits
	£	Months	Fits	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Skip	Fits	Skip	Key move	Key move
	££	Weeks	Fits	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Closed by law or ethics	Closed by law or ethics	Closed by law or ethics	Key move	Closed by law or ethics, varies by trade
	££	Weeks	Fits, varies by trade	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Skip	Skip	Skip	Fits	Closed by law or ethics, varies by trade
	££	Weeks	Fits, varies by trade	Key move	Skip	Fits	Fits	Skip	Skip	Skip
	££	Weeks	Fits, varies by trade	Skip, varies by trade	Skip	Skip	Skip	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Skip
	£	Weeks	Fits	Fits	Skip	Fits, varies by trade	Key move	Skip, varies by trade	Skip	Skip
	Free	Months	Skip, varies by trade	Fits	Skip, varies by trade	Skip	Skip	Skip	Skip, varies by trade	Skip, varies by trade
06 Get referred			Turn clients and partners into a channel
	Free	Weeks	Key move	Key move	Key move	Key move	Fits	Skip, varies by trade	Key move	Key move
	£	Months	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits
	Free	Months	Fits, varies by trade	Fits	Key move	Key move, varies by trade	Key move	Key move	Fits, varies by trade	Key move
	Free	Months	Fits	Key move	Key move	Fits	Fits	Fits	Key move	Key move
	Free	Weeks	Fits	Fits	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Skip	Fits	Fits, varies by trade	Fits

Rows run in the order to work in. Select a technique to read how it works. Select a trade name to get its own sheet. § marks a technique with a legal or ethical condition.

On this page

The short version
Pick your business type
Every technique, by trade
Find your type
Find your step
The six steps
A first pass, week by week
When paid ads pay
Four UK rules
Questions

Find your type

How your buyer buys decides which techniques work. The 22 trades fall into four types, and each type has its own order of play.

Type A

Emergency local

plumbers, electricians, roofers

The buyer has a problem now and is searching now. Whoever answers first wins.

Answer every call, text back the missed ones
Google Business Profile and reviews
Google Ads and Local Services Ads
A page per service and per town
Van livery and leaflets round each job

Never: cold email to householders; limited-company landlords and letting agents are the lawful targets.

Type B

Considered project

builders, landscapers, caterers, photographers

High price, long deliberation. The buyer decides on proof of past work.

Photograph every job, collect every review
Same-day quotes with three options, then follow up
Partnerships with the trades and venues next to you
Visual social as a portfolio, plus a seasonal email
Paid ads once the proof is in place

Never: cold email to homeowners.

Type C

Repeat local

salons, groomers, driving, tutors, cleaners, trainers, cafes, physios, therapists

Modest price, bought again and again. Retention is the whole economics.

Rebooking, reminders and deposits
Google Business Profile and reviews
Local Facebook groups and noticeboards
Leaflets inside walking distance, refer-a-friend
Paid ads last, funded by retention

Never: cold email or cold text to consumers.

Type D

B2B practice

accountants, coaches, it support, agencies, advisers, solicitors

Nobody is searching for you. You go and find them.

One niche and one offer
Your existing network and introductions
LinkedIn plus one content channel
Cold email to limited companies, screened calls
Referral partnerships, then paid ads

Tutors and cleaning companies sit across two types. If you sell to parents or households, follow repeat local. If you sell to schools, agencies or offices, follow B2B practice. Therapists follow repeat local with two changes: directories outrank everything else, and discretion rules out most social media.

Find your step

Most owners believe they need step 4 or 5 when they lose money in step 1. Ten numbers settle it. If you cannot answer them, that is the finding, and counting them is your first job.

Number	How to get it	Problem	Healthy	Step
Answer rate	Calls answered divided by calls received, from your call log	Below 80%	Above 90%	1
First reply time	Enquiry to first reply, human or automated	Over 1 hour	Under 15 minutes	1
Quote win rate	Jobs won divided by quotes sent, last 20 quotes	Below 30%, or unknown	Above 40%	1
No-show rate	Missed and late-cancelled appointments divided by bookings	Above 5%	Under 5%	1
Rebooking rate	Clients who book again inside the natural cycle	Below 50%	60 to 70%	1
Enquiries per week	Count them for two weeks	Fewer than 5, with the rest healthy	Trending up	3 to 5
Reviews per month	New reviews across the platforms your buyers check	Lumpy, or none	3 or more, steady	3
Referrals per quarter	Ask every new client how they found you	Not counted	Counted, and rising	6
Clients on a plan	Clients paying monthly or on a standing slot	None	Rising	1
Cost per job, by channel	Spend on a channel divided by the jobs it produced	Unknown	Known, and falling	3 to 5

If any of the first five fails, you are in step 1. Payback per hour of work is highest here.
If the first five are healthy and enquiries are under five a week, work steps 3 to 5. Traffic earns its keep now.
If every number is healthy and the money still does not add up, work step 2. The problem is what you sell and what you charge.
If every number is healthy and you have no spare hours, you are full. More leads make that worse. Raise prices, sell a plan, then hire.

The six steps

01Plug the leaks

Cost per client: Near zero · First result: Days · 9 techniques

You already paid to make the phone ring. Every lost call, cold quote, no-show and lapsed regular is demand you generated and then dropped. The fixes cost almost nothing and pay back in days.

Do these first

Count your answer rate for one month
Turn on missed-call text-back
Rebook every client before they leave

02Sharpen the offer

Cost per client: Near zero · First result: A day, plus the rewrite · 5 techniques

Every later step amplifies the offer it points at. An advert for a vague offer costs the same as an advert for a sharp one and returns less. Below a few hundred pounds, skip the stack: the buyer decides on proximity, availability, reviews and price.

Do these first

Name one buyer you can describe in a sentence
Put three options on the next quote
Use a deadline the calendar already gives you

03Get found

Cost per client: Low · First result: Weeks to months · 10 techniques

People search for what you do every day. For most local trades this is the largest single source of new clients, and most of it costs nothing per click. Paid search comes last in this step, because ads point at whatever profile and reviews already exist.

Do these first

Complete your Google Business Profile
Ask for a review on a trigger, every job
Write one page per service

04Get known

Cost per client: Medium · First result: Months · 7 techniques

Nobody is searching for you yet. This step makes people want the work before they look for it. It is the slowest step, so pick formats that ride on the work itself: a photograph of every job feeds everything else.

Do these first

Photograph every job, before and after
Pick one platform and post weekly
Email your list two or three times a season

05Go and ask

Cost per client: Free when warm, high when cold · First result: Weeks, with effort · 9 techniques

Warm outreach is free and converts higher than anything else on this page. Cold outreach is the most expensive step and the one UK law restricts most, so read the four rules before you send anything.

Do these first

Tell everyone you know what you do and who you want
Go back to the last 12 months of unconverted quotes
Leaflet the streets round each finished job

06Get referred

Cost per client: Lowest of all · First result: Months, then it compounds · 5 techniques

Referral is the cheapest client you ever win and the only channel that gets cheaper as it grows. It needs delivered work and months of compounding, so start the asking early and leave it running.

Do these first

Ask out loud on the day the job goes well
Sign one gatekeeper who already owns your buyer
Thank every referrer, visibly

A first pass, week by week

One pass through the steps takes about two months beside a full diary. Referral asks start before the traffic work, because they are the only work here that compounds.

#	What you do	Time
01	Measure the ten numbers	2 hours
02	Fix the phone and the first reply	1 week
03	Fix quote follow-up and the reminder ladder	1 week
04	Turn on rebooking, the opt-out line, nudges and win-backs. Sweep the dormant list once	2 weeks
05	Start review and referral asks on triggers, and leave them running	Half a day
06	Sharpen the offer	1 day, plus the rewrite
07	Complete the profile and write the three or four service pages that matter	2 to 4 weeks
08	Set up a plan with a monthly price, then check the paid-ads arithmetic	1 week
09	Add one channel, and run it until it works	Ongoing
10	Then add paid ads, with the arithmetic as the budget	Ongoing

When paid ads pay

Paid acquisition funds itself when the gross profit from a new client in the first 30 days is more than the cost to win and serve them. Aim for a lifetime gross profit of at least three times the cost to acquire.

Business	Ticket	Repeat	Paid acquisition
Boiler install	£2,800	Servicing plan	Passes on the first job
Loft conversion	£48,000	Once	Passes on the first job
Driving lessons	£400 block	40 to 50 hours	Passes because of the block booking
Physio	£330 course	Flare-ups	Passes if you sell the course
Dog groom	£45	Every 6 weeks	Fails on the visit, passes on retention
Barber	£16	Every 4 weeks	Fails on the visit, passes on retention
One tutoring hour	£35	Termly	Fails unless you sell the term
End-of-tenancy clean	£180	Once	Fails. The letting agent is the route

Illustrative round numbers. Substitute your own average job value and margin.

Four UK rules

These four decide which outreach techniques you may use at all. They are also the four that small businesses break most often.

1
Sole traders count as individuals for cold email and cold text
You need consent before you cold email or text a consumer, a sole trader or an ordinary partnership. A partnership in Scotland is the exception: the regulations treat it as a company. You can email a limited company without consent. If you do, say who you are and give a valid address for opt-out requests (PECR reg 22 and reg 23).
2
The soft opt-in depends on the opt-out you offered at the start
You can email or text past customers about similar services without fresh consent. A quote request counts, because the rule covers negotiations for a sale. The condition most small businesses fail is reg 22(3)(c): you must have offered the opt-out when you first took the details. If your booking and quote forms lack that line, add it today. It only works forwards.
3
No soft opt-in exists for phone calls
Before a live marketing call, screen the number against the TPS, or the CTPS for a company. That applies to a number published on a website and to a past customer. Recorded-message calls need prior consent (PECR reg 19 and reg 21).
4
Urgency, scarcity and reviews must be true
The DMCC Act 2024 lists fake urgency, fake stock counts, fake or commissioned reviews and undisclosed paid endorsements as banned practices. "Three build slots a month" works because it is true. Separately, Google's review policy bans asking only happy customers, so ask everyone.

Channel	To a consumer	To a sole trader or partnership	To a limited company
Cold email or text	Needs consent	Needs consent. A partnership in Scotland counts as a company	No consent needed. Identify yourself, give an opt-out address
Live cold call	After TPS screening	After TPS screening	After CTPS screening
Recorded-message call	Needs prior consent	Needs prior consent	Needs prior consent
Email or text to past customers	Soft opt-in: similar services, opt-out offered at collection and in every message	Same	Lawful with an opt-out
Call to past customers	TPS screening still applies	TPS screening still applies	CTPS screening still applies
Leaflets and addressed post	Lawful. Post sits outside PECR	Lawful	Lawful
Door knocking	Lawful. 14 days to cancel, up to 12 months if you give no written notice	Lawful	Lawful
Retargeting pixels	Need cookie consent	Need cookie consent	Need cookie consent

General information, not legal advice. Regulation numbers checked against legislation.gov.uk on 19 September 2026. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 amended PECR from 5 February 2026: it defines direct marketing, adds a soft opt-in for charities and gives the Information Commission its Data Protection Act 2018 enforcement powers for PECR. The consent, soft opt-in and screening rules in this section read the same after it.

Questions

Get your own order of play

The audit asks about your trade, your numbers and your season, then ranks the moves that pay back first for your business.

Take the free audit

The short version

Pick your business type

Every technique, by trade

Find your type

Emergency local

Considered project

Repeat local

B2B practice

Find your step

The six steps

01Plug the leaks

02Sharpen the offer

03Get found

04Get known

05Go and ask

06Get referred

A first pass, week by week

When paid ads pay

Four UK rules

Sole traders count as individuals for cold email and cold text

The soft opt-in depends on the opt-out you offered at the start

No soft opt-in exists for phone calls

Urgency, scarcity and reviews must be true

Questions

What is the fastest way to get more clients?

Can I cold email potential clients in the UK?

Do leaflets still work?

When do I start paying for ads?

How many techniques do I run at once?

Get your own order of play