From Employee to Entrepreneur: Finding Your First Customers and Knowing When to Leap
Starting a business is a daunting challenge, especially in specialized fields like control panel building. I often get asked, "How did you find your first clients, and how did you know it was time to leave your job?" Looking back at the early days of TWW Controls, I’ve learned that there is a right way—and a very wrong way—to make that transition.
Knowing When to Take the Leap
Let’s address the timing first. My personal start was far from ideal. My wife, Amber, was eight months pregnant, and we had less than $100 in our account shortly after quitting our jobs. That is not the recommended path.
Ideally, you should have at least six months of savings to act as a buffer against the inevitable ups and downs. However, don't fall into the trap of waiting for the "perfect" time. Many people spend decades waiting for the mortgage to be paid off or for children to be older, and in that time, the opportunity slips away.
A better approach to the transition:
Establish Relationships First: Ensure you have at least one or two potential customers who can provide steady work to keep the lights on and groceries on the table.
Consider Moonlighting: If your current employer allows it—and you are transparent about the work being for clients they aren't interested in—starting as a side hustle is a safer way to build your client base until the volume of work makes staying in your day job impossible.
Finding Your First Customers
When I started, I knew the technical side of the business, but I had no idea how to sell. If you are in the same boat, start with these strategies:
Leverage Your Former Employer: Never burn bridges. Even if your exit wasn't perfect, keep things professional. Your previous company often understands your work ethic and capabilities better than anyone else, and they may turn out to be your first consistent client.
Partner with Competitors: Approach local, larger panel builders. They are often set up for specific, high-volume work and frequently turn down smaller jobs. If you position yourself as a partner who can take that overflow work, you create a mutually beneficial relationship.
Utilize Vendors and Distributors: Distributors want to sell components like enclosures and PLCs, but they need someone to assemble them. They are often actively looking for reputable builders to recommend to their customers.
Use Sweat Equity: You likely won't get a job just by handing out a business card. The most effective way to gain trust is to solve an immediate pain point. Offer your services for troubleshooting and emergency "firefighting." If you can show up at night to get a machine back up and running, you will quickly become a go-to resource.
In my early days, my business was 90% emergency repairs and 10% building. Over time, as I built trust and a reputation, that ratio flipped entirely. You start broad to survive, and you narrow your niche as you grow.
How did you find your first customers? Did you have a specific moment when you knew it was the right time to make the leap?