So when I first started working on networking for my freelancing business, I had told one lady that I was a social media manager. I even showed her a video I made for a friend of mine's business.
She says she'll call me, so she does.
When I get on the phone, she asks me if I could make a website where people can submit their own posts. (Everyone at the event didn't seem to want social media help, just web design) I had only ever made a website for myself, and figured, why not add that to my list of tricks! She asked me how long it takes to maake a website, I said it took me 4 hours to make my friends website and I was charging 40 an hour.
Keep in mind, I was expecting to talk about social media stuff, so I really didn't have proper answers for her questions, because I never talked to her about websites in person, so I don't know how she came to this conclusion that I could make a website.
She specifically told me money was not an issue.
So 4 weeks later, this website really kicked my butt because it was very specific on how it needed to work, there were tons and tons of problems. I wound up putting in 25 hours, which totaled $1000.
I'd like to add that she took forever to get back to me! It would take like 2 days for her to text me back, so I mirrored her and did the same. lol
When we get to pricing, i tell her that it's $1000 and she flips out on me saying she thought it was only going to take 4 hours, I told her I never made a website like this before so I didn't know it would take that long. (Also if it was going to take 4 hours it wouldn't have been a month long process) She asked why I never brought it up, I just said it never occurred to me. But realistically, she told me price wasn't an issue, so that's why I never brought it up.
I was able to get her to agree on $500.
I told my friend about this and she was livid, she said that websites go for $1000 to $3000, so if anything I was giving her a huge discount.
But my thing is, she told me price wasn't an issue and she also assumed I could make a website, which I don't know how you get that from social media manager? She's in real estate, so I definitely didn't think money would be such an issue.
Great story! It's always interesting to read about the realities of getting those first clients. Every business has a unique journey, and these experiences are often the best lessons for new entrepreneurs. One thing I've also noticed is how important branding and thoughtful packaging become as businesses grow—it really shapes the customer experience from the first order. Thanks for sharing your experience and insights!
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