Lead generation

On average 20-30% of your time, or 1-2 days a week. Early in your business, increase that to 50%. When you have recurring clients, cut back but keep a minimum (half a day a week) to feed your pipeline.

Start with your existing network (friends, family, former colleagues), join online and offline communities in your sector and take care of your LinkedIn presence. Cold outreach (emails, calls) comes next, once your pitch is well honed.

Track your metrics: contacts per week, response rate, and conversion rates from contact to meeting to quote to signature. Analyze which channels work best for you and adjust your strategy. Consistency matters more than perfection.