So, you’ve decided to start your very own side hustle? Good on you! From my conversations with hundreds of people in their 50s and 60s, I can tell you, without hesitation, that working as a freelancer or consultant is one of the fastest and most effective ways to boost your retirement savings.

But, here’s the problem. While most people who want to start a consulting business have the skills to succeed, many don’t know how to go about finding their first few customers… the ones who will love their service and scream about their experience from the rooftops.

Since I am already 7 years into my own consulting journey, I thought that I would share a few of the things that I have learned about finding clients that will help you to pay the bills (without driving you crazy!)

This is the advice that I wish someone had given me when I was looking for my first 3 clients.

You Probably Already Know Your First 3 Clients

In preparation for writing this article, I did a quick survey of 20 people in their 50s and 60s who have started their own consulting or freelancing businesses.

All but one of these people told me that their first clients were people that they knew. Some of them worked with a family member or friend to get their feet wet, but, the majority found their first clients through their business networks.

This mirror’s my own experience as a consultant. Since leaving my corporate job, more than 7 years ago, I have worked with over a dozen clients, many of whom stuck with me for year after year.

How did I find them?

First, I created a list of all of my business associates, former colleagues, managers, friends and family members.

Second, I ranked the people on this list according to how well I knew each person and the likelihood that they would have consulting work that I would be a good fit for.

Finally, I called each person on my “top 50” list, one per day, until I found 2 people who had open projects that I felt that I was a fit for. Of these 2 potential projects, one turned into a 2-year gig that grew my confidence (and my wallet).

Is it possible to just send out an email blast or post on LinkedIn that you are looking for clients? Sure, but, I wouldn’t recommend it (at least not as your only strategy).

People are busy and it is way too easy to ignore an impersonal message. It’s much better to take the time to reach out to each possible lead one at a time.

Bonus: At the end of each phone call, regardless of whether I thought that the conversation was on track to lead to a project, I asked one simple question. I’m not kidding when I say that this one simple question doubled my client list in the first few years of my consulting business. The question I asked was:

Who is the one person that you think might benefit from me helping them with their marketing?

More times than not, my friends and colleagues had one or more people in their network who they were willing to connect me with. And, since getting in the door is the hardest part of looking for consulting work, their support was invaluable!

Do This BEFORE Reaching Out to Your Contacts

Let’s be honest, most of us are not great at keeping in touch with the people we have worked with. But, I promise you this… spending 10 minutes a week commenting on your colleagues public Facebook posts, tweets and LinkedIn posts will make a massive difference when you start to look for your first 3 clients.

If you haven’t done a great job of staying connected to the people in your business network, I recommend doing the following, at least 3-4 months before you start looking for your first 3 clients.

First, follow the people you think are most likely to be able to help you on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media channels. Make a point to comment (in an authentic way!) on their posts.

Second, make a point of looking for small ways to help the people in your network. This could be as simple as recommending the occasional awesome article or suggesting another person in your network who may be a good fit for a job that one of the other people in your network has open.

Finally, I recommend setting up a Google News alert for each of the people in your network. Make a point of congratulating them for any business wins or positive PR that they are associated with.

What if You Don’t Have a Big Network… or Your Contacts Don’t Need Your Help?

Is it possible to start a successful consulting business if you don’t have a big network or you aren’t able to convince the people that you do know to work with you? Absolutely! It just takes a bit more time and effort.

Here are a few of the many ways that you can look for clients outside of your network:

Freelancer Focused Websites

Ok, I’m going to be honest here. I’m not a huge fan of sites like Upwork and Fiverr – at least not from a freelancer perspective. Why? Because, when you sign up as a freelancer on one of these sites, you are competing with 1,000s of other people with your skillset.

How competitive is it on Upwork? Well, according to their own search tools, only about 8% of freelancers using the platform have made any money at all!

This is not to say that you can’t be successful on freelancing platforms. I know one writer who has made over $200,000 on Upwork. It’s just that you really need to work hard to stand out. At the end of the day, there are just easier ways to find clients.

Networking Events

This can actually be one of the most powerful ways to meet new potential clients. If you are still working and have permission to work on the side, you may even be able to use corporate events to build your network.

But, even if you are starting out completely on your own, there are always local business networking events in pretty much every city. Looking for Facebook groups related to your services can be a good place to start, but, personally, I have had more luck with meetup.com.

Just a few words of caution. When you are starting your own consulting business or getting into freelancing, it’s easy to slip too quickly into sales mode. And, as anyone who has ever attended high school knows, the easiest way to end up at the unpopular table at lunch is to try to hard to be popular.

Instead of seeing the people that you meet at networking events as potential clients, try to look at them as links in a chain. They probably won’t need your services right now, but, they may know someone who does.

So, connect with as many people as possible, follow them on social media and on LinkedIn and, after you have built some credibility, ask them if they know anyone who might need help.

Good Old-Fashioned Cold Calling and Cold Emailing

This is one of the hardest ways to get new clients as a consultant, but, if all else fails, it may be your only option.

The problem, of course, is that most of your potential clients receive dozens (if not 100s) of crappy, spammy cold emails every single day. These emails are impersonal, poorly written and a waste of time to read.

In my experience, it is much better to focus on a few leads per day and really try to customize your messages than to spam your message out to anyone that you can find. Here are a few tips for making your emails stand out.

First, make your email personal. Do you have something in common with them? Have you (honestly!) been following them for a long time and feel comfortable commenting on their work? Have you been interacting with them on Twitter for ages? Have you faced a similar challenge to one that they are facing now? Can you give a genuine compliment?

Lead with something that shows that you aren’t just sending a mass email. It really does make a difference.

Second, focus on what your potential client wants, not what you want. After my emotional hook, I always try to get to the point and explain: 1. Why I am getting in touch and 2. What’s in it for the recipient.

Finally, don’t go for the sale in your first email. Give your potential client win/win reason to contact you. Can you offer them something for free, even if it is just an hour of consulting time? Be creative!

When All Else Fails, Live Your Business

It never ceases to amaze me how many would-be-consultants sit there and do nothing when their first few clients don’t drop into their laps.

If you find yourself in the position of having some extra time on your hands, start living your business. What the heck does that mean? It means stop complaining and start building yourself into a recognized expert in your niche.

Set up a WordPress blog and start helping people with your articles and videos. Write a book. Help non-profits or charities by providing your services for free. Become active in social media. Basically, just get out there and start doing your stuff.

Eventually, as your audience grows, you will find more opportunities than you have time to work on. And, along the way, you may just find yourself having a little fun.

Have you started your own consulting business or started to work as a freelancer? What have you found most challenging or rewarding? What advice would you give to someone who is just getting started?

I can’t remember the last time I was in a nail salon. You probably don’t either. Or maybe you do because the time away has been particularly difficult, despite saving major coin over the past few months. But now that summer is basically here and the number of reopened salons is on a very slow uptick, your feet are probably still in winter mode and in need of the best foot peel products. I’m talking calluses, flaking and skin that sounds like sandpaper because they’ve been hiding under thick socks and perhaps neglected in the midst of your low-key, stay-at-home beauty routine.

For many (including my mom), foot masks, foot peels or whatever else you want to call them are the must-have lifesaver for open-toe shoe season. Whether it’s a stylish slip-on bootie or basic wrap, all of them contain an insulated formula of exfoliants (alpha-hydroxy acids, beta-hydroxy acids, botanical extracts, etc.) that go beneath the skin surface to encourage dead cells to naturally fall off.

Baby Foot.

Buy: Baby Foot $25

Some, like the infamous cult-favorite Baby Foot, take as long as one week for peeling to begin, while others take just a couple days to drastically reduce flaking and soften hard calluses. With that being said, here are some more of the best foot peel products that will not only force you to take a break, but literally shed your neglected winter skin, too.

Lavinso.

Lavinso Foot Exfoliation Peeling Mask

No scrubbing needed to reap the benefits of this dry skin buster made with safe and effective botanical ingredients.

Buy: Lavinso Foot Exfoliation Peeling Mask $14.39

TonyMoly.

TonyMoly Changing Magic Foot Peel Shoes

After immersing your flaky, dry feet into these booties for one hour to one hour and a half, expect to dead skin cells naturally coming off your feet in about four days.

Patchology.

Patchology PoshPeel PediCure

This is a no-nonsense peel for people with more than a few calluses and skin that sounds like sandpaper. Its insulated formula includes exfoliating salicylic acid and lactic acid, and moisturizing  panthenol and castor oil.

Holler and Glow.

Holler and Glow Purrfect Pedi Body Mask

This stylish sock mask isn’t just a pretty face. On the inside, you’ll find alpha-hydroxy acids that go to work exfoliating the skin to soften and reduce calluses and reduce dryness.

Earth Therapeutics.

Earth Therapeutics Purifying Charcoal Gentle Peeling Foot Mask- 2 Pack

Make sure you’re not wearing nail polish when you slip into these foot masks infused with tea tree oil and a blend of alpha-hydroxy acids to exfoliate, soften and protect the skin against inflammation.

Buy: Earth Therapeutics Purifying Charcoal Gentle Peeling Foot Mask $20.16

Barefoot Scientist.

Barefoot Scientist Reboot Revitalizing Foot Peel

Think of this scientifically-formulated mask as a facial for your feet. Lactic and glycolic acids speed up exfoliation while a trio of fruit extracts tone, brighten, and soothe the skin and allantoin boosts absorption of all these ingredients.

Oh K!.

Oh K! Watermelon & Citrus Foot Peel

Like a healthy smoothie for the skin, this foot peel contains alpha-hydroxy acids from watermelon, as well as pink grapefruit and blood orange to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells.

Oh K! Watermelon & Citrus Foot Peel $8

buy it

A’PIEU.

A’PIEU Soft Foot 30 Minute Peeling Socks

Watch an episode of your favorite sitcom while soaking your feet in these softening socks infused with alpha-hydroxy acids and beta-hydroxy acids to exfoliate the skin.

A’PIEU Soft Foot 30 Minute Peeling Socks $4.99

buy it

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Do you remember the sense of freedom that you had the first time you got in your own car and turned the keys? The world suddenly became smaller as your mind raced with possibilities for adventure and exploration. At that moment, you knew that you could do anything, anywhere, with whomever you chose.

As you moved into adulthood, your car may have shifted from “dream machine” to “commuting machine” or “family shuttle” but, that didn’t make it any less valuable. No matter how your life evolved, your car was essential to your journey.

In fact, as Americans, we love our cars so much that they become a part of us. We can’t imagine life without them… even if we realize that they have outlived their usefulness.

This is a shame because a lot of our money is locked up in our cars. In addition, our cars can be crutches that hold us back, physically, mentally and even socially.

Don’t believe me? Here are 4 powerful reasons to consider ditching your car in your 50s or 60s.

Feed Your Retirement Account a Little Nitrous Oxide!

Most of us spend our 20s and 30s completely ignoring our retirement savings. Then, in our 40s, we start to realize that we are indeed getting older and walk down to our company’s HR department to dust off those 401K forms that we never got around to completing.

By the time we reach our 50s, many of us are in full crisis mode. We know that we have fewer working years ahead of us than behind us and our ability to impact our retirement accounts in a meaningful way seems limited.

Well, what if I told you that ditching your car could help you to save an additional $70,000 for retirement. It’s true!

I walked through all of the details in this article, but, in summary, if you sold your car for $20,000 at age 52 and got a 9.8% return (the historical average return for the S&P 500), by age 67, you would have more than $70,000 more for retirement.

Would giving up your car require compromises (and even sacrifices)? Of course! But, as I am about to explain, many of the downsides to giving up your car may have silver linings.

Leave a Cleaner World for Your Grandkids

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average car in America emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in a year. And, as we all know, cars also contribute to smog, acid rain and other environmental problems.

By the time we reach our 50s and 60s, many of us are already beginning to think about our legacies. In addition to the money and other assets that we hope to leave to our kids and grandkids, we also want to leave the world a cleaner, safer and fairer place than we entered it.

The good news is that we don’t need to have millions of dollars to contribute to charity to make a difference in our later years. Small steps, like choosing to use public transportation, can make a real difference.

Who knows, maybe your decision to give up your car will show your friends, family members and neighbors that it is possible. And, if it does, you really will be changing the world for the better!

Save Time and Invest in Your Retirement Planning (Or Even Start a Side Hustle!)

For some people, it’s not the cost of driving to work that drives them crazy… it is the fact that driving is an epic waste of time. Look, I get it. When you have kids to take to school, meetings to attend and parent-teacher conferences to visit, your car is a lifesaver.

But, once you are in your 50s and (most likely) your kids have left the house, taking public transportation to work or using a ride-sharing service becomes much more viable.

And, what can you do with this time? Instead of sitting there like a trained monkey, pushing peddles and turning a wheel, you could build your financial literacy, plan your retirement or even start a side-business.

Think you’re too old to start a business? Think again! As I wrote in this article, entrepreneurs over 50 are, statistically speaking, more successful than any other age group. We also have the experience, skills, contacts and money to succeed.

So, instead of spending 2 hours a day riding the brake and glaring at people using the HOV lane with only one person in the car, why not take the bus or train and use the time you save to invest in your future?

Take a Positive Step Towards Healthy Aging

Do you remember when you had to wind down the car window by hand? The very concept seems alien in a world filled with cars that can read us our emails, sync with our phones, play music, park themselves, give us directions and so much more!

But, is all that convenience really necessary? Isn’t it possible that we would actually be better off physically if we had to walk to the local shop once in a while? And, would our brains not be sharper if we had to use our own navigation skills to get us to our destinations?

In the year after I gave up my car, I lost about 18lb. I also felt more balanced and fitter. And, all I did was trade in my car for a bus pass and some walking shoes. How will giving up your car change your life?

Do you think that you could ever give up your car? Why or why not? If you have already given up your car, what did you learn from the experience?

In my last blog I discussed how weeks of sedentary days can threaten your independence and shared the Elevator Exercise to help you retain leg strength. I hope you’ve been able to take advantage of this simple yet effective activity!

Since social isolation appears to be hanging around for a while, especially for those challenged with health concerns, I’m going to continue sharing simple movement activities you can do at home to retain physical independence.

As a reminder, losing physical function was at one time considered a normal part of aging, but now we know better! It is very common and very predictable, but preventable! The driving force behind loss of physical abilities is lack of regular movement.

Review Your Daily Movement

Take a careful look at how much physical activity you’re getting each day. If you’ve never really considered physical activity a priority, take this unusual disruption of your habitual patterns as an opportunity to take stock of your functional status.

Currently, physicians are supporting the idea that “movement is medicine,” so consider embracing simple daily movement as a direct investment in your health.

Gratefully, summer is here, which usually means we all get outdoors more. However, if you must continue to isolate indoors, make a conscious decision to evaluate if you’re moving through the normal range of motion with each joint, and what specific deposits you’re consistently making into your physical independence.

No-one can help you with this! It’s up to you to take charge and take action.

Consider what you’re doing daily for each of the following joints and the muscles supporting their mobility:

• Upper body: neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers
• Lower body: hips, knees, ankles, toes
• Full body: upper, mid, and lower back

Warning Signs of Decline

If you feel fatigued after completing small tasks that once seemed easy, and/or you find your mobility is limited, it’s time to intervene!

Improve your mobility by gently stretching through each normal range of motion, then focus on your strength by asking your muscles to do more than they’ve been doing on a regular basis.

Biceps (Arm) Curl

Daily activities such as lifting, carrying, dressing, and getting out of a chair or tub require arm strength and upper body mobility.

Strengthen your arm muscles so you can more easily perform daily tasks, take care of your home or yard, and perhaps lift your grandchildren and enjoy playing sports!

Did you know pickle-ball is the fastest growing sport worldwide? I have friends who love it so plan to try it this summer (in between horseback rides of course!).

The biceps curl exercise helps support upper body strength. Start with no weight and gradually add more as you get stronger.

Sit in good posture with your arms relaxed at the sides, palms facing up. Bring the left hand to the left shoulder, then slowly return your arm to the side. Complete 8–12 biceps curls with the left, then the right arm. Repeat both sides again. To increase effort, add weights as long as it does not cause elbow pain.

Have you noticed a change in your level of function since isolating? What are you currently doing each day to intentionally replace normal physical activity? Have you started anything new while staying closer to home?

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor to get specific medical advice for your situation.