22 year old trying to start a business

Build long-term clients and repeat business by delivering on what you promise to clients and be proactive in engaging them if schedule or pricing are anticipated to change. Most clients are much more understanding if you're up front with them about a delay in schedule or a price increase first, rather than after the fact. Being honest and standing behind what you say by delivering with actions will go a long way towards quickly building repeat business. When you finish a job, follow-up later to confirm they're satisfied with what you delivered and met their expectations. You can also send a personalized Thank You card. Hand written letters don't really exist anymore and it's a quick/cost effective gesture to show your client you've taken the time to express how you appreciate the business they provided you.

Be honest and transparent :)

Did you have a type of business in mind?

Big respect for asking this early on — it shows you’re thinking long-term, not just chasing quick money.

Here’s my honest advice:

1. Get clear on what you’re building.
Are you starting a job you own, or a business that works with or without you?
You’ll need to structure things differently depending on that answer.

2. Don’t guess your way through it.
It’s easy to fall into a pattern of undercharging, overworking, and constantly adjusting on the fly.
That’s why we built a simple foundation at Energize Us EDU based on three pillars:

• Hard Skills – Knowing your trade
• Soft Skills – Communication, leadership, time management
• Self-Development – Clarity, discipline, emotional control

If you want to build something sustainable, you have to build yourself while you build the business.

Much like **bleep** said, be proactive. In my industry (painting), it's 10x better if I find flaws first and fix them rather than cut corners and hope my clients don't notice.  Because if and when they find flaws, they most certainly will fine-tooth-comb everything. Whatever you do, do it with integrity and be intentionally proactive.  I've built a successful business on this strategy and I keep getting referrals from my repeat clients.