Seeking clients for my software development agency

[Armedin Kuka]

Hi UKBF Community,

I'm Armedin, founder of Majilabs, a company based in London, UK that specializes in building cutting-edge web applications and custom software solutions.
I'll be upfront - I'm finding it challenging to connect with people or businesses that could benefit from our services.

What are some of the best places/platforms to target for prospecting?
I've tried looking at job searches, but most of them are seeking individuals and don't accept agencies.

Many thanks!!

 

[Shopclicks]

I'm Armedin, founder of Majilabs, a company based in London, UK that specializes in building cutting-edge web applications and custom software solutions.

As a starting point it sounds like you need to stay away from custom software and develop software products that can be used by hundreds or thousands. Not just one client.

Then you'll find it easier to sell custom solutions.

If you didn't know how you were going to sell your products when you started, it's time to sit down and rethink the business model. A plan.

 

[tony84]

Could you try to specialise in a particular industry?
I used some website developers recently. I spoke to a couple of local firms and the company I went with whilst not a specialist in my industry had experience. That experience came across in the meeting, they had ideas and thoughts on how to improve/make things easier that was hard to ignore.

They were not the cheapest, but I came a way thinking it was a good meeting.

I am not in the same industry, but I specialise in a particular part of the market. That was because I had about 4-5 applications over a 6 month period for people with bad credit. I got to the point where I knew the adverse market very well and so started to push myself as a specialist in that part of the market, I have never looked back.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Who is your ideal client?

What do they actually want? (hint, it probably isn't 'cutting edge web applications' or 'custom software development')

Once you know the above, you can communicate in their language, rather than the language of software or bad sales manuals. Life becomes a lot easier!

 

[Armedin Kuka]

As a starting point it sounds like you need to stay away from custom software and develop software products that can be used by hundreds or thousands. Not just one client.

Then you'll find it easier to sell custom solutions.

If you didn't know how you were going to sell your products when you started, it's time to sit down and rethink the business model. A plan.

Thanks for the valuable feedback. You make a valid point about the potential benefits of developing more standardized products that can be leveraged across multiple clients.

But at the moment, I still want to learn about different businesses, and talking with clients about their business pain points, processes and goals is the most efficient way for me.

Maybe later down the road, one particular area or domain might strike me the most; such as there might be many businesses that are trying to solve a certain problem and that's when I would consider targeting that specific niche.

And yes I do agree with you that I need a solid plan. I'm trying to work on that

 

[fisicx]

Hi @Armedin Kuka and welcome to UKBF.

Nobody wants 'cutting-edge web applications and custom software'. What they want is a fix for their problems. It might be a better CRM, logistics applications or just way to keep track of widgets.

Build something people are looking for and then offer them custom upgrades.

 

[Armedin Kuka]

Could you try to specialise in a particular industry?
I used some website developers recently. I spoke to a couple of local firms and the company I went with whilst not a specialist in my industry had experience. That experience came across in the meeting, they had ideas and thoughts on how to improve/make things easier that was hard to ignore.

They were not the cheapest, but I came a way thinking it was a good meeting.

I am not in the same industry, but I specialise in a particular part of the market. That was because I had about 4-5 applications over a 6 month period for people with bad credit. I got to the point where I knew the adverse market very well and so started to push myself as a specialist in that part of the market, I have never looked back.

At the moment it's hard to specialise in a particular industry. The main work that we've done so far (that has actually driven impact) is related to end-to-end software development. Usually our clients are startups, they come with an idea, and we try to solve it. And those startups can be anything from fintech, proptech, recruitment etc. And all those fields are similar yet so different, so it's hard to put them in the same category.

You're point is absolutely right - I believe experience does go a long way. But it's hard to accumulate experience in a certain industry if you've never had any clients before.

And thanks for sharing your story as well - wish you all the best!!

 

[Armedin Kuka]

Who is your ideal client?

What do they actually want? (hint, it probably isn't 'cutting edge web applications' or 'custom software development')

Once you know the above, you can communicate in their language, rather than the language of software or bad sales manuals. Life becomes a lot easier!

Absolutely with you on that one. Normally I said those words as a generalisation to what I do, and since I don't have a specific niche yet, I can't talk about the needs of my clientele that don't exist yet.

The point is getting in touch with the client; communication-wise I don't have a problem with listening to the client, and try to understand their problem and how I can help them to solve it. I can speak "their language", talk about figures etc

I appreciate the feedback

 

[Armedin Kuka]

Hi @Armedin Kuka and welcome to UKBF.

Nobody wants 'cutting-edge web applications and custom software'. What they want is a fix for their problems. It might be a better CRM, logistics applications or just way to keep track of widgets.

Build something people are looking for and then offer them custom upgrades.

Some might be startups, and terms like "custom software development" would make a lot of sense. They might be looking to outsource as opposed to building internal dev team.

Nonetheless, I agree with your point having a product that drives results for a specific problem, and try and sell that to businesses. One of the reasons I prefer to build software for clients is also because it's a good way to identify what problems companies are facing in a certain area. That way it would be less risky for me to jump the ship!

 

[fisicx]

Some might be startups, and terms like "custom software development" would make a lot of sense. They might be looking to outsource as opposed to building internal dev team.

Not sure that does make any sense. If they want to outsource they will search for specialists.

When I look at your site it's not at all clear what you do. You make a big deal about the technologies but nobody cares about this. What they want to see are examples of the products you have built. They particularly want to see products that match their requirements.

For example. Suppose a new business wants to develop a pet feeder that can be controlled with an app. They will be searching for app developers or control system developers. What they don't want is anything cutting edge or custom. Ideally they want a system that has already been developed and just needs some tweaking.

 

[Mark T Jones]

The point is getting in touch with the client; communication-wise I don't have a problem with listening to the client, and try to understand their problem and how I can help them to solve it. I can speak "their language", talk about figures etc

I appreciate the feedback

That's the cycle that you need to break - because I guarantee that 'they' won't do it for you.

pick a product / a solution / a customer that you want as your specialism and start from there