No one likes a success story more than a start-up, and no one likes writing about a success story more than the entrepreneur.
As mentioned in my previous post titled ‘Three years in, and I still haven’t met a customer.’, KatyCan continues to grow primarily because of the recommendations of earlier clients on social media platforms like Facebook. Christopher Trevor is a client who exemplifies this (and is KatyCan’s gold standard of a happy client).
Christopher and I have been friends on the platform since I completed his order around September 2020. Our complimentary sense of humour often results in commenting or even sharing each other’s posts of silly, sarcastic or witty memes. I am usually wary of friending clients on social media and have only done so with a handful of clients to date (excluding on LinkedIn, where I like to connect with as many clients as possible).
Christopher is a member of some of the Facebook groups on which I have been banned (gasp in horror!)- yes, I have been banned for being recommended over the page admin’s own recommendations. Let’s just say my numerous stories of ‘stepping on the toes of Facebook page admins’ will be the title of a follow-up post. Enough said for now!
So I didn’t know that my name was continuously popping up in random posts of people requesting my services, namely CV updates, LinkedIn modernisations, and cover letter write-ups. My business kept growing even though the avenues I had previously used to advertise myself had been closed off to me. Little did I know that satisfied clients, Christopher being one of them, was doing the advertising on my behalf.
It is a perfect example, then, of a full-circle moment that Christopher first heard of KatyCan through a Facebook recommendation. He then contacted me for a CV and LinkedIn profile update, and, in his own words, KatyCan stood out to him because “you did not get the idea that you were just yet another customer.”
This is a huge compliment to me because an aspect of my business that I am very proud and protective over is the personalised, one-on-one service I offer each of my clients. Sometimes this is difficult to achieve, especially when I am working on multiple orders simultaneously. Nevertheless, treating each customer like they are the only one remains a priority for KatyCan. So far, it seems to be working.
Christopher, a Technical Team Lead, keeps recommending KatyCan on Facebook groups because “the value that I got for the price was well worth it. The work done exceeded my expectations and was delivered in a very acceptable timeline.”
When asked about KatyCan’s digital way of doing business mostly via email and WhatsApp, Christopher said that “[email] allows for far more flexibility than if you had to meet up in person” and that “I was so happy with the service I cannot see anything that needs improvement in the process”. High praise indeed, Christopher.
It is all good and well to be happy with the process and the final product. However, potential clients often ask me whether the end result actually helps with the client’s goal- to secure a job or advertise themselves better in the professional market.
This is always a difficult question for me because I don’t keep in touch with all my clients after completing their orders, and always state before beginning that I am by no means a professional in any career field, and am definitely not a recruiter or employment specialist. I simply rebrand the professional profile and give individuals the best chance of standing out in the professional market.
The title of this post is, nevertheless, ‘A Start-Up’s Success Story”. When asked whether KatyCan’s efforts helped Christopher realise his goal of emigrating to the Netherlands with his family, he said that
“I was applying to positions with my old CV and was receiving no responses. Once I had my CV redone, the responses were far more positive. I think the one thing that had the biggest impact was the cover letter as I would not have been able to represent myself in that way.”
I often get messages from clients a few months down the line saying they have finally packed up and are en route to their new lives and new jobs abroad. Sometimes it takes just days after completing an order to receive good news.
Sometimes I don’t hear from clients at all. I like to think that my client reviews and testimonials speak for my work ethic and quality of service. On the other hand, I also welcome the dissatisfied and disgruntled clients who teach me how to improve and grow. To clients like Christopher and those who keep recommending KatyCan, I am humbled and extremely grateful.
