I didn't wait until I felt "ready" to start taking on clients. I just started.
I'm Xander — I run a solo web development agency called Tizzle out of Manchester. I'm also a first-year CS student. The two coexist fine, mostly because client work has taught me things a lecture schedule never would.
How I landed my first real client
I didn't pitch cold. I identified a local business that had an outdated web presence and a clear gap between how good their product was and how they were presenting it online. I reached out, explained what I could fix, and got the work.
That became Gardens Farm — a farm in West Yorkshire. I handle their website, social media, and marketing. It's not glamorous, but it's real: real feedback, real deadlines, real results that matter to someone's livelihood.
That's the kind of client relationship that builds a portfolio faster than any personal project.
What the first few months actually look like
Scrappy. You're wearing every hat — developer, account manager, copywriter, designer, sometimes customer service. There's no handoff, no PM, no QA team. Just you and a deadline.
The upside? You get good at scoping fast. You learn to ask the right questions upfront. You stop building things clients didn't ask for.
What actually matters to small business clients
Not your stack. Not your GitHub. They want:
- A site that works on mobile
- Something they can actually update themselves
- Clear communication
- You to do what you said you'd do
Deliver those four things consistently and referrals will come.
Where I'm taking it
Tizzle is growing — more clients, more services, eventually a team. If you're a small business that needs a website or someone to manage your digital presence properly, that's exactly what I do.
Happy to answer questions in the comments about the early stages of going solo — it's a weird ride but worth it.
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