How to Find Your First 20 Fabric Customers Without a Physical Store

Starting a fabric business without a physical shop is more possible today than ever before. With WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and referrals, you can start selling fabrics from home and build a customer base before investing in a physical store.

But there is one challenge every beginner faces:

Where do the first customers come from?

You don’t need hundreds of customers to prove that your business can work. Your first 20 customers can give you valuable experience, testimonials, referrals and repeat buyers.

The goal is not to randomly post fabrics and hope someone buys. You need to deliberately put your products in front of people who are likely to need them.

Here are practical ways to find your first 20 fabric customers without a physical store.

1. Start With People You Already Know

Your first customers may already be in your phone.

Think about your:

• Friends
• Family members
• Former classmates
• Colleagues
• Neighbours
• Church or mosque community
• Social groups
• Alumni groups
• Business contacts

This does not mean sending everyone the same message saying, “Please patronise my business.”

Instead, introduce your business naturally.

For example:

“Hi, I’ve recently started selling quality fabrics for weddings, birthdays and other occasions. I’ll be sharing some of my new fabrics here. If you or anyone you know needs Aso Ebi or fabrics for an upcoming event, I’d be happy to help.”

You are not forcing anyone to buy. You are simply letting people know what you sell.

Someone who doesn’t need fabric today may remember you when an event comes up next month.

2. Use WhatsApp Status Every Day

If you are starting without a physical shop, WhatsApp should be one of your most important sales channels.

Your WhatsApp Status gives you access to people who already know you.

Don’t use your Status only to post:

“Available. DM to order.”

Give people reasons to stop and look.

You can post:

• New arrivals
• Fabric close-ups
• Different colour options
• Styling ideas
• Customer reviews
• Short videos of fabrics
• Fabric education
• Prices
• Special offers
• Behind-the-scenes content
• Available stock
• Packaging videos

For example:

Morning: New fabric arrival

Afternoon: Close-up video showing the details

Evening: Styling inspiration showing what the fabric can look like when sewn

Night: Price and ordering information

The more consistently people see your business, the more familiar your brand becomes.

3. Ask Your First Customers for Referrals

Your first customers can help you find the next customers.

After completing a successful sale, don’t disappear.

Follow up with the customer and ask if they know anyone who might need fabrics.

You could say:

“Thank you so much for shopping with us. If you have friends or family preparing for an event, please feel free to recommend us to them. We’d really appreciate it.”

People trust recommendations from people they know.

One happy customer can introduce you to several potential buyers.

4. Build Relationships With Tailors

Tailors are surrounded by people who need fabrics.

Think about it.

A customer walks into a tailor’s shop and says:

“I need an outfit for my sister’s wedding.”

The tailor may ask:

“Do you already have your fabric?”

If the answer is no, the tailor may recommend a fabric seller.

This makes tailors valuable business connections.

Visit or contact tailors around you and introduce your business.

Don’t approach them only when you want to sell something.

Build a relationship.

You could tell them:

“I sell quality fabrics for weddings, Aso Ebi and special occasions. If any of your customers need help choosing fabrics, I’d be happy to assist.”

Over time, some of those referrals can become customers.

5. Connect With Event Vendors

Your potential customers are not only on social media.

They are also connected to people who work around events.

Build relationships with:

• Event planners
• Bridal stylists
• Makeup artists
• Hair stylists
• Photographers
• Decorators
• Aso Ebi coordinators
• Wedding vendors

A bride may ask her makeup artist where to get fabric.

A birthday celebrant may ask an event planner for fabric recommendations.

The more relevant people who know your business, the more opportunities you create for referrals.

6. Join Relevant WhatsApp and Facebook Communities

Look for communities where your potential customers are already gathering.

These could include:

• Wedding groups
• Aso Ebi groups
• Fashion communities
• Women’s groups
• Local community groups
• Business communities
• Event planning groups

However, don’t join groups and immediately start dropping advertisements.

That can make people ignore you or report your messages as spam.

Participate genuinely.

Answer questions when you can. Share useful information. Become familiar with the community.

When promotional posts are allowed, introduce your business appropriately.

7. Create Content That Solves Problems

One of the easiest ways to attract potential customers online is to stop making every post about selling.

Instead, teach.

For example:

“3 Things to Check Before Buying Lace Online”

“How to Choose an Aso Ebi Colour That Looks Good in Pictures”

“What’s the Difference Between Cord Lace and Net Lace?”

“How Much Should You Budget for Aso Ebi?”

“5 Fabric Options for a Classy Wedding Guest Outfit”

Someone may discover your page because they were searching for an answer.

They may not buy immediately.

But if your content is useful, they may follow you, save the post and eventually become a customer.

8. Show the Fabric Properly

When customers cannot visit a physical store, your content has to do more work.

Don’t just upload a blurry picture of folded fabric.

Show:

• The full design
• The embroidery
• The texture
• The colour
• The fabric movement
• Close-up details
• Different lighting where appropriate

Short videos are particularly useful.

Move the fabric around. Show how it catches the light. Zoom in on the details.

Your customer should feel like they have had a good look at the fabric even though they are not physically in your store.

9. Make Ordering Easy

Imagine a potential customer sees your fabric and likes it.

Then they ask:

“How much?”

You respond two hours later.

They may have already bought from someone else.

As a beginner, your customer service can be one of your biggest competitive advantages.

Make it easy for customers to:

• Ask questions
• Get prices
• Confirm availability
• Place orders
• Make payments
• Arrange delivery

Also, learn enough about your products to answer basic questions confidently.

If someone asks what type of lace they are looking at, you should be able to explain it.

10. Offer Delivery

Not having a physical store does not mean customers should have to come to your house to collect every order.

Create a reliable delivery process.

Depending on the customer’s location, you can arrange:

• Same-day delivery
• Next-day delivery
• Local dispatch
• Nationwide delivery
• Pickup options

Make your delivery terms clear before customers place their orders.

This removes one of the biggest objections to buying from an online fabric business.

11. Use Your First 20 Customers as Your Marketing Team

Your first 20 customers are more than sales.

They are an opportunity to build social proof.

After a successful transaction, ask customers if they are comfortable providing:

• A short testimonial
• A picture of the finished outfit
• A video review
• Permission to repost their feedback

With permission, share these on your social media pages.

Instead of telling potential customers:

“We are trustworthy.”

You can show them evidence from people who have already purchased from you.

12. Run a Small First-Customer Offer

You don’t necessarily need a huge discount to attract your first customers.

You could create a simple introductory offer.

For example:

“First 10 customers get free delivery within selected areas.”

Or:

“Shop your first fabric order with us and receive a special introductory offer.”

The offer should have a clear limit.

This creates a reason for people to take action instead of saying:

“I’ll come back later.”

But don’t train customers to expect extremely cheap prices just because you are new.

Your goal is to attract genuine customers, not bargain hunters who will disappear when your price returns to normal.

13. Don’t Wait for Perfect Branding

Many beginners spend months worrying about:

• Logo
• Business cards
• Packaging
• Website
• Shop decoration
• Professional photos

These things can be useful, but they shouldn’t stop you from selling.

Your first priority is to prove that people are willing to pay for your products.

You can improve your branding as the business grows.

A clean social media page, good product pictures, clear prices and reliable customer service can take you surprisingly far.

14. Create a Simple 20-Customer Strategy

Instead of saying:

“I need customers.”

Set a measurable target.

For example:

Customers 1–5

Start with friends, family, colleagues and existing contacts.

Customers 6–10

Reach out to tailors, fashion designers and event vendors.

Customers 11–15

Use WhatsApp Status, Instagram and Facebook content consistently.

Customers 16–20

Ask existing customers for referrals and collect testimonials.

This gives you a simple starting point.

You don’t have to find all 20 customers in one week.

Focus on building the first few relationships and allow them to lead to more opportunities.

15. Follow Up With People Who Show Interest

Not everyone who asks for a price will buy immediately.

Someone might say:

“I’ll get back to you.”

Don’t assume they are no longer interested.

If appropriate, follow up later.

For example:

“Hi, just checking in. Are you still looking for the fabric we discussed? I can confirm if it’s still available for you.”

A simple follow-up can turn an enquiry into a sale.

Just avoid excessive messaging.

How Many People Should You Reach Out To?

If your goal is your first 20 customers, don’t contact only 20 people.

Some people won’t respond.

Some will be interested but not ready to buy.

Others may simply change their minds.

Create a larger pool of potential customers.

For example, you could aim to:

• Introduce your business to 50 people
• Build relationships with 10 tailors
• Connect with 10 event vendors
• Post consistently on WhatsApp
• Publish useful content on social media
• Follow up with interested prospects

The objective is to create enough conversations for the first 20 sales to happen naturally.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a physical store to start building a successful fabric business.

What you need is visibility, trust, good products and consistent customer service.

Start with the people you already know. Use WhatsApp and social media to showcase your fabrics. Build relationships with tailors and event vendors. Ask satisfied customers for referrals. Most importantly, make every customer experience good enough that they want to recommend you.

Your first 20 customers may seem like a small number, but they can teach you more about your business than hundreds of random followers.

Start with 20. Serve them well. Then use those 20 customers to help you reach 100.