Your best customers are your current ones. Review your client database. Have you had a recent success? A happy client may be willing to pass along your name with a little prompting. Approach satisfied clients and ask if you can help someone they know.

Incentivise. Start a programme rewarding brand ambassadors for successful referrals.

What goes around comes around. Attend networking events for connections with other business people. Make the effort to learn what they do, what’s important to them and ask questions. See how their business can help you, your clients and suppliers. And how you can help them.

Be seen and heard on social media. Do some research and learn how to manage the different sites effectively. There are dozens of websites providing step-by-step instructions on how to create awareness of your brand. Sort out the basics. Connect with other businesses. Start referring and asking for referrals.

Refer business to others. Think about friends, family and current clients. Then think about businesses and people you’ve been networking with. Can you connect them? Try this regularly to see the benefits. Referring business will pay off and it can make it easier to ask for referrals in return.

Eyes open. The key to referral business is awareness. Know your brand. Know your competitors, peers, and supporters and understand where your business fits. Keep delivering excellence and building relationships. People who trust your brand can create high value leads for you.