How Emma Fletcher Bootstrapped Customer Support Business to $7K MRR in 5 Months
Who is Emma Fletcher?
Emma Fletcher is a software engineer turned entrepreneur from Sacramento with a background in computer engineering, who created Evergreen Support after successfully managing her e-commerce business, Learn to Solder Kits, and recognizing the need for fractional customer support services.
What problem does Evergreen Support solve?
Evergreen Support alleviates the headache of managing customer service emails for small business owners, allowing them to focus on growing their business without constant interruptions.
How did Emma come up with the idea for Evergreen Support?
Emma's journey to creating Evergreen Support began with firsthand experience in managing customer inquiries from her side hustle, Learn to Solder Kits. Despite receiving only a few emails each day, Emma found the constant need to switch tasks and respond promptly was taxing. This realization grew into the idea for a 'Fractional Customer Support Team' that would handle such tasks, thereby freeing business owners from the burdensome context-switching involved.
Emma's determination to tackle this pain point led her to pitch the idea to Ellis, her co-founder, capitalizing on their previous work experience together. They both recognized the common struggle among business owners regarding customer support and saw an opportunity to provide a much-needed service. Initial skepticism from friends and family about Emma's career shift from software engineering to customer support did not deter her; instead, it solidified her belief in the need for such a service.
Before launching, Emma and Ellis validated the idea through conversations with potential customers, who confirmed the pain point and were eager for a solution. They learned from each interaction, refining their offering to better meet customer needs. Despite facing doubts about entering a field outside her traditional expertise, Emma's background in customer service and problem-solving from her engineering career underpinned her confidence in the concept's value. The key lesson Emma gleaned was the importance of addressing genuine pain points experienced by potential customers, a focus that would guide the development of Evergreen Support.
How did Emma build the initial version of Evergreen Support?
Emma Fletcher and her co-founder Ellis Annichine built Evergreen Support, a productized customer support service, with a focus on agility and speed. Fletcher, leveraging her nine years of experience as a software engineer, utilized no complex software stacks or physical product prototypes, typical to traditional product development. Instead, they crafted a simple service model over the course of a week, where they essentially embodied the service, allowing rapid prototyping and iteration based on direct engagement with early customers. The biggest challenge was onboarding clients efficiently, which they mitigated by conducting thorough initial audits to understand client needs. Their experience was both challenging and rewarding, allowing them to learn firsthand the operational intricacies and create efficient systems to streamline interactions, bringing significant value to their customers.
What was the growth strategy for Evergreen Support and how did they scale?
Inbound Customer Referrals
Evergreen Support's biggest source of new customer interest is referrals from existing clients. As the company provides high-quality service, current customers naturally talk about the benefits with peers in similar business circles. When satisfied customers refer Evergreen Support to others, it results in new business opportunities and discovery calls. This channel is particularly effective because those referred already have a level of trust built in, having heard positive experiences firsthand.
Why it worked: Referrals are powerful because they come with built-in trust. Existing clients recommending the service to their network leads to potential clients who are already primed to trust Evergreen Support. This reduces the barriers to conversion and results in smoother and faster onboarding of new customers.
Networking and Community Engagement
Emma Fletcher, the founder, actively participates in communities like Indie Worldwide and engages with other indie hackers and entrepreneurs on platforms like Twitter. This approach not only establishes her as a knowledgeable industry insider but also keeps her connected with potential leads. Engaging in these spaces creates opportunities for organic growth and referrals as professionals who admire her input are more likely to consider Evergreen Support when in need of such services.
Why it worked: By embedding herself in the indie hacker community and engaging regularly, Emma not only gains insights that help improve her business but also acts as a magnet for similar entrepreneurs looking for high-quality customer support solutions. Word-of-mouth within these communities can be powerful, especially when a member is visibly contributing and building relationships.
Low Pricing Strategy Initially
Initially pricing their services very low was a deliberate choice to learn more about the business landscape rather than focusing solely on profit. This strategy made access to Evergreen Services appealing to new businesses who might have been hesitant about outsourcing their customer support at typical industry rates. Even though this posed risks in terms of revenue, the learning opportunities and establishment of trust and reliability helped set up long-term client relationships.
Why it worked: Pricing low initially helped Evergreen Support break into the market by being accessible to startups wary of high costs. This also allowed them to gather ample business insights and fostered word-of-mouth engines like referrals, which bolstered their clientele base as they moved toward increased pricing and sustained partnerships.
What's the pricing strategy for Evergreen Support?
Evergreen Support initially offered affordable customer support services starting at $179 for handling 250 customer requests monthly, aiming to attract clients through low pricing and free audits to identify business support needs.
What were the biggest lessons learned from building Evergreen Support?
- Prioritize Patience Over Rapid Growth: Evergreen Support deliberately chose to onboard only one new customer every two weeks. Although this required some customers to wait to onboard, it ensured high-quality service, leading to positive feedback and client referrals.
- Leverage Skepticism as Motivation: Initially met with skepticism for switching from software engineering to customer support, the founders used this as fuel to prove the business model's viability. Recognizing customer support as a common pain point became their key motivator.
- Importance of Adaptability and Feedback: Conducting free audits allowed Evergreen Support to understand the true needs of potential clients, leading to more effective onboarding and enabling continuous learning from each client interaction.
- Build on Existing Trust: By partnering with someone they had previously worked well with, the founders avoided common pitfalls in new partnerships and were able to start smoothly. This existing rapport laid a foundation of trust, essential for navigating initial challenges.
- Strategically Low Initial Pricing: Starting with a low price point provided the opportunity for learning and adjusting the business approach based on early client interactions. This strategy allowed them to slowly raise prices while maintaining momentum and client satisfaction.
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More about Evergreen Support:
Who is the owner of Evergreen Support?
Emma Fletcher is the founder of Evergreen Support.
When did Emma Fletcher start Evergreen Support?
2022
What is Emma Fletcher's net worth?
Emma Fletcher's business makes an average of $7K/month.
How much money has Emma Fletcher made from Evergreen Support?
Emma Fletcher started the business in 2022, and currently makes an average of $84K/year.
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