From $40 to $1.5 million: Eight entrepreneurs open up about the first time their companies made revenue

Every million-dollar business starts with one deal, but in the rush to grow, it can be easy to take that first paying customer for granted.

But no matter what business you’re in — whether you’ve signed your first massive contract or sold a box of cereal — entrepreneurs tell SmartCompany that from the very first moment you get money in the door, you must be ready to step up your responsibilities to build on that initial momentum.

We asked eight Aussie company founders how much their first revenue pay cheque was worth — and what they learned next about growing from hundreds to millions in sales.

Ride the emotions of that first win

No matter how small your first sale is, chances are you’ll be hit with the rush that comes with finding a first customer.

“The first amount I ever made was from Mirvac, for around $8000,” explains founder of 3D design business Diva Works, Fiona Jefferies.

“At the time, I just thought it was soooo much money,” she reflects.

Other entrepreneurs also remember the exact dollar value of their first sale, and the emotional wave that came with it, in exact detail. Read more

Emma Koehn - Smart Company - 8 Feb 2018