Finding clients. The most obvious and overlooked causes are time and persistence.

All the time you hear new business owners saying "Why don't we have customers?" Have you earned it?

Many business owners or entrepreneurs assume they have some great idea and should be successful overnight. How can you expect to be profiting when you have been in business for only 6 months?

Henry Ford went bankrupt before the success of the Model T and Colonel Sanders was an old man when he built KFC. NIKE was in business for years before they became a global name and came very close to going out of business.

Stop looking at giants and feeling insecure. This is why most businesses don't last over 2 years. Owners feel they should be rolling in profits and haven't even begun to build their brand. 

Let's say you open a pizza shop and you are the only one for 50 miles; of course, you will get traffic as you are the only option. Realistically, there are pizza shops everywhere. So, how do you win?

Now, what happens when you forget about profits for 5 years and only focus on quality and building your brand? Your pizza shop now becomes a landmark and institution for that area. People come to you rather than a chain because the owner knows the name of clients when they come in. The pizza shop sponsors the local sports team or yearly parade. When you gain the love and trust of those around you, you will get constant traffic. 

This applies both online and real-world. It takes time for Google to understand who you are and rank you accordingly. Likewise, after sponsoring little league for 3 years, people in the area will begin to refer you to friends, family, and even tourists. 

As a brand developer I get asked this type of question all of the time. The answer is look at the long game. Work hard, be persistent, and look to the future. 

I know 3-5 years of brand building sounds scary to many, but when you are an establishment rather than just another business you will greatly reap the rewards.