18 Lead Generation Business Success Stories [2023]
Lead generation business aggregates consumer and business information that it can sell to businesses wishing to purchase new leads. A lead generation company earns money for every lead it generates for a client.
As the business landscape becomes more competitive, entrepreneurs prefer hiring a lead generation company to help increase sales. Therefore, if you understand how digital marketing works to attract customers, you can start your lead generation business.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a lead generation business:
1. Article-Writing Co ($1.5M/year)
David Tile, the founder of Article-Writing.co, originally tried to start a penny auction website after college but failed. He then turned to freelance writing to make some cash, which eventually led to him building a successful content writing service. With $40k - $50k in monthly revenue from clients like Answers.com, Tile's business has grown without any outside funding, emphasizing the importance of taking action and adapting to market forces.
How much they make: $1.5M/year
Current team size: 25
How David Tile turned a freelance writing gig into an $80k/month business, discussing lessons learned through managing growing demands and maintaining a remote team operation.
2. Lead Cookie ($660K/year)
Jake Jorgovan, a serial entrepreneur and business advisor, came up with the idea for Lead Cookie, a LinkedIn lead generation and appointment setting company, after brainstorming various business ideas and realizing the untapped potential in the market. Within the first two weeks of launching, Jorgovan closed $12k of monthly recurring revenue by selling to individuals within his existing network, providing rapid validation for his concept. Lead Cookie is now a thriving company, generating between $45k-$70k in monthly revenue and boasting a team of 20 full-time members.
How much they make: $660K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 24
Serial entrepreneur Jake Jorgovan explains how he started and grew his LinkedIn lead generation company, Lead Cookie, which now averages between $45k-70k every month with only 4-8 hours of his own time per week, and shares insights on building and scaling a successful business.
So... can you actually make money with a lead generation business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesnβt.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. CallPage ($780K/year)
Ross Knap, CEO and co-founder of CallPage, came up with the idea for the business while working as a consultant and optimizing website conversions. He noticed that promising faster contact with users resulted in more leads, leading him to develop CallPage's smart widget that allows for instant callbacks, driving more sales leads and faster deal closures. Today, CallPage is a leading callback solution in Poland and is rapidly expanding internationally, with plans to develop new AI solutions for conversation analysis.
How much they make: $780K/year
Current team size: 30
CallPage, an inside sales platform that facilitates converting website visitors into customers, has expanded tools to become a full-fledged platform with artificial intelligence, voice-to-text services and emotion recognition, and is rapidly growing in international markets.
4. GoEdison ($216K/year)
James Harper, the founder of GoEdison, started the business after seeing a major need in the small business realm for better marketing. With experience in the industry and a desire to provide a better service, Harper launched GoEdison and quickly gained positive cash flow. The company has since evolved and now focuses on specific services such as B2B lead-generation email marketing and Google advertising. A content strategy proved successful in attracting clients, and GoEdison is now planning for major growth in 2020.
How much they make: $216K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 1
James Harper founded GoEdison, a small business marketing agency that specializes in B2B email drip campaigns for service-based businesses specializing in strange niches, achieving $17,000 - $20,000 in recurring revenue, attributing their success to keeping their business model simple and evolving over time.
So... can you actually make money with a lead generation business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesnβt.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
5. Hawk Prospecting ($12K/year)
Mohamad Alasadi, a 19-year-old entrepreneur and blogger, came up with the idea for Hawk Prospecting while running his marketing agency. He realized the need for a low-budget tool that could help him find qualified leads and prospects. With a limited technical knowledge, he used a no/low-code site builder to build Hawk Prospecting, which has now gained traction and generated $1500 in monthly revenue within its first two months.
How much they make: $12K/year
Current team size: 1
Mohamad Alasadi, a 19-year-old entrepreneur, shares how he grew his B2B prospecting software, Hawk Prospecting, from an idea to $1.5K MRR in 7 weeks, using a no/low-code tool to build the product, and a go-to-market strategy that focuses on user feedback and outreach to marketing agency owners.
6. BizzBee Solutions ($312K/year)
Dancho Dimkov, the founder of BizzBee Solutions, came up with the idea for his business after realizing that freelancing was not a sustainable long-term option. He decided to start his own company that specialized in LinkedIn and email outreach, offering B2B lead generation and sales process services to software providers, high-ticket service providers, consultants, and agencies. Through building meaningful relationships and providing valuable solutions to clients, BizzBee has grown to serve over 400 clients globally in just 5 years.
How much they make: $312K/year
How much did it cost to start: $4.25K
Current team size: 26
BizzBee Solutions, a LinkedIn and email outreach specialist, grew from 2 to 20+ employees in just 12 months, serving 400+ clients globally, after switching from being generalists to specialists in outreach for high-ticket service providers, agencies, software development companies, and consultants.
So... can you actually make money with a lead generation business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesnβt.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
7. ZenOutreach ($120K/year)
How much they make: $120K/year
Current team size: 3
Founder shares how his B2B cold-emailing software hit $1 million annual ARR.
8. LinkHelp ($48K/year)
a risk-free way to try out LinkHelp and see if it meets their needs.
Referral Program We have implemented a referral program that rewards customers for referring others to our platform. This has helped us in acquiring new customers and retaining existing ones through word-of-mouth marketing.
Customer Support We prioritize excellent customer support and provide timely responses to any queries or issues our customers may have. This level of support helps us in building trust and loyalty with our customer base.
Continuous Product Improvements We constantly listen to customer feedback and make regular updates and additions to our product based on their needs and suggestions. This helps us in providing a better user experience and retaining customers.
In terms of marketing, what has been your most successful strategy? Our most successful marketing strategy has been content marketing. We create and share valuable content through our blog and social media channels, focusing on topics that are relevant to our target audience such as LinkedIn lead generation, networking tips, and business growth strategies.
This strategy has helped us in establishing ourselves as a thought leader in our industry and attracting organic traffic to our website. It also helps in building brand awareness and credibility among our target audience.
Additionally, we have also leveraged partnerships and collaborations with industry influencers and experts to reach a wider audience and increase our brand visibility.
What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced and obstacles you've overcome? One of the biggest challenges we faced was building credibility and trust in a competitive market. As a relatively new player in the LinkedIn lead generation space, we had to prove ourselves to potential customers and differentiate ourselves from established competitors.
To overcome this challenge, we focused on providing exceptional customer support, consistently delivering a high-quality product, and leveraging customer testimonials and case studies to showcase the positive impact LinkHelp has had on businesses. Building a strong online presence and actively engaging with our community on social media also helped in building trust and credibility.
Another challenge we faced was acquiring customers without a large marketing budget. We had to be creative in our marketing efforts and leverage cost-effective strategies such as content marketing, referral programs, and partnerships to attract and retain customers.
Overall, we have learned that perseverance, adaptability, and constantly listening to customer feedback are key to overcoming challenges and growing a successful business.
What advice do you have for aspiring founders who want to build their own business? My advice for aspiring founders is to always focus on solving a real pain point or problem for your target audience. Understand their needs and challenges and create a product or service that provides a valuable solution.
Additionally, surround yourself with a strong team that shares your passion and vision. Building a business is not a solo journey and having a team with complementary skills and expertise can greatly contribute to your success.
Don't be afraid to start small and iterate as you go. Test your ideas, gather feedback, and continuously improve your product or service based on customer needs.
Lastly, be prepared for challenges and setbacks along the way. Building a business is not easy, but with perseverance, determination, and a willingness to learn and adapt, you can overcome obstacles and achieve your goals.
How much they make: $48K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 3
LinkedIn lead generation and relationship-building tool, LinkHelp, used by entrepreneurs and small-to-medium businesses across different industries in more than 90 countries, boasts a diverse user base and an ARR of $50k, with a pricing model that's economical compared to competitors.
9. Website Rental Coaching ($504K/year)
The daily workload at his 9-5 job at General Electric as an HR left Luke unfulfilled from his career, and while he was searching for a profitable side gig, he realized that websites are like digital properties. With a top-ranking lead generation website, he could rent it to local businesses and earn a steady monthly income. Luke quit his job at the 6-month mark and hit six figures by the one-year mark of starting this business.
How much they make: $504K/year
How much did it cost to start: $8K
Current team size: 0
Luke Van Der Veer's Website Rental Coaching business teaches people how to create passive income by renting lead generation websites to local businesses, which has helped him generate $42,000 per month as of April 2022.
10. Franchise UK ($600K/year)
Joel Bissitt, founder of Franchise UK, had always dreamt of being an entrepreneur. Drawing inspiration from UK business icons like Richard Branson and Alan Sugar, he started the business at the age of 19 with just Β£1000 of funding. Through his expertise in SEO and a user-friendly website design, Franchise UK has experienced rapid growth, achieving a 50% increase in turnover last year and attracting some of the world's largest brands.
How much they make: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 5
Franchise UK is the UKβs largest franchise directory helping franchise businesses to grow by generating quality franchisee recruitment leads online, with a 50% increase in turnover last year and big plans to further expand in different directions over the coming years.
11. Wealth Lead Generation ($120K/year)
Maria, the founder of Wealth Lead Generation, came up with the idea for her business through her experience as a freelancer and her passion for marketing. After successfully helping a fintech startup raise 7 figures through social media advertising and PR, she realized the potential of digital advertising and decided to start her agency. She focused on creating specific offers that addressed the pain points of her target audience and spent time listening to the market to refine her services. Through hard work and perseverance, Maria's agency quickly scaled to a team of 5 and achieved impressive revenue growth.
How much they make: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200
Current team size: 5
"Wealth Lead Generation grew from a side hustle to a 6-figure business in 2021, generating an average of 250% increase in revenue for their clients through digital advertising campaigns on social media with a team of 5 people."
12. Interact ($2.5M/year)
Josh Haynam, the co-founder and CEO of Interact, came up with the idea for the business while in a hot tub with his co-founders. They realized that there were no platforms for creating interactive quizzes, and they saw the potential for facilitating human connection through this unique form of engagement. Despite facing financial struggles in the first six years, Interact has now grown to nearly $3 million in ARR and serves over 100 million people who take their quizzes each year.
How much they make: $2.5M/year
How much did it cost to start: $50K
Current team size: 9
Interact, a company co-founded by Josh Haynam, has been built up to nearly $3 million in ARR over the last 10 years, with over 100 million people taking its quizzes each year.
13. The Pedowitz Group ($18M/year)
Jeff and Cherie started The Pedowitz Group in 2007, leveraging their expertise in sales and marketing. They saw an opportunity to provide consulting services in the digital marketing space and quickly gained momentum through word-of-mouth and industry referrals. Today, they have achieved over $20 million in annual revenue and continue to focus on growth and providing excellent service to their clients.
How much they make: $18M/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 100
Pedowitz Group, a $20M+ consulting agency, shares the story of how they grew their business by prioritizing customer retention/loyalty, being platform-agnostic, and focusing on strong results aligned with clients' key business objectives.
14. Glimp Ltd ($1.2M/year)
Denis and his co-founder Michael started Glimp, a utilities, financial products, and insurance comparison website in New Zealand, after meeting during a coding bootcamp. Inspired by the success of price comparison websites in the UK, they decided to bring the concept to New Zealand and were the first to offer comparisons for multiple products. Through hard work and a focus on AdWords and SEO, they were able to grow their revenue to $60k in their first year and have since doubled their revenue each year.
How much they make: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
Current team size: 6
Glimp, a utilities, financial products, and insurance comparison website in New Zealand, generates about $100,000 in monthly revenue with a goal of making $1 million NZD profit this year, using AdWords and SEO to attract customers, negotiating higher CPAs over time, and expanding to different verticals.
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