u/Lazy_Second7696

Hey everyone,

I run a small AI agency focused on building internal business tools, workflow automations, and AI-powered systems for companies.

Right now, all of my clients come from Upwork, and I’m averaging around $5k–10k/month. It’s working well, but I don’t want to rely on a single platform long-term.
I’m starting to post on LinkedIn (currently getting almost no impressions, but I know it takes time). My goal there is mainly to build credibility and trust.

I don’t have the budget for paid ads yet, so I’m looking at other acquisition channels.

For those who run agencies or consulting businesses:

-Is cold email still working in 2026?

-What response rates should I realistically expect?

-How many emails/day were you sending when you started seeing results?

-Did you offer something free (audit, consultation, teardown, etc.) to get replies?

-What acquisition channel gave you the best ROI besides Upwork?

I’d love to hear what actually worked for you and what you’d avoid if you were starting again.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I run a small AI agency focused on building internal business tools, workflow automations, and AI-powered systems for companies.

Right now, all of my clients come from Upwork, and I’m averaging around $5k–10k/month. It’s working well, but I don’t want to rely on a single platform long-term.
I’m starting to post on LinkedIn (currently getting almost no impressions, but I know it takes time). My goal there is mainly to build credibility and trust.

I don’t have the budget for paid ads yet, so I’m looking at other acquisition channels.

For those who run agencies or consulting businesses:

-Is cold email still working in 2026?

-What response rates should I realistically expect?

-How many emails/day were you sending when you started seeing results?

-Did you offer something free (audit, consultation, teardown, etc.) to get replies?

-What acquisition channel gave you the best ROI besides Upwork?

I’d love to hear what actually worked for you and what you’d avoid if you were starting again.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I run a small AI agency focused on building internal business tools, workflow automations, and AI-powered systems for companies.

Right now, all of my clients come from Upwork, and I’m averaging around $5k–10k/month. It’s working well, but I don’t want to rely on a single platform long-term.
I’m starting to post on LinkedIn (currently getting almost no impressions, but I know it takes time). My goal there is mainly to build credibility and trust.

I don’t have the budget for paid ads yet, so I’m looking at other acquisition channels.

For those who run agencies or consulting businesses:

-Is cold email still working in 2026?

-What response rates should I realistically expect?

-How many emails/day were you sending when you started seeing results?

-Did you offer something free (audit, consultation, teardown, etc.) to get replies?

-What acquisition channel gave you the best ROI besides Upwork?

I’d love to hear what actually worked for you and what you’d avoid if you were starting again.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I run a small AI agency focused on building internal business tools, workflow automations, and AI-powered systems for companies.

Right now, all of my clients come from Upwork, and I’m averaging around $5k–10k/month. It’s working well, but I don’t want to rely on a single platform long-term.

I’m starting to post on LinkedIn (currently getting almost no impressions, but I know it takes time). My goal there is mainly to build credibility and trust.

I don’t have the budget for paid ads yet, so I’m looking at other acquisition channels.

For those who run agencies:
Is cold email still working in 2026?
What response rates should I realistically expect?

How many emails/day were you sending when you started seeing results?
Did you offer something free (audit, consultation, teardown, etc.) to get replies?
What acquisition channel gave you the best ROI besides Upwork?

I’d love to hear what actually worked for you and what you’d avoid if you were starting again.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I run a small AI agency focused on building internal business tools, workflow automations, and AI-powered systems for companies.

Right now, all of my clients come from Upwork, and I’m averaging around $5k–10k/month. It’s working well, but I don’t want to rely on a single platform long-term.

I’m starting to post on LinkedIn (currently getting almost no impressions, but I know it takes time). My goal there is mainly to build credibility and trust.

I don’t have the budget for paid ads yet, so I’m looking at other acquisition channels.

For those who run agencies:
Is cold email still working in 2026?
What response rates should I realistically expect?

How many emails/day were you sending when you started seeing results?
Did you offer something free (audit, consultation, teardown, etc.) to get replies?
What acquisition channel gave you the best ROI besides Upwork?
I’d love to hear what actually worked for you and what you’d avoid if you were starting again.
Thanks!

131 jobs posted with 0% hire rate :)

The problem is

Proposals: 50+

https://preview.redd.it/573kudvqg18h1.png?width=1578&format=png&auto=webp&s=5424d174ad0793fab5d48243a60eddf6eda23612

https://preview.redd.it/dg7ftdvqg18h1.png?width=1318&format=png&auto=webp&s=4e441a9534238bf6e75b1cfe9035725e1f3bfc64

Hi folks,

I run a software agency focused on building internal tools and AI-powered systems for businesses. We help companies replace disconnected software with streamlined workflows, reduce software costs, and save time through automation.

Right now, most of my leads come from Upwork, and I’m making around $10k–15k per month through the platform. However, I’m looking to reduce my dependence on Upwork.
The main reason is that relying on a single acquisition channel feels risky. An account issue, policy change, or even an unfair review could have a significant impact on the business. It also creates a lot of stress when one platform is responsible for most of your pipeline.

So my question is:
If you were in my position, what would you focus on for lead generation?
Does cold email still work in 2026?
What channels would you prioritize?
What would your step-by-step approach be if you were starting today?

P.S. Please don’t suggest networking or referrals. I don’t have a strong network yet, so I’m looking for strategies that can work without relying on existing connections.

Hi folks,

I run a software agency focused on building internal tools and AI-powered systems for businesses. We help companies replace disconnected software with streamlined workflows, reduce software costs, and save time through automation.

Right now, most of my leads come from Upwork, and I’m making around $10k–15k per month through the platform. However, I’m looking to reduce my dependence on Upwork.
The main reason is that relying on a single acquisition channel feels risky. An account issue, policy change, or even an unfair review could have a significant impact on the business. It also creates a lot of stress when one platform is responsible for most of your pipeline.

So my question is:
If you were in my position, what would you focus on for lead generation?
Does cold email still work in 2026?
What channels would you prioritize?
What would your step-by-step approach be if you were starting today?

P.S. Please don’t suggest networking or referrals. I don’t have a strong network yet, so I’m looking for strategies that can work without relying on existing connections.

Hi folks,

I run a software agency focused on building internal tools and AI-powered systems for businesses. We help companies replace disconnected software with streamlined workflows, reduce software costs, and save time through automation.

Right now, most of my leads come from Upwork, and I’m making around $10k–15k per month through the platform. However, I’m looking to reduce my dependence on Upwork.
The main reason is that relying on a single acquisition channel feels risky. An account issue, policy change, or even an unfair review could have a significant impact on the business. It also creates a lot of stress when one platform is responsible for most of your pipeline.

So my question is:
If you were in my position, what would you focus on for lead generation?
Does cold email still work in 2026?
What channels would you prioritize?
What would your step-by-step approach be if you were starting today?

P.S. Please don’t suggest networking or referrals. I don’t have a strong network yet, so I’m looking for strategies that can work without relying on existing connections.