I think the best ‘referrals’ you can possibly have are not actually referrals at all, but when a customer you’ve served in the past asks you back.
That happened again when a customer I first visited back in the summer contacted me again with a list of items for me to assemble.
This time it was a cot bed, a wardrobe, a changing table and a rocking chair and stool.
Not only did I not have to ‘sell’ my services to them, I didn’t have to explain my prices or how I work. Being trusted by my customers meant they had no problem leaving me alone in the house to get on with it. That makes things a lot easier for them, of course, since they have their own lives to get on with.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend you leave a tradesperson alone in your house unless you know them very well, but I obviously have a trustworthy persona!