Nowadays you need a business to be profitable quickly, otherwise you can't afford maintaining it for too long. I guess the first or second year are decisive to reach the break even point, so you can at least recover what you have invested previously.
In the beginning, it's important to have an effective marketing method, so people get aware about your business. I think the best way to promote your business is by offering cheap prices to customers, so they will have a good motivation to try your service or product. As soon as you receive the initial feedbacks (and in case they are positive), customers will recommend you to another customers, and then you don't need to rely on cheap prices anymore, neither paid propaganda to promote your business.
However, you have to make sure you are offering a quality service, otherwise, everything will be in vain. More important than worrying about getting consolidated, it's to worry about the quality you are delivering to your customers. And then, as consequence, you will establish yourself after a while.
Actually, growing business is a gradual process and neeod patients, persistent and offering quality products and services to customers. In the beginning of certain business, it posses some difficulty but with persistent and patients, customer will increase.