Remember that scene in The Internship where the pizza shop owner clings to the Yellow Pages like it’s a life raft? Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson’s characters look at him like he’s just said he doesn’t believe in electricity. Then they drop the line:
“What if your neighbourhood got a little bit bigger?”
That film came out in 2013. And here we are, twelve years later, and I’m still meeting brilliant business owners who haven’t yet figured out how to take their small business online. They’re still doing things the way they always have, half convinced the internet is a trend that might go away if they just ignore it long enough. I think it’s safe to say it’s not going anywhere.
I get it. Tech can be overwhelming. Algorithms, automations, analytics. It can all sound like the start of a migraine. And if you’ve been running your business a certain way for years, the idea of doing something different can feel like betrayal.
“But we’ve always done it this way!”
And that probably worked really well. Until now. But sometimes, clinging to what’s comfortable is the very thing holding us back.
The world has changed. Your customers have changed. And if you’re still wondering how to take your small business online, now is the time to find out.
These days, people are searching on Instagram, Google, and TikTok. They’re finding businesses like yours in between episodes of Netflix and scrolling sessions in their PJs. If they can’t find you online, you don’t exist. Not in their world.
But here’s the good news: your neighbourhood isn’t limited to who can walk past your front door. It’s not just your street, your town, or even your city. Once you figure out how to take your small business online, your neighbourhood becomes as big as the internet. And that’s massive.
You don’t have to become a YouTube star or spend your weekends filming dance videos (unless that’s your jam — you do you). But you do need to be visible where your people already are.
And the first step? Letting go of “we’ve always done it this way” and leaning into “what if we tried something new?”
So if you’ve been putting it off, telling yourself you’ll figure it out ‘soon,’ this is your sign. You’re not too late, and you don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to start.
Because once you know how to take your small business online, you open the door to more customers, more freedom, and way less stress chasing leads that never convert.
Let your business grow. Let your neighbourhood get bigger.
Want help figuring it all out and simplifying the strategy?
You’re invited to join my free Facebook group:
Start Up, Stack Up, Scale UpTM with Shelly Shulman – a friendly corner of the internet where I help business owners like you get confident, get visible, and actually enjoy being online (no eye rolls required).
Join the group here.
No gatekeeping. No fluff. Just real help for real business owners. Let’s get you online — for real this time.
Shelly Shulman 