🍎 Grab an apple cider. Let’s talk about being discovered.

Every business owner knows their regulars. They're the customers who come back, tell their friends, leave great reviews, and remind you why you started the business in the first place.

But what about the customers who haven't walked through your door yet? 

Reaching those potential customers starts with making sure they can actually find you.

You may have a great product or provide an amazing service, but they can't become loyal customers if they don't know you're there.

If you serve a local market, improving your SEO can help put your business in front of people who are already searching for what you offer. It may also help to run low-cost local Facebook or Instagram ads using a targeted ZIP code to make sure your ads reach the right location. 

Keeping your Google Business Profile complete and up to date can also make it easier for nearby customers to discover you when they're ready to buy. 

Sometimes you don't need to change your business. You need to help more of the right people find it.

How easy is it to find your business online?

Take 10 minutes to see your business through a potential customer's eyes. Pretend you've never heard of it before.

The goal isn't to be everywhere. It's to make sure you're showing up in the places your next customer is already looking.

One video helped save a 30-year-old bakery 

Earlier this summer, Star Deli, a small Polish bakery and deli in Brooklyn, was struggling. Owner Zbigniew Stankowski said business had slowed so much that the shop was only months away from closing. Despite being part of the Greenpoint neighborhood for 30 years, Star Deli had no social media presence and only 17 Google reviews.

Then Shuayb Qureshi walked through the door.

Qureshi had started making videos about lesser-known New York restaurants and heard about Star Deli through Reddit. On June 9, he posted a simple video showing his visit with Stankowski, or “Mr. Z,” as Qureshi calls him. Stankowski talked about how difficult business had become and even tried to refuse a tip Qureshi offered after buying cheesecake.

The video took off. It has since received about 1.5 million views and more than 121,200 likes. Qureshi's series of Star Deli videos has generated more than 4 million views altogether. 

Customers started showing up, Google reviews climbed from 17 to 340 with a 4.9-star rating, and Qureshi launched a fundraiser to help replace the bakery's failing freezer and make other needed repairs. As of Aug. 27, it had raised nearly $8,000.

Watch the original video on Instagram

But here's what I find most interesting: The bakery didn't suddenly start making better cheesecake. It didn't reinvent its business. More people simply learned it was there.

Sometimes a business doesn't need a new product or a complete overhaul. It just needs the right introduction to the right people.

Help more customers discover your business

Copy this prompt and paste it into ChatGPT or Claude:

I own a [type of business] in [location, if applicable]. I want to make it easier for potential customers to discover my business.

Interview me one question at a time to understand what I sell, who my best customers are, how new customers currently find me, where I market my business, what has worked in the past, and what I have already tried.

Once you understand my business, identify five realistic ways new customers could discover me that I may be overlooking.

Prioritize ideas that are affordable and practical for a small business. Consider local search, Google Business Profile, customer referrals, reviews, partnerships with other businesses, community groups, social media, local media, events, and other opportunities relevant to my specific business.

For each idea, tell me why it could work for my business and the first step I should take this week.

Don't give me generic marketing advice or tell me I need to be everywhere. 

Focus on where my ideal customers are most likely to actually find me.

Once we identify a plan, please build me a timeline with action steps so I can start implementing this over the month of September.

Your customers won't always find you on their own

When I ran my photography studio, I learned pretty quickly that being good at photography wasn't enough to keep my calendar full. I could create beautiful images, take care of my customers, and give families a great experience, but none of that guaranteed that the next family would walk through my door.

Running the business meant constantly finding ways to stay visible. I had to build relationships, remind past customers I was still there, market what I offered, and give people reasons to talk about the studio.

That's one of the harder lessons of owning a business. 

Doing great work and getting people to notice that work are two completely different jobs. When you're the business owner, both jobs often belong to you.

You don't need to spend all your time marketing, but staying visible has to remain part of the job, even when you'd rather focus on the work itself.

Top three things to remember 

1. Don't assume good work will market itself.

2. Stay visible even when business is busy.

3. Give happy customers a reason to spread the word.

📱 Check your bio.

Open your business's social media profile. Ask yourself: Can someone who lands there for the first time immediately tell what you do, who you serve, and how to make a purchase or contact you? 

If not, take five minutes to fix it.

Future you will be glad you did 😁

Check out the latest articles published on Fit Small Business.

📝 When an employee conversation needs to be documented

Employee Write-up Form Template + How to Deliver a Write-up: Nobody enjoys having to write up an employee, but handling it properly can protect both the business and the employee. Our guide walks you through what to document, what to say, and how to handle the conversation professionally.

🏦 Starting a business? Start with the right bank account.

Best Banks for Startups in 2026: Top Accounts & Perks: The right business bank account can help a startup keep costs down while providing useful tools and perks as it grows. My lineup compares options to help you find an account that fits your new business.

🧾 Still chasing invoices manually?

Accounts Receivable Automation for Small Businesses: Following up on unpaid invoices can quickly eat into the time you could be spending elsewhere in your business. This guide explains how automation can take some of that work off your plate and help you stay on top of what customers owe.

Three things small business owners should know this week

1. 👀 Benefits like a 401(k) may help smaller employers compete for workers when they can't compete on salary alone: Small businesses are offering more retirement benefits, with more than 5 million additional small business employees having access to retirement plans compared to 2019. 

2. 🎉 Most U.S. small business owners no longer need to file or update a federal BOI report: FinCEN has officially eliminated beneficial ownership information reporting requirements for U.S. companies and individuals.

3. 🚫 Payment fraud remains a concern: Scammers are increasingly using AI-generated voices and deepfakes to make impersonation attempts more convincing.

🔗 Introducing Hello Alice

Running a small business comes with plenty of questions, especially when it comes to finding money to grow.

Hello Alice is a free small business platform where owners can find grants, funding opportunities, business resources, and educational programs.

Why bookmark it: You can check back regularly for new grant opportunities and resources that may fit your business.

I’d love to hear from you 

Was there something that resonated with you, or is there a topic you'd like me to cover in a future issue? 

Feel free to reach out to me anytime at rayanne.harmon@technologyadvice.com

Rayanne Harmon

Senior Small Business Writer and Entrepreneur

Rayanne Harmon is an entrepreneur and finance professional with decades of experience building businesses while working in banking, accounting, and business finance. Inspired by a family of entrepreneurs, she successfully owned and operated a photography studio for 20 years before launching a social media marketing agency dedicated to helping small businesses grow. Through Small Business Insider, Rayanne shares practical advice, real-world insights, and actionable strategies to help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of starting, managing, and growing a successful business.

Visit our Subscription Center to get other free newsletters, manage your account settings or to be removed from Fit Small Business communications.