stop saying you have an online business

 As soon as you utter, “I have an online business,” the blinders appear.

Yes, blinders like the ones used on racehorses. The ones that keep the horses focused on the race ahead and not distracted from the cheering crowds around them.

Blinders are fine for a thoroughbred in the Preakness, but they're not fine for people who are working on their empire dot com.

Something weird happens when you start your online biz. Tunnel vision descends, and you focus solely on your screens to market your business. You're not seeing the world around you.

Let me prove my point.

If you were opening a brick-and-mortar location...

... you wouldn’t rely on Instagram only to get new students through the door. No, you'd be out on the street spinning signs at the nearest intersection, attracting new clients.

... you wouldn’t be staring at your customer database for hours, hoping new clients will walk in. No, you’d be knocking on all the neighbouring businesses and saying, “Hey, just wanted to introduce myself. I just opened up a Pilates studio, and here are some free passes.”

... you wouldn’t be reorganizing your blog posts and retagging your YouTube videos all day. No, you'd be organizing an open house and inviting every person you can think of.

... you wouldn’t be spending the entire weekend in Canva experimenting with fonts for your logo. No, you’d be printing out signs and posting them on the community board at the local Starbucks.

You’d be talking with chiropractors, physiotherapists and other adjacent business owners.

You’d be contacting local corporations and offering "lunch and learns."

You’d think of so many ways to let people know about your business.

But right now, your blinders have you believing that “online business” means marketing only online.

It’s not true.

You don’t have an online business.

You have a business.

There's a whole world of opportunity happening in the periphery of your vision.

Take the blinders off and look around.