I have a business but nobody knows it exists. The small business biggest problem
You're brilliant at what you do. Genuinely brilliant. Your clients love you. They rave about you to their friends. The quality of your work is undeniable.
But your phone isn't ringing. Your calendar isn't full. You're not getting the customers you deserve.
And the worst part? You know exactly why. It's not because you're not good enough. It's because nobody knows you're there.
The Problem Nobody Talks About
There's a hairdresser in Reading who does transformations that would make a magazine jealous. But she's booked maybe twice a month. There's a cleaner who leaves houses so spotless you could eat off the floor. But she's still struggling to fill her schedule. There's a coach who genuinely changes people's lives. But she spends half her time chasing new customers instead of doing the work she loves.
Sound familiar?
The heartbreaking part is this: these people aren't failing because they're not talented. They're struggling because they're invisible.
And here's what we see over and over again at The Curious Academy: the moment someone goes from invisible to visible, everything changes. Not overnight. But it changes.
Why Being Good At Your Job Isn't Enough Anymore
Let's be honest. Twenty years ago, you could be brilliant at your job and word-of-mouth would carry you. Someone would tell their friend. Their friend would tell someone else. Gradually, you'd build a reputation.
That still happens. But it's slower. And it's not enough on its own anymore.
Here's why:
People have more choice than ever. Your potential customer doesn't just know you and two other people who do what you do. They can Google "hairdresser near me" and see fifteen options immediately. They're choosing based on what they can see online.
People are online first. Before they call you, they'll look you up. They'll check your website (if you have one). They'll see if you're on social media. They'll read reviews. If you're not findable online, you're not even in the race.
Referrals still matter, but they're incomplete. Someone recommends you, sure. But then they tell their friend to "look you up online." And if there's nothing to look up? That referral goes cold.
Busy people forget. Someone thinks "oh, I should use that cleaner," but they don't remember your name or how to reach you. If you're not somewhere they can find you later, you lose that opportunity.
None of this is your fault. And none of it means you're not good enough.
It just means that being brilliant at your job is no longer the whole story. Being findable matters.
The Gap Between Good Work and Getting Customers
This is the gap we see every single time someone comes to The Curious Academy.
On one side: You have a real skill. Real experience. Real ability to help people and do genuinely good work.
On the other side: You have nobody knowing that skill exists.
In the middle is a frustratingly small gap. But it's the gap that separates "struggling to get customers" from "getting regular bookings."
That gap isn't about being more talented. It's not about working harder. It's not about having a fancy marketing plan.
It's about being findable. Being clear. Being visible. Being real.
What "Invisible" Actually Looks Like
If you're reading this and thinking "yes, that's me," here's what invisible usually looks like:
You have no website (or a website from 2015 that nobody can find)
People can't find you on Google even if they search for exactly what you do
You're not on social media, or you are but it's sporadic and confusing
When someone does find you, there's no clear way to actually book you or get in touch
You rely entirely on word-of-mouth and hope
You feel like you're constantly chasing new customers because you have no system for them to find you
You do great work but nobody outside your immediate circle knows it
If that resonates, you're not alone. And you're definitely not alone in feeling frustrated about it.
The Thing That Frustrates Self-Employed People Most
What we hear most often, in the Curious Lounge and from people considering the bootcamp:
"I'm good at my job. I shouldn't have to be a marketer too."
And you're right. You shouldn't have to be a marketer. But you do have to be findable. And those are different things.
Being a marketer means: complicated funnels, paid advertising, content calendars, tracking metrics, optimising campaigns. That's not what we're talking about.
Being findable means:
People can find you when they search for what you do
You've got a simple way for them to actually contact you or book you
You show real examples of your work
You're clear about what you offer and who you help
That's not marketing. That's just... being a professional who's visible.
The Moment Everything Changes
We watch this happen regularly, and it's never dramatic. It's usually pretty quiet.
Someone builds a simple website. They add their real phone number and email. They describe what they do clearly. They show some actual work.
Nothing happens for a couple of weeks. They think "well, that was pointless."
Then someone finds them. Sends an email. "I'm looking for someone who does X and I found you. Are you available?"
Just like that, they've got a new customer. Not from genius marketing. Just from being findable.
Then it happens again. And again. Sometimes through their website. Sometimes someone shares their page on social media. Sometimes a past client recommends them and says "look them up, they've got a website now."
One person becomes two. Two become three. A few months in, they're thinking "oh, I actually need to turn people away because I'm fully booked."
That's when they usually come back and say: "I can't believe how simple it was. I was making it so much harder than it needed to be."
You Don't Have To Be Complicated
Here's what being visible doesn't require:
A fancy website with loads of pages
Social media posts every single day
Perfect photography or slick design
Knowing what you're doing
Having it all figured out
Being "good at marketing"
Here's what it actually requires:
A way for people to find you (basic website, Google My Business, social media)
Clarity about what you do and who you help
Real examples of your work
A simple way to get in touch or book you
Actually responding when people reach out
That's genuinely it.
Why This Matters Right Now
The longer you stay invisible, the harder it gets to stay in business. Not because you're not good enough. But because every month that goes by, potential customers are finding someone else who is visible.
They're finding the hairdresser with a nice Instagram feed (even if yours is better). They're finding the cleaner with a website that explains the booking process (even if your work is superior). They're finding the coach with clear online visibility (even if you're more experienced).
But here's the flip side: once you're visible, momentum works for you instead of against you. Customers find you. They refer you. You build a reputation online. You're no longer starting from scratch every month.
What Happens Next
If you're reading this and thinking "this is me," you've got two choices:
You can keep doing what you're doing. Keep hoping word-of-mouth carries you. Keep fighting to fill your schedule. Keep wondering why you're not busier when you know you're good.
Or you can become findable. Not overnight. But methodically. Deliberately. With support from people who've done it and people doing it alongside you.
That's what the bootcamp is for. That's what The Curious Lounge is for. It's for people who are good at their job and ready to be visible about it.
You don't have to do it alone. And you don't have to figure it out from YouTube tutorials. You just have to be ready to actually do it.
What Nobody Tells You About Your First Year Winning Customers Online
Everyone wants to tell you the success story. The before-and-after. The moment everything clicked and suddenly you were booked solid.
What nobody tells you is what happens in between. The messy, confusing, sometimes disheartening middle where you're doing everything right and nothing seems to be working.
This is that story.
The First Three Months Feel Like Failure
You build your website. You write your bio. You add photos of your work. You set up your email. You post on social media.
Then... nothing happens.
Well, not nothing. Your mum says it looks nice. Your friend shares it. You get one message from someone who turns out not to be a real enquiry.
But mostly: silence.
You check your website analytics three times a day. Twelve visits. Eight of them are you. You refresh your email list—still the same fifteen people you knew before.
You start wondering if your website is rubbish. If you did something wrong. If people just aren't interested in what you do.
Spoiler alert: none of those things are usually true. This is just what it feels like in month one and two.
Every single person we've worked with feels this way. Not just a few. Literally everyone.
The ones who get customers are the ones who keep going anyway.
Month Two: The Doubt Spiral
By month two, you're starting to ask yourself some hard questions.
"Is this worth it?" "Am I actually any good at this?" "Why isn't anybody finding me?" "Should I just give up and get a job?"
This is the moment when most people stop. They think "well, this didn't work" and they take their website down or stop posting or go back to relying entirely on word-of-mouth.
And here's the cruel part: they stop right before it starts working.
Google doesn't rank websites overnight. Building visibility takes time. It's not instant and it's not obvious when it's working.
Then Something Weird Happens
You're in month three. You've been showing up. You've been doing this consistently even though it feels pointless.
Someone finds your website. Not someone you know. A stranger. They read your about page. They look at your work. They get in touch.
They book you. Or they become a customer. Or they ask for your services.
Just like that, it's real.
And then something else happens that you don't expect: you feel RELIEF. Not euphoria—just relief. Like you weren't going mad. Like it actually works.
The Timeline Nobody Expects
Here's the actual timeline we see over and over:
Weeks 1-4: You do all the work, nothing seems to happen. You feel like you're shouting into the void.
Weeks 5-8: Still quiet, but you're getting a bit of traction. A few more website visits. Maybe one real enquiry (that comes to nothing, but still).
Weeks 9-12: Something shifts. You get your first real customer from online visibility. It might seem like luck. It's not. It's because you've been visible for three months.
Months 4-6: It's not consistent yet, but you're getting regular enquiries. Some turn into customers. Some don't. You're starting to see patterns.
Months 6-12: You look back and realise you're not struggling to get customers anymore. You're actually turning people away or booking out months in advance.
The key word here is months. Not weeks. Not days. Months.
If you're expecting results in week two, you're going to be disappointed. But if you're expecting them in month six, you're usually spot on.
Why It Takes Time (And Why That's Actually Good News)
Google doesn't trust new websites immediately. Why should they? The internet is full of spam.
So Google takes months to rank you. It slowly tests your website. It sees if people find you, stay on your site, and come back. It checks if what you're saying is actually what people are looking for.
This feels terrible while it's happening. But here's the good part: once you're ranked, you stay ranked.
You're not competing for attention in the same way someone with a brand new website is. You've already proven yourself to Google.
Similarly, building a social media presence takes time. Your first posts might get almost no engagement. But as you keep showing up and genuinely connecting with people, your audience grows.
It's slow. But it's sustainable.
What People Get Wrong About "Overnight Success"
You see someone and think they just appeared. They seem to have it all figured out immediately.
What you're not seeing is the six months before that where they were posting to 12 people. Where they got zero engagement. Where they wondered if it was working.
You're seeing year two or year three and thinking "why isn't that me?" without knowing they started exactly where you are.
This is why looking at other people's success is dangerous when you're starting out. You're comparing their middle or end to your beginning.
The Stuff That Actually Helps During the Waiting
If you're in month two and feeling like giving up, here are the things that actually help:
Seeing other people doing the same thing Being around people who are also building their visibility, also seeing slow growth, also wondering if it's working—this is huge. You realise you're not broken. You're just in the normal part that nobody talks about.
Having someone say "yes, this is working, keep going" From someone who's already been here. Someone who knows what the timeline actually looks like. Not a cheerleader saying "you've got this!" but someone saying "this is normal, this is what happened to me, here's the timeline."
Knowing what you're actually looking for Instead of vague "I hope someone finds me," you're looking for: website visits, engagement on posts, email replies, Google My Business enquiries. These things that are actually measurable and happening even when it feels like nothing is.
Having a reason to show up The bootcamp isn't just teaching you how to build a website. It's creating accountability and community so you actually keep going during the boring middle months. You come to The Curious Lounge, you sit with other people doing this, you keep doing it.
What Usually Breaks The Silence
When we ask people "how did you get your first real customer from online visibility?", the answers vary. But there's a pattern:
"Someone found my website through Google search"
"A friend saw my Instagram and referred me"
"Someone I used to work with found me on social media and asked if I was still available"
"I got an email from a complete stranger saying they found me online"
None of these are complicated. None of them are because of a brilliant marketing strategy.
They're usually just: person needs what you do, finds you, gets in touch.
But they only happen because you were visible in the first place.
Month Twelve: Looking Back
Around the one-year mark, people usually say something like:
"I can't believe how much has changed. I'm actually busy now. I've turned down work. People are referring me. I honestly forgot what it felt like to worry about getting customers."
And when we ask them what changed, they usually say:
"I was just consistent. I kept showing up. I stopped trying to be fancy and just stayed real. And time passed."
That's it. That's genuinely the secret.
Not a brilliant marketing strategy. Not posting every day or being everywhere. Not perfection.
Just: showing up consistently, being real, and giving it time to work.
If You're In The Messy Middle Right Now
If you're reading this and you're in month two, or month three, and you're wondering if it's working—you're not broken.
This is the part nobody talks about because it's not glamorous. But it's the part that separates people who stick with it from people who give up.
The people who get customers are usually just the people who didn't quit.
Keep going. Show up. Stay visible. Give it time.
It works.