Why can’t we find the businesses on our own doorstep?

For years I ran a personalised embroidery business. I sold to customers all over the world through my own website and online marketplaces. But here’s the strange part: people in my own town had no idea I existed.

I had a shop. I was a member of my local chamber. I tried all the traditional marketing. It still came down to whether the algorithm decided to show people my posts that day. The orders from far away came through luck, paid ads or hours spent on SEO. The people living a few streets away, the ones most likely to call in, never saw me at all.

I don’t think I’m unusual. Every town is full of independent businesses that locals don’t know about, on and off the high street. The plumber, electrician or joiner who relies on word of mouth. The hairdresser, dog groomer or beautician working from a small unit or their own home. The bookkeeper, tutor or photographer with no shopfront at all. The maker selling only at craft fairs or online. They’re good at what they do. They just aren’t easy to find.

Wanting to use local isn’t enough

Most of us want to support independents. We like knowing our money stays in our community, that there’s a real person behind the service or product, and that the business will still be there next year. But good intentions only go so far. When you need someone quickly, whether that’s a tradesperson, a last-minute appointment or a gift, you go with whoever you can find fastest, and it usually isn’t the independent just down the road.

That’s not because people don’t care. The information just isn’t in one place. It’s spread across social media posts, out-of-date listings and word of mouth. Independents are expected to be the expert in their trade or craft, plus marketer, admin team and SEO specialist all at once, often around school runs and family life.

Why I started Boppel

That gap is why I stopped my own business to build Boppel. I wanted a fairer way for independent businesses to be found, with no commission and no paying to rank above anyone else. Our first version proved that makers wanted an alternative, and some of them have backed me since day one.

Now Boppel is growing into something bigger: one verified place for every kind of local independent business, from shops and makers to services and trades, so people can find them directly. We’re starting with a pilot in one town, and I want to build it based on what people actually need, not what I assume.

I’d love your help

I’ve put together a short survey about using independent businesses in your own home town. It asks how you find local businesses now, what gets in the way, and what would make choosing independents easier. It takes just a few minutes, and every answer helps shape what we build.

You can answer as someone who lives in your town, as someone who runs an independent business there, or as both. It doesn’t matter whether you run a shop, offer a service, work in a trade, work from home or sell only online. If you’re based in a town and want the people around you to find you, your answers count. And if you’re both a resident and a business owner, that’s even better.

👉 Take the survey: https://boppel.co.uk/your-town.html

If you know someone who’d have something to say on this, please pass it on.

Every town is made up of people who’ve taken a leap and built something of their own, on the high street and well beyond it. They deserve to be found, starting with the people who live right beside them.

Tori, Founder of Boppel Ltd
www.boppel.co.uk