Building an Online Business
Building an Online Business Without Inventory, Hype or Having Thousands of Followers
By Danielle & Ben Wasson
August 23, 2026
There are thousands of ways to make money online.
And honestly, that was part of our problem.
When Ben and I started thinking seriously about building an online business, we knew pretty quickly what we didn't want.
We didn't want to start another agency. Been there, done that.
We didn't want a brick-and-mortar business.
We didn't want a garage full of inventory.
And we definitely weren't looking for one of those magical internet businesses where someone tells you to give them $100 and they'll show you how to turn it into $10,000.
What we wanted was actually pretty simple: flexibility, low overhead, the opportunity to build additional income over time, and a business that could genuinely make a difference for other people.
We Wanted to Build Around Something People Already Need
This was a big one for us.
Instead of trying to convince someone that they needed another thing, we became interested in services people and small businesses already use and pay for every month.
Things like healthcare, cell phone service, electricity, identity protection and other essential services.
The concept is pretty straightforward.
We connect people with service providers. If one of those services makes sense for them and they become a customer, we can earn a commission.
No mystery.
No warehouse.
No boxes stacked in our garage.
It's simply a service-based business built around connecting customers with services they may already need.
And sometimes we can save someone money.
Sometimes we can't.
And that's okay.
That's one of the things we like most about the model.
When we chat with people about this business, we tend to hear the same questions.
“But I'm Not a Salesperson.”
I hear this one a lot.
And despite spending most of my career around sales, I understand why people say it.
Nobody wants to become that person who turns every family gathering into a sales presentation.
That's certainly not what Ben and I wanted.
Here's how I look at it.
Have you ever told somebody about an amazing restaurant?
Maybe you said:
"You HAVE to try Joe's Pizza. Their food is fantastic."
Congratulations. You just recommended a business.
You didn't feel like a salesperson.
You simply knew about something you thought another person might enjoy.
That's much closer to how we approach what we're doing.
We offer what we call a savings review.
We look at certain services someone is already paying for and see whether there's an alternative that could make sense.
If we find something better and they want it? Fantastic.
If their current service is already the better option?
Also fantastic.
At least now they know.
How Does Something Like This Become an Actual Business?
One customer probably isn't going to change your financial future.
Neither is one social media post.
Businesses grow through accumulation.
One customer.
Then another.
A referral.
Another conversation.
Another customer.
And, for people who are interested in building the business themselves, potentially another business partner doing the same thing.
I used a restaurant analogy in a recent video because I think it explains this perfectly.
A successful restaurant doesn't suddenly serve 10,000 dinners on opening night.
It grows one plate, one drink and one customer at a time.
People have a good experience.
They tell somebody.
That person comes in.
They tell someone else.
Over time, something that started small can become substantial.
An online business isn't magically exempt from that process.
It still requires customers, relationships, referrals, consistency and work.
Do You Need Thousands of Social Media Followers?
No.
Thank goodness, because Ben and I certainly don't have them.
Social media can absolutely help spread the word, but having a huge audience isn't a prerequisite for having conversations.
We talk to people we meet in everyday life.
We talk to small business owners.
We get referrals.
We have an online presence where people can learn more about what we're doing.
And yes, we're creating videos like the one that inspired this article.
The internet is enormous.
More importantly, the industries we're working within are enormous.
Millions of people already pay for wireless service, healthcare and other essential services.
You don't need everybody.
You don't need to become an influencer.
You need to be willing to consistently let people know what you do, why you do it and who it might benefit.
Sometimes the Business Didn't Fail. We Quit.
This may be the most uncomfortable lesson I've learned.
Someone will occasionally tell me:
"I tried an online business once. It didn't work."
I've said versions of that myself.
I've tried different businesses. I've launched things. I've stopped things.
And if I'm being brutally truthful about some of them?
I quit.
Think about diets and exercise programs.
How many of us have started one, followed it for a while and then stopped?
Was the entire program a failure?
Or did we stop doing the things required to produce the result?
Business can be exactly the same.
People understandably want results. But sometimes we expect those results far too quickly.
Real businesses take time.
They require consistency.
They require learning.
They require telling people you exist.
And they sometimes require doing things that make you uncomfortable.
Stop Whispering About What You're Building
A coach once taught me something I've never forgotten.
You could create the greatest solution in the world for your customers, but if you never tell anybody about it, you've simply created the world's best-kept secret.
I think a lot of us do exactly that when we start something.
"Well... I started this little online business..."
Why are we whispering?
If you genuinely believe what you're doing can benefit someone, you shouldn't be embarrassed to talk about it.
That doesn't mean becoming pushy.
It doesn't mean pitching everyone you meet.
It means being able to confidently say:
This is what we're building.
This is why we're building it.
And this is who we believe it can help.
Then let people decide for themselves.
I'm Taking My Own Advice
Here's the funny part.
I don't particularly love recording videos.
Half the time I feel like I'm talking to a wall.
But I can't say I want to build a business and then refuse to do something simply because it makes me uncomfortable.
So I'm recording the videos.
I'm writing the articles.
I'm spreading the word.
I'm taking responsibility for building what Ben and I said we wanted to build.
There are no guarantees in business. There are no magic formulas.
But I do believe there is tremendous value in building something around real services, real customers and real relationships—and then giving it the consistency and time required to see what it can become.
And that's exactly what we're doing.
Curious About What We're Building?
If you've wondered whether an online, service-based business could fit into your life, you don't need to make a decision today.
Start with a conversation.
We'll show you what we're doing, how the model works and what building it actually looks like.
Then you can decide for yourself whether it's worth exploring.
No pressure. No hype. Just a conversation.
Still Have Questions?
Schedule a virtual coffee, and we'll walk through your current situation together so you can better understand your options.
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We'd love to help. Schedule a complimentary virtual coffee and we'll answer your questions, review your current services if you'd like, and help you explore your options, without pressure or obligation.
Danielle & Ben Wasson
