Let's go online — but how?

After the first wave of store closures and restrictions brought on by the Covid pandemic in March 2020, one thing quickly became clear: small, local businesses were hit especially hard, suddenly unable to sell their products or offer their services overnight.

Big companies have the resources to pivot on a dime, shifting to selling their products and services online instead of in person, as before. Small shops and businesses, though, often lack the money, the people – and, above all, the know-how – to do the same.

Time to do something about it!

Together with the City of Munich, UnternehmerTUM and the ReDi School, we launched the “Mia gehn online” initiative. In an 8-hour mini-hackathon, digital experts are paired up with small business owners to build a digital solution for the challenge that business is currently facing. In just one day, this produced things like a platform for online sewing classes, social media and online communication channels for a Munich flower shop, and an automated online ordering process for a restaurant.

Mia gehn online – round two!

The format was such a success in Munich that another round followed on 12 May, in Landshut and Würzburg. We took part as supporters for the startup “Im Sinne”, and worked with a fantastic team to sharpen their business model and product USP, build a new online shop, simplify customer communication with a chatbot, and open up new sales channels, all in a very short space of time.

So what happens now?

Thanks to the positive feedback on “Mia gehn online”, we've put together comprehensive guides and resources, now available free of charge to any interested small business, local authority or innovator.

If you're feeling inspired to go online too, feel free to get in touch with us, no strings attached. We'd love to hear about your online projects – whether that's a completely new business model or simply a newsletter.

The “How To” guide for running an event like this is available to download at miagehn.online

We're especially pleased to offer guides for small businesses on topics like business models, websites, newsletters, social media and online shops

Browse the guides