If you run a small business, you’ve probably had that moment where someone from another state messages you - “Hey, do you ship to Texas?” or “Can I order from California?” - and suddenly your brain goes into overdrive. It’s exciting, sure, but then you start thinking about shipping costs, delivery times, taxes, and all the unknowns. It’s easy to freeze up or tell yourself it’s not worth the hassle. But honestly? It is doable. Lots of local Pennsylvania businesses are already selling out of state - quietly, efficiently - and they’re doing it without a massive team or budget. You just need to make a few smart moves first.
1. Stop Trying To Ship Everything From Your Garage
This is the classic trap. You get busy, orders are piling up, and you think, “I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing, but more of it.” Then suddenly you’re knee-deep in boxes, your kids can’t find their toys because the living room is full of packaging tape, and you’re still losing money on postage. Shipping cross-country from one base - especially up here in the Northeast - gets expensive fast.
A smarter move? Team up with a 3PL partner that already has distribution hubs around the country. For example, companies offering warehousing in Texas can handle your Southern and Western orders for you. You send them your stock, and they ship directly to customers in that region. It means faster delivery, cheaper shipping, and you not losing your mind. It’s like borrowing someone else’s logistics muscle without needing to buy a single forklift.
2. Don’t Ignore the Tax Stuff (Seriously, Don’t)
Look, I know nobody wants to read about taxes. But once you start selling out of state, you’re not in Kansas anymore - or rather, you’re not only in Pennsylvania. Every state has its own tax laws, and they don’t care that you’re just “trying it out.” You might owe sales tax or even need to register in a new state if you hit certain sales thresholds.
It’s worth digging into the tax implications before you go too far. Talk to your accountant, or get one who’s used to this multi-state stuff. A lot of small businesses get caught off guard because they assume selling online means “the internet” is their only jurisdiction. It’s not. And if you ever end up with a letter from a state tax department in a place you’ve never even visited, you’ll wish you’d checked the fine print first.
3. Test Small Before You Go Big
There’s a weird thing that happens when a business starts getting confident - we tend to think the next logical step is massive growth. New states! New warehouses! New staff! But that’s how people burn out. Expansion doesn’t have to mean betting the whole farm. You can test the waters.
Plenty of owners start by expanding into new states through a single region or distribution hub. Say your sales data shows more orders coming from down South - then partner with a fulfillment center in that region and try it for six months. Watch what happens to your delivery times, reviews, and repeat buyers. If it’s working, great - scale it. If not, pull back and try somewhere else. Flexibility is everything right now. The old model of “buy a giant warehouse and hope for the best” just doesn’t work for smaller players anymore.
Here’s the truth: expanding your business beyond Pennsylvania doesn’t need to be some huge, scary leap. It’s more like a bunch of small, careful steps - a test, a tweak, a bit of learning. Before long, you’ll look up and realize you’re serving customers across the country. And yeah, it’ll come with a few headaches, but it’s also how you build something bigger than your ZIP code.
If you want to stay in the loop with what other local entrepreneurs are doing - who’s growing, who’s hiring, what trends are shaking things up - check out the local business updates section on North Penn Now. You might find some ideas (and a bit of motivation) to keep going.
