Handbook / Marketing a small business

A marketing plan for a small business: a simple one-page approach

Many small business owners market in bursts: a flurry of posts when work is slow, then nothing when they are busy. A simple marketing plan smooths that out. It sets what you are trying to achieve, who you are talking to and what you will do each week. The SBA notes that a marketing plan can persuade customers to buy your products and services; for a solo business, it mainly keeps you consistent.

1. Set a goal

Choose one or two goals for the next 90 days, as specific as you can:

• win three new clients in a particular niche
• get ten inquiries a month from your website
• fill weekday appointment slots
• sell a set number of a new package

Goals tied to customers or revenue are more useful than vague ones like "raise awareness."

2. Describe your ideal customer

Write a short paragraph about who you serve best: their situation, the problem they have, where they look for help and what makes them choose a provider. The SBA describes market research as helping you find customers, and competitive analysis as helping make your business unique. For a small business, that can be as simple as talking to past customers and looking at a handful of competitors. See validating a business idea.

3. Write your message

One or two sentences that say who you help, what you do and why you are a good choice:

Example. I help independent cafés cut bookkeeping time with simple monthly accounts and clear reports, from someone who has worked in hospitality.

Use the words your customers use. Test the message in conversations and on your website.

4. Choose channels

Pick two or three channels where your customers already are, and do them well:

• Search and maps for local services; see local SEO and your business profile
• Referrals and reviews from happy customers
• Email to past clients and interested contacts; see email marketing
• Social media or LinkedIn if your customers use it to find providers
• Partnerships with businesses serving the same customers
• Direct outreach for business clients
• Events where your customers gather

Spreading yourself across many channels usually means doing none consistently.

5. Set a budget

List what you will spend money and time on: software, listings, printing, advertising tests, events. Many solo businesses spend more time than money. Treat your hours as a cost too.

6. Build a 90-day calendar

Turn channels into weekly actions:

• Weekly: two posts, five outreach messages, one email to your list every other week
• Monthly: ask recent clients for reviews and referrals, update your business profile
• Quarterly: one larger activity, such as a workshop, a guide or a partnership launch

Block time in your calendar for these tasks, just as you would for client work.

7. Measure and adjust

Track a few numbers:

• inquiries and where they came from
• conversion from inquiry to paying customer
• revenue by source
• cost and time spent per channel

Ask every new customer how they found you. At the end of each quarter, keep what works, drop what does not, and adjust your goals.

Keep it honest

Marketing claims must be truthful, and testimonials and endorsements must reflect real experiences. The FTC's Guides on endorsements and testimonials (16 CFR Part 255) cover endorsements, including disclosure of material connections. Use real reviews with permission and avoid exaggerated results.

A one-page template

1. Goal for the next 90 days
2. Ideal customer
3. Message
4. Channels and weekly actions
5. Budget
6. Calendar
7. Measures and review date

Print it or keep it pinned where you work. Revisit it every Monday.

When you are too busy to market

Busy periods are when marketing usually stops, and quiet periods follow. Keep a minimum routine going even when booked: a weekly post, a monthly email, and review requests. It keeps your pipeline from emptying.

Common mistakes

• Too many channels for the time you have.
• Goals that can't be measured.
• No calendar, so the plan stays a document.
• Stopping too soon. Most channels take months to show results.
• Not asking new customers where they found you.

Sharing the plan

If you work with a partner, assistant or contractor, share the plan with them. Everyone involved then knows the goal, the message and their weekly tasks.

Set one or two measurable goals, define your ideal customer and message, pick two or three channels, schedule weekly actions for 90 days, track results, and adjust every quarter.