Local digital marketing for small businesses

Local trades, restaurants, dental and physio clinics, salons and independent shops that want more customers but have no time or skills for online ads.

A monthly management fee per client, often with a one-off setup fee. The client pays the ad spend directly to the ad platforms.

• Running Google Ads and Meta Ads
• Clear writing and basic design
• Explaining results in plain language

• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence
• Consider professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance and a written client contract
• Make sure clients own their ad accounts and that you are clear that results are not guaranteed
• Check how GST/HST applies once your revenue passes the small supplier threshold
• If you collect customer data or run email campaigns, check Canada's anti-spam law (CASL) and privacy rules, and Quebec's French-language rules if you advertise there

Startup costs are typically around $300 to $2,000, depending on your setup and what you buy before landing your first clients. These are estimates, so build your own budget from the tools, insurance and equipment you actually plan to use.

Monthly revenue is typically around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many clients you take on and what you charge. That is revenue before costs and tax, and it is an estimate, not a promise. The estimate assumes at least 8 hours a week.

Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence, and how GST/HST applies once revenue passes the small supplier threshold. Consider professional liability insurance and a written client contract, and check CASL and privacy rules if you run email campaigns.