Online store management and ads agency

Growing retailers and brands with an existing online shop who lack time or skills to manage marketing and sales.

Monthly retainers, often a flat fee or a share of ad spend, plus one-off fees for store redesigns or campaigns.

• Paid advertising on Google and Meta
• Reading sales and ad data
• Email marketing
• Managing client relationships and a small team

• Commercial general liability and professional liability insurance
• Contracts that spell out who controls ad accounts and what results you do and do not promise
• Canadian anti-spam law (CASL) rules for email marketing, and privacy law for customer data
• WCB/WSIB or payroll obligations once you hire staff, which vary by province
• Check GST/HST and provincial sales tax rules for services sold to clients in other provinces

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on the software and tools you choose, how you set up your business and whether you bring in help early. Your own figures may differ, so build a budget before you commit.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue of typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many clients you take on, the size of each retainer and the services you offer. The estimate assumes at least about 20 hours a week. Revenue is before costs and tax.

Things to check include commercial general and professional liability insurance, contracts that cover ad account control and what results you do and do not promise, CASL and privacy rules, WCB/WSIB or payroll duties if you hire, and GST/HST and provincial sales tax on services sold across provinces.