Small full-service marketing agency

Small and mid-sized businesses, e-commerce stores and professional firms that want ongoing marketing without hiring in-house.

Monthly retainers per client, project fees for websites or campaign launches, and sometimes performance bonuses. Margin comes from using contractors or junior staff to deliver the work.

• Managing paid ad campaigns
• Selling and pitching to business owners
• Managing people and deadlines

• Check city or county business license rules for your office or home address
• Get general liability and professional liability insurance, and workers' compensation once you hire employees
• Check how your state treats contractors versus employees before relying on freelancers
• Losing one big client can hit income hard, so avoid depending on a single account
• Follow ad platform rules and privacy laws when handling client customer data, and check state requirements

Startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on software, insurance, your workspace and how many people you bring on at the start. These are estimates, so plan your own budget carefully.

Monthly revenue is typically around $5,000 to $25,000, depending on how many retainer clients you have, what you charge and the size of your team. These are estimates, and revenue is not the same as profit.

Check city or county business license rules for your office or home address. Also check liability insurance and workers' compensation once you hire, how your state treats contractors versus employees, and ad platform rules and privacy laws when handling client customer data.