Solo marketing consultant for local businesses

Local small business owners who need customers but have no time or in-house marketing staff.

Monthly retainers for ongoing work, plus one-off project fees for things like a campaign launch or a social media setup.

• Social media and ad platform basics
• Clear writing and simple design
• Reporting results in plain language

• Check whether your city or county requires a business license or home occupation permit
• Consider a single-member LLC and an EIN, and ask an accountant or the IRS about self-employment tax
• Use written contracts that spell out scope, ad spend and who owns the accounts
• Consider professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance
• Check advertising rules, such as those on endorsements and disclosures, that apply to your clients' campaigns
• Revenue can swing if you rely on only a few clients

Estimates typically run around $300 to $2,000 to start, depending on your computer, software, website and any insurance or business setup you choose. Use this as a rough guide and check your own needs.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on how many clients you take on and what you charge. Revenue can swing if you rely on only a few clients, so spread the risk.

Things to check: whether your city or county requires a business license or home occupation permit, whether a single-member LLC and EIN suit you, and advertising rules on endorsements and disclosures that apply to your clients' campaigns.