HOW TO PLAN & MAXIMIZE YOUR BUDGET
Want to keep your costs to a minimum? Review this Action Guide!
Aim for knowing your budget of time, money & energy for the next 90-days. If you need help to figure it out, we can start with strategic planning, using the approach I outline here.
You may be wondering, “how much will it cost to do __________.”
The answer is “IT DEPENDS”.
A marketing plan is like a house.
When buying a house, you should start at a price you can afford. You may want a mansion, but if you can’t afford one, you size down. You’ll get into trouble if you overextend yourself.
You can always add on additions, remodel or move as your needs change. Knowing YOUR starting point saves us both a lot of effort, and keeps you from going in the wrong direction. Let’s get down to business right away. Use this guide and a FREE 30-min call with me to get started.
Home improvements are multiple steps, not just one TO-DO item. “Painting a room” or “cleaning out the garage” = “build a website” or “do social media”. Many people struggle to make progress because they don’t break things down into small steps. Each step needs time, money and resources to complete. You’ll be more successful with a plan.
TIME + MONEY + ENERGY = YOUR BUDGET
No one has unlimited budgets of time, money or energy. My process is designed to take a realistic look at your resources, and then scale your project to match.
TAKE ACTION
Take a piece of paper, divide it into 3 columns like the chart below. Take notes on your TIME, MONEY & ENERGY. Start with the next 90-days, adjusting with the tips in this Action Guide.
Your custom action plan is based on YOUR situation.
Please be ready to tell me your budget of…
Your notes here…
Your notes here…
Your notes here…
Avoid these common traps:
- Overestimating the TIME you have available to give feedback and make decisions.
- Underestimating your BUDGET and not scaling your task list to match it.
- Not factoring in other life obligations that will take ENERGY and fill up your schedule.
Adjust for your ups & downs.
You can SPEED UP or REPEAT tactics for additional services, new ideas & opportunities, different target audiences, seasonal changes, etc. Start with your marketing essentials. This may be enough, or you can add advanced strategies.
You can also SLOW DOWN or SHIFT to adjust around life’s surprises—family issues, illness, deaths, the pandemic, and other things beyond your control. These things WILL happen. Plan for the expected unexpected, adjusting as needed.
Work in 90-day phases.
Everyone in the world knows a lot can change quickly! Did you have a plan for 2020 and beyond that is now out the window?
I like to focus on 90-day plans, with 120-days on the schedule. This automatically builds in a buffer of time to adjust for the expected unexpected. When planning your budget, start with 90-days.
Look at your budget as a fluid process based on your current situation.
To maximize your ROI, it is critical that you tell me your budget of time, money & energy. Providing me with an accurate starting point (and changes) allows me to give you the most efficient plan.
I will help you to save time, money & energy whenever possible while delivering the best possible outcome. I am your advocate to give you options to move forward, always considering your best possible return on investment.
It is VERY, VERY common to make changes! I expect this, so I’m flexible! If you keep me in the loop, then I can help you at the lowest cost and plan to be available.
Trust my 28+ years of experience.
IF YOU TRY & DO TOO MUCH, ALL AT ONCE, IT IS MUCH HARDER! I also know that many people underestimate how hard the marketing process is, so they often bite off more than they can chew. Smaller steps are easier and increase your chance for success.
It is much easier to rebrand in phases than to try and do a HUGE launch. You can find small bits of time in your busy schedule to review & plan out simple updates over time VS. creating a long TO-DO list for yourself that never gets done.
Focus on what’s most important.
The more limitations you have on your budget, the more we need to scale down exploring options, rounds of revisions, delays in time that lead to us having to go back and figure out where we left off or ask for feedback/answers to questions multiple times. I will work with you to make suggestions to speed up the process.
We will work more efficiently on complex and/or long-term projects, as you can plan your expenses over time. We can add on phases as fast as you would like, but we focus on completing each step as fast as possible.
Let’s keep your costs as low as possible.
Typical things that will impact your bottom line include:
- How much strategic support you need (to plan out your website, marketing message, sales funnel & more). I suggest you start with the basics, and add on over time. The faster we launch, the faster you will get the benefit of your upgraded branding.
- The number of pages and features you need for a website. Some of your competitors may have very large websites. Others are simple. My quote is usually for a simple but attractive website, based on your current content and some additional marketing updates. You can upgrade as fast as you would like, adding on after a launch.
- Adjusting your plan, adding features or multiple rounds of changes. You can add on time to expand if your goals change. Sometimes it’s hard to know what you need until we implement things, so I do understand if you want to adjust. No problem!
- Changes to work more efficiently with your team, business goals or new ideas. Let’s discuss how we can work together to maximize your results.
This unique guidance is one of the key benefits of working with me vs. DIY, or taking a scattered approach with different resources & team members.
Strategic planning maximizes your budget.
We can be mindful of your goals + time, money & energy. We can make adjustments over time, adding to your website and/or marketing. This is the best way to take a budget-friendly approach to build your brand.
All services & packages are based on the pricing & payment plans below. Use this as a guide to be prepared to tell me your starting point. If you don’t have a budget in mind, we will start with consulting to develop your plan.
Buy RETAINER PACKAGES as needed, based on your goals & budget.
* Hours PLUS Custom Selected Tools & Resources:
- As needed, I’ll give you access to a custom selection of QUESTIONNAIRES, WORKBOOKS, ACTION GUIDES, EXAMPLES, CHECKLISTS & SPREADSHEETS for each step of the process.
- This will help you to gather your scattered ideas and help me to quickly understand the specifics of your business situation.
- Additional recommended TOOLS also provided. Work at your own pace, then customize your plan with strategy phone calls.
- Customize your plan with STRATEGY PHONE CALLS & EMAIL SUPPORT.
- 10- & 20-hours for current clients or approved projects only. Contact me to review your options.