If you’ve got a modest budget and big ambitions, the question isn’t whether to market your business — it’s where to put the money so it actually works. Here’s how we’d spend a first £500, and why.
First, get the basics earning their keep (≈ £0)
Before spending a penny on ads, make sure the free stuff is pulling its weight:
- Google Business Profile — claim it, fill it in, add photos and opening hours. For local businesses, this is the single highest-value free thing you can do.
- Ask happy customers for reviews — social proof costs nothing and quietly closes sales for you.
- Tidy your website’s contact and services pages — no point driving traffic to a page that doesn’t convert.
Sort these first, or any paid marketing just pours water into a leaky bucket.
Then, split the £500 roughly like this
£200 — a small, targeted paid-ads test. Whether it’s Google Search ads (for people already looking for what you do) or a tightly-targeted social campaign, a modest budget is enough to learn what messages and audiences respond. Treat it as research, not a lottery ticket.
£150 — one strong piece of content or a design asset. A genuinely useful blog post, a simple lead magnet, or a set of professional photos will keep working long after an ad stops running.
£100 — email marketing setup. The people who’ve already bought from you are your cheapest future sales. A simple newsletter tool and a monthly email keep you front of mind for very little.
£50 — held back to double down. Once the ad test shows you what’s working, put the last chunk behind the winner rather than spreading it thin.
The golden rule: measure everything
£500 spent and tracked teaches you more than £5,000 spent blindly. Note where enquiries come from, ask new customers how they found you, and keep what works. Small budgets win when they’re spent deliberately and reviewed honestly.
The takeaway
You don’t need a big budget to market a small business well — you need focus. Fix the free basics, run a small paid test, create one lasting asset, and stay in touch with the customers you already have.
Want a marketing plan that fits your budget, not an agency’s? Get in touch for a free chat.
Featured image credit: Pexels.