Define Audience and Goals
2-3 daysDocument ICP, SMART goals, and baseline metrics.
Intermediate1-2 weeks
Business Marketing Plan
Free step-by-step business marketing plan for small business owners. Plan business marketing plan with calculators and checklists covering define audience.
small business ownersmarketing managersstartup founders
Workflow
Allocate Channel Budget
1-2 daysSplit budget across SEO, paid, email, and local based on CAC targets.
Build Campaigns and Creative
1 weekCreate offers, landing pages, and ad creative with clear CTA.
Measure ROI and Optimize
ongoingCalculate ROI by channel, cut bottom quartile, scale winners.
Tools Used
- Budget CalculatorPrimary
Allocate monthly marketing budget by channel.
- ROI CalculatorPrimary
Calculate return on spend by campaign.
- Break-Even CalculatorSupporting
Set max CAC from unit economics.
- Profit CalculatorReference
Tie campaign revenue to gross profit not just revenue.
- Commission CalculatorReference
Model affiliate or sales commission in CAC.
Checklist
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Strategy
Finance
Tech
Tracking
Ops
Optimization
Reference Materials
Marketing Budget by StageTable
Typical US SMB marketing spend.
| Stage | % of Revenue | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | 15-25% | Awareness, offers |
| Growth | 8-12% | Paid + email |
| Mature | 5-8% | Retention, brand |
ROI FormulaFormula
ROI = (Revenue − Marketing Cost) ÷ Marketing Cost × 100%.
Own Your Email List
Social algorithms change — email is highest-ROI owned channel.
One Channel First
Master one paid channel before spreading budget thin.
Cut Fast
Pause campaigns below break-even ROAS after statistically meaningful spend.
Safety Notes
- CAN-SPAM requires unsubscribe and physical address on commercial email.
- Truth in advertising applies to all claims — substantiate before publishing.