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BDC
bdc.ca › home › articles and tools › marketing, sales and export › marketing › what is the average marketing budget for a small business?
What is an average marketing budget for a small business?
A 2019 BDC survey of more than 1,400 Canadian businesses found that Canadian small business marketing costs average just over $30,000 a year, while those with 20 to 49 employees spend twice that amount.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/digitalmarketing › what’s typical marketing budget for companies like small businesses and startups? - i was offered 500€ only for marketing like doesn’t sound even realistic
r/DigitalMarketing on Reddit: What’s typical marketing budget for companies like small businesses and startups? - I was offered 500€ only for marketing like doesn’t sound even realistic
August 12, 2024 -

Hey everyone

I would like to hear more about budgeting on marketing in companies like in your business or company how do you budget in marketing?

I Start up wants work with me just 500 on marketing and it feels incredibly low for marketing but understandable that its just starting from stratch but still … this seems incredibly low to be, specially considering the costs associated with digital advertising, content creation and other marketing strategies specially that company wants work with models..

For those of you with experience in startups or in small or big businesses:

  • what’s the typical marketing budget you have seen in these settings?

  • have you ever worked in budgets this small? If so how did you make it work??

  • what are some creative , low- cost marketing strategies that could stretch this 500€ ?

Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated! Or any advice

Thank you

Discussions

What’s typical marketing budget for companies like small businesses and startups? - I was offered 500€ only for marketing like doesn’t sound even realistic
500 doesn’t even pay for tools/software needed. Jump ship here More on reddit.com
🌐 r/DigitalMarketing
29
12
August 12, 2024
How much money do you spend on marketing?
This is a friendly reminder that r/smallbusiness is a question and answer subreddit. You ask a question about starting, owning, and growing a small business and the community answers. Posts that violate the rules listed in the sidebar will be removed. A permanent or temporary ban may also be issued if you do not remove the offending post. Seeing this message does not mean your post was automatically removed. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/smallbusiness
200
57
January 4, 2024
How would you spend a $2k marketing budget for a small SaaS business?
  • Before spending anything first understand how you're getting your current customers and how they found your product.

  • If you can identify a clear channel that is sending you users see if you can scale that with your current marketing budget.

  • If you can't figure that out then there is a problem with your data or the lack of it. I would spend some time and money to get that sorted.

  • Going after different channels without understanding your current acquisition channel is a big mistake that most business owners make.

Congrats on reaching 3K MRR btw.

More on reddit.com
🌐 r/startups
36
24
October 15, 2023
People also ask

How Much do Small Businesses Spend on Marketing per Year?

Some estimates are as high as $180,000 per year.

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smallbiztrends.com
smallbiztrends.com › how-much-do-small-businesses-spend-on-advertising
How Much do Small Businesses Spend on Advertising?
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Most small businesses aim to spend 7% to 8% of their total revenue on marketing. However, some businesses may spend less, such as 2% to 5%, if they rely more heavily on word-of-mouth.
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quickbooks.intuit.com
quickbooks.intuit.com › r › marketing › small-business-marketing-budget
How to create a small business marketing budget | QuickBooks
How much of your budget should go to marketing?
A marketing budget can range from 5% to 25% of your revenue, depending on your company and its goals. Other facts that affect your marketing include company size and your reliance on marketing to drive sales.
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quickbooks.intuit.com
quickbooks.intuit.com › r › marketing › small-business-marketing-budget
How to create a small business marketing budget | QuickBooks
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Centier Bank
centier.com › resources › articles › article-details › typical-marketing-budget-for-small-business-to-unlock-success
Typical Marketing Budget for Small Business
Let's consider an example to understand this better. If your small business generates $100,000 in annual revenue, dedicating 8% to marketing would mean a yearly budget of $8,000. In the beginning, you might need a higher budget to build awareness.
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SBA
sba.gov › blog › how-get-most-your-marketing-budget
How to Get the Most From Your Marketing Budget | U.S. Small Business Administration
Small Business Trends reports that the average business spends 1.08% of its revenues on advertising, with variations from industry to industry. For instance, retailers spend more (about 4%) while restaurants spend 1.93%.
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Succeeding Small
succeedingsmall.co › home › blog › what should my marketing budget be? a comprehensive guide for small business owners
I'm a Small Business. What Should My Marketing Budget Be?
November 5, 2024 - Then identify your gross revenue and multiply that by the average percentage that businesses spend on marketing: 8.7%. Play around with these percentages, as they do vary based on industry.
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Pronto Marketing
prontomarketing.com › home › blog › how much should digital marketing cost for small businesses in 2025
Digital Marketing Cost for Small Businesses in 2025
January 21, 2025 - Considering recommendations from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and other industry benchmarks provided by research firms such as Gartner and Deloitte, most marketing experts recommend allocating between 5-15% of your total revenue to ...
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Small Business Trends
smallbiztrends.com › how-much-do-small-businesses-spend-on-advertising
How Much do Small Businesses Spend on Advertising?
December 15, 2024 - Hubspot reports the average spend for a business was 8.7% of total revenue last year. For example, a small business with $1 million in annual revenue could have a marketing budget of $70,000 to $100,000.
Find elsewhere
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Mailchimp
mailchimp.com › resources › marketing-budget-for-small-business
Making Every Dollar Count: Marketing Budget for Small Business | Mailchimp
For example, if a channel loses you money, you can reallocate that budget to a more successful campaign. On average, small businesses typically spend between $10,000 and $50,000 on marketing each year.
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QuickBooks
quickbooks.intuit.com › r › marketing › small-business-marketing-budget
How to create a small business marketing budget | QuickBooks
April 23, 2024 - You're never too small, and it's never too soon to know you're on track for success. ... As a general guide, most small businesses spend 7% to 8% of their revenues on marketing, according to Boomcycle.
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Medium
medium.com › @smallbizscoop › what-is-the-average-marketing-cost-for-a-small-business-1c1b3ef98ac0
What Is the Average Marketing Cost for a Small Business? | Medium
October 25, 2025 - Small businesses (up to 20 employees): $10,000–$50,000 per year · Medium businesses (20–100 employees): $50,000–$200,000 per year · The cost is not fixed. Factors like your industry, competition, and business model play a major role ...
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M&T Bank
mtb.com › business › education-portal › effective-marketing-for-small-businesses › marketing-budget-for-small-businesses
Average marketing costs for small businesses | M&T Bank
August 12, 2025 - Your business needs a marketing budget, and M&T can help you develop the right plan. ... If you have questions about budgeting for marketing expenses, please visit your local branch or schedule an appointment to meet with an M&T representative. The average marketing budget for small businesses will vary significantly depending on industry, geography, operating cash flow, the goals of each individual business and many other factors.
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Salesforce
salesforce.com › marketing › how-to-create-marketing-budget
How to Create a Marketing Budget | Salesforce US
That percentage drops considerably ... Even though the average marketing budget for small businesses can go up to nearly 50% of the total budget, you don’t have to let that dictate your company’s budget....
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Freshbat
freshbat.com › home › how much should a small business spend on marketing?
How much should a small business spend on marketing? - Freshbat
February 21, 2022 - Let’s start by understanding a bit about how much small businesses in the UK spend on marketing activities. According to YouGov, the average marketing cost for small businesses in 2019 was 9.3% of total revenue.
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Synovus
synovus.com › business › resource-center › starting-your-business › marketing-budget-for-small-business
Creating a Marketing Budget for Small Business - Synovus
October 2, 2025 - For example, if your business generates $500,000 annually, a 7-8% marketing budget would range between $35,000 - $40,000. If you’re launching a new product or entering a competitive space, you might allocate more to maximize exposure.
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STRYDE
stryde.com › home › what is the average marketing budget for an ecommerce business?
What Is The Average Marketing Budget for an eCommerce Business? - STRYDE
December 12, 2024 - While the industry average falls around 7-12% of revenue, startups may need to invest upwards of 15-20% to gain a competitive edge. Implementing a sound budgeting plan and tracking its effectiveness will ensure that your marketing spend aligns ...
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Quickly Hire
quicklyhire.com › home › how much does marketing cost for a small business
How Much Does Marketing Cost for a Small Business - Quickly Hire
July 29, 2024 - Google Ads typically operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, with costs ranging from $1 to $2 per click for small businesses. Facebook Ads provide targeted advertising, with costs averaging $0.97 per click.
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Hibu
hibu.com › marketing tips
How Much Should You Spend on Marketing?
April 19, 2019 - What’s the least amount your business should spend on marketing? We wouldn’t recommend spending less than $500 a month on a digital marketing plan. That’s doable, right? If you're spending $500 each month, that should go toward building ...
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AQ Marketing
aqmarketing.com › home › your small business marketing budget averages, percentages, and maximizing roi
What is the average marketing budget for a small business
2 weeks ago - What is the average marketing budget for a small business? Most small businesses allocate 7-10% of their gross revenue to marketing, though this varies significantly based on industry, business stage, and goals.
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Consultus Digital
consultusdigital.com › home › digital transformation › small business marketing budgets: how much to spend and best practices
Small Business Marketing Budget Guide | Consultus Digital
August 20, 2025 - Benchmark Wisely: Small businesses should allocate an average marketing budget of 3–12% of revenue, depending on industry and growth goals.Setting a realistic small business marketing budget is crucial to ensure funds are allocated effectively ...
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Foundersarm
foundersarm.com › blog › marketing-cost-for-small-business
What is the Average Marketing Cost for Small Business? - Founders Arm | Virtual Growth Assistants for Hire
Recent research shows that small businesses spend an average of $10,000 to $12,000 annually on marketing. Depending on your size and industry, this could be anywhere from 5% to 20% of your annual revenue.