These guides cover the part of marketing that trades owners are rarely taught: how to hire help, brief it, and judge whether it is working. Each one is written for an Ontario owner who wants to make a sound decision quickly, and each one is useful whether or not you ever work with us.
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How to brief a marketing strategist in 15 minutes
Five numbers decide most of a trades marketing plan: job value, margin, close rate, call volume and lead sources. Find them before your first call and the advice you get becomes specific.
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The first 90 days of a marketing engagement, week by week
A good engagement spends its first fortnight on access and tracking, its first month on fixes, its second on campaigns, and its third on a fair verdict. Here is what you should see at each stage.
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Vetting a marketing agency before you sign: a checklist for Ontario trades
Before you sign with any agency, check five things: who owns the accounts, how ad spend is shown, how you can leave, how results are reported, and whether its claims hold up.
How to brief a marketing strategist in 15 minutes
How to brief a marketing strategist shows you how to gather the handful of numbers that decide almost everything: average job value, gross margin, close rate, call volume and where your jobs come from.
It includes a worked example you can copy with your own figures, a one-page briefing template, and the mistakes that make a first conversation with any agency less useful. Read it before your first call with anyone, including us.
The first 90 days of a marketing engagement
The first 90 days of an engagement walks through what should happen week by week once you hire someone: access and tracking first, then fixes, then campaigns, then a fair verdict.
It explains what you should see at each stage, which warning signs to watch for, and how to tell the difference between a campaign that is still learning and one that is never going to work. It is also a useful yardstick for judging an engagement you already have.
Vetting a marketing agency before you sign
Vetting a marketing agency is a checklist of the questions to ask before signing anything: who owns the accounts, how ad spend is shown, what the contract really says about cancellation, and how results will be reported.
It also covers two rules that affect Ontario trades marketing: the federal anti-spam law that governs texting and emailing customers, and the Competition Act's rules on misleading advertising, both linked to official sources.
How to use these guides
Read them in whatever order matches where you are:
- Not talking to anyone yet? Start with the briefing guide, then keep it handy.
- Comparing proposals? Start with the vetting guide.
- Already working with someone? Use the 90-day guide to check progress.
What these guides won't do
They won't tell you which channel to buy without knowing your numbers, because no honest guide can. They also stay out of regulation beyond the points where marketing touches it. Where a rule matters, such as consent for texting customers, we summarise it in plain words and link to the official source, and we say clearly when you should ask a lawyer instead.
They also won't pretend that one Ontario market is the same as another. A plan that works in Mississauga can fail in Timmins, and the reverse. Each guide gives you a method and a worked example with placeholder figures, so you can replace our numbers with yours and reach your own answer.
Why we wrote them
Most owners we speak with have been sold marketing, but few have been shown how to judge it. The result is predictable: contracts signed on the strength of a confident pitch, accounts registered to the agency, and reports that track clicks while the phone stays quiet.
These guides are our attempt to fix that, one owner at a time. If they help you ask sharper questions of any agency, they have done their job, even if you never hire us. And if they make you want a second opinion on a proposal you already have, send it over by text or email and we will look at it.
Where to go next
When you are ready to talk it through, the free consultation is the next step, and the contact page explains how to reach us. Our services page shows the work these guides describe.
Frequently asked questions
Are these guides only useful if I hire you?
No. They are written to help you brief, judge and manage any marketing help, whether that is us, another agency or a freelancer.
Which guide should I read first?
If you haven't spoken to anyone yet, start with the briefing guide. If you are about to sign with someone, read the vetting guide first.
Do the guides cover regulations?
Only where marketing touches them, such as consent rules for texting customers. We link to the official sources and don't give legal or compliance advice.