Want to run ads but you’re broke? Don’t hire an agency yet.
Let’s talk about something every small business owner faces: you need to advertise, but your budget is tighter than a jar lid your kids screwed on. Your instinct might be to hire the cheapest agency you can find or throw money at Facebook ads and hope for the best.
Stop it. I’m about to share advice that might seem backwards, but it could save you thousands of dollars and months of frustration.
The expensive mistake most small businesses make
When cash is tight, hiring an agency feels like the smart move. After all, they’re the experts, right? They’ll handle everything while you focus on running your business.
Wrong approach. Not because agencies are bad. I run an agency. I know brilliant agencies doing incredible work for their clients.
The problem is this: without understanding marketing basics yourself, how do you know which agency to hire? How do you evaluate their proposals? How do you know if they’re doing good work or just sending pretty reports?
Even worse, with a limited budget, you need every dollar to count. But if you don’t understand what you’re buying, you can’t make smart decisions about where to invest.
I’ve seen businesses burn through $10,000+ not because they hired bad agencies, but because they went in blind. They couldn’t tell good strategies from bad ones. They didn’t know which metrics mattered. They couldn’t have productive conversations about what was working.
And you wonder why so many small businesses fail in their first few years.
The smarter alternative: become your own marketing intelligence
Here’s my advice: before you hire anyone to run your ads, invest $2,000 in a consultant to teach you how to do it yourself.
I know what you’re thinking. “I didn’t start a business to become a marketing expert.” “I don’t have time for this.” “That’s why I want to hire someone else!”
I get it. Trust me. But hear me out.
When I first started my agency, I had to learn every aspect of digital marketing myself. Not because I wanted to. Because I couldn’t afford to hire anyone yet.
That forced education became my biggest competitive advantage.
Why? Because when I finally had the budget to hire people, I knew exactly what to look for. I could spot BS instantly. I understood what good performance looked like.
I knew which metrics actually mattered.
The same principle applies whether you’re in marketing or manufacturing or anything else.
Listen, when you have the budget and find the right agency, they can transform your business. I’ve seen it happen. But you need enough knowledge to find the right one and work with them effectively.
Why learning first saves you later
Think of it like learning to drive before buying a car. You wouldn’t hand over your keys to someone claiming to be a driver without understanding the basics yourself, would you?
When you understand the fundamentals of Google Ads (or whatever platform you choose), you gain:
BS detection skills
Once you know how campaigns actually work, you can evaluate any agency’s proposal intelligently. You’ll understand why certain strategies make sense for your business and which ones don’t. You’ll know which metrics matter and which ones are just vanity numbers.
Realistic expectations
You’ll know what’s actually possible with your budget. No more falling for promises of “10x returns in 30 days!”
Cost control
Understanding the mechanics helps you spot waste immediately. You’ll know when you’re paying for clicks that will never convert.
Better hiring decisions
When you’re ready to scale and hire help, you’ll ask the right questions. You’ll know the difference between a great agency and one that just talks a good game. You’ll be the kind of client good agencies love working with because you understand the value they bring.
What this actually looks like
Let me break down exactly how to make this work:
Step 1: Find the right teacher
Look for a consultant who:
- Has proven experience with businesses your size
- Offers hands-on training, not just strategy sessions
- Will teach you their actual process, not just theory
- Provides templates and tools you can keep using
This is crucial. You want someone who teaches, not someone who creates dependency.
If they’re reluctant to show you how things actually work, run.
Step 2: The learning investment
Expect to spend:
- $1,500-2,500 for comprehensive training
- 10-15 hours of your time over 2-3 weeks
- Another 5-10 hours practicing what you learned
Yes, that’s real time. Yes, you’re busy.
But compared to losing $10,000 to an agency that doesn’t deliver? This is nothing.
Step 3: Start small and scale smart
Begin with:
- A modest budget ($500-1,000/month)
- One platform (usually Google Ads for most businesses)
- Simple campaigns targeting your best customers
- Clear tracking so you know what’s working
The “but I don’t have time” reality check
I hear this objection constantly. “I’m already working 60 hours a week. I don’t have time to learn marketing too.”
Look, I get the time crunch. Those weeks where you can barely think straight? Been there.
But you don’t have time NOT to learn this.
Every hour you spend now understanding marketing basics saves you from:
- Months of paying for ineffective campaigns
- The stress of not knowing if your marketing works
- The panic when an agency relationship goes bad
- The cost of starting over with someone new
Plus, once you understand the basics, managing campaigns doesn’t take that long. We’re talking 3-4 hours per week, max.
Less time than you’d spend managing an agency relationship, honestly.
The “what if I mess it up?” fear
Another common concern: “What if I waste money because I don’t know what I’m doing?”
Fair question. Here’s the reality.
You’ll probably waste some money at first. Maybe $200-300 while you’re learning.
But that’s tuition, not waste. And it’s way less than the thousands you might waste by choosing the wrong agency or not being able to guide them effectively.
More importantly, when YOU mess up, you learn from it. The experience sticks. You understand why something didn’t work.
Start with small budgets. Test carefully. Follow your consultant’s process.
The risk is minimal compared to the alternative.
(And honestly? Once you know the basics, you’ll be in a much better position to hire a great agency when you’re ready.)
The payoff is real
Let me paint you a picture of what this looks like six months later:
Instead of going in blind and hoping for the best, you’re running lean campaigns yourself. You’re spending 3-4 hours per week managing them, getting solid results because you actually know your customers, and saving thousands in management fees while you bootstrap.
More importantly, when you’re ready to hire an agency (and you will be once you’re scaling), you’ll be the informed client that great agencies actually want to work with. You’ll have intelligent conversations about strategy. You’ll understand their recommendations. You’ll know how to evaluate their work.
You’ll spot red flags immediately if an agency isn’t right for you.
Here’s the thing. The goal isn’t to become a marketing expert. It’s to understand enough to make smart decisions with your limited budget.
It’s about not getting taken advantage of when every dollar counts.
The bottom line
This isn’t about adding another job to your plate. It’s about protecting your business from expensive mistakes.
That $2,000 investment in learning? It’s not an expense. It’s insurance against wasting the next $20,000.
Your business deserves better than crossed fingers and blind trust. Give yourself the knowledge to make your marketing budget work as hard as you do.
Next time someone tells you to “just hire an agency” when you’re struggling with a limited advertising budget, remember this: The best investment isn’t in someone else’s expertise. It’s in your own understanding.
Because nobody will ever care about your business’s success as much as you do. And nobody should control your marketing destiny but you.
