September Marketing updates
Why Start-Ups Shouldn’t Hire a Marketing Agency (Yet)
Hot take: if you’re still in start-up mode, we won’t take your money… yet. 😏
Sounds crazy coming from a marketing agency owner, right? But hear me out.
We turn away start-up businesses most of the time. And honestly, it’s hard to do. They come to us so excited, full of passion, energy, and hope for their new business. And then I have to tell them the opposite of what they were hoping to hear: go away, figure out some things, and then come back when you’re ready.
But I don’t say this to be harsh. I do it for all the right reasons.
Reason #1: Cash
Smart start-up owners know that their cash flow isn’t stable enough to pay for an agency long-term. Super smart start-up owners know that it could take 12+ months before our efforts yield results.
And let’s be real, that’s simply not viable in the beginning. Unless you’ve inherited a truckload of money to launch with (in which case, we’ll happily play 😉), you’re better off keeping your cash close while you test, learn, and grow.
Reason #2: Hustle
Hustle. I need the business owner to come to me with blisters on their feet from knocking on doors for 12 hours a day. The long days. The awkward cold calls. The “try anything and everything” energy that comes with being in the trenches. If you skip this part and outsource too early, you miss the hustle that builds resilience and gives you real customer insight.
Owning a business is hard work. If I take on a brand new start-up too soon and flood them with leads or orders before they’ve built the systems to handle it, no one wins.
Reason #3: Knowledge
This one’s big. As a business owner, you need a basic understanding of marketing before you outsource it.
I’m a believer that as a business owner you should know a little bit about all aspects of running your business before you outsource things. If you don’t understand a little bit about marketing then how will you be able to trust me and my team?
Why? Because without that knowledge, how will you know if an agency is doing a good job? How will you trust their decisions, their spend, their strategy?
We’re not into hand-holding or being micro-managed. We want to work with owners who understand the basics – so they can feel confident in the work we’re doing, not scared by it.
So What Should You Do Instead?
DIY baby. Yep - get your hands dirty. Run your own socials, test ads, send emails, talk to customers. Learn what clicks, what falls flat, and where your market actually hangs out.
Then – and only then – when you’re ready to scale, that’s when an agency becomes a smart investment. Because instead of paying us to experiment, you’re paying us to scale what already works.
DIY first. Outsource later. Your future self (and your bank account) will thank you.
At Rushton Marketing, we’d rather see start-ups succeed long-term than burn their cash too early. Build the foundations yourself, then bring in the pros when you’re ready to grow.
Published on 22 September 2025 by Ashleigh Rushton