Setting a launch marketing budget for your first 90 days

Step 1: Work out what one customer is worth

Start with gross profit per customer over a sensible period, usually the first year. Revenue alone flatters the number.

Customer value = average sale × purchases in the first year × gross margin.

Three examples:

Be honest about purchases in year one. A new company doesn't know its repeat rate yet, so use a cautious estimate and update it after 90 days.

Step 2: Decide how much of that value you'll spend to win a customer

Choose the share of first-year value you are willing to spend on acquiring a customer. A common starting point for a cautious launch is between a fifth and a third. Spend less if cash is tight; more if customers reliably stay for years.

Using a quarter:

• Café: $234 × 25% = about $58 per new regular.
• Cleaning service: $720 × 25% = $180 per new client.
• IT support firm: $5,400 × 25% = $1,350 per new account.

That figure is your cost-per-customer ceiling.

Step 3: Convert it into a cost-per-enquiry ceiling

Most channels sell you enquiries, not customers. Divide by your close rate to get the most you can pay for an enquiry.

Cost-per-enquiry ceiling = cost-per-customer ceiling × close rate.

If the cleaning service books one in three people who call, text or email, its ceiling is $180 × 1/3 = $60 per enquiry. If the IT firm wins one in eight qualified conversations, its ceiling is $1,350 ÷ 8 ≈ $169 per enquiry.

A new company won't know its close rate yet. Assume a conservative figure, then measure it from week one by recording every enquiry and whether it became a sale.

Step 4: Set the 90-day total

Now work out how many customers you need and what that implies.

Example, cleaning service: the founder wants 30 regular clients by day 90. At a $180 ceiling, that is up to $5,400 in acquisition cost. Some clients will come from referrals and the free Google listing, so paid channels may need to deliver only 20 of the 30, which caps paid spend nearer $3,600.

Then ask the hard question: could the company survive if that $3,600 produced nothing? If not, lower the target, extend the timeline or lean on low-cost channels first. A launch budget should be money you can afford to learn with.

Step 5: Choose two or three channels that fit your buyer

Pick channels by how your buyer looks for what you sell, not by what is fashionable.

• People searching for you by need ("cleaner near me", "accountant Burnaby"): a verified Google Business Profile and search ads.
• People who don't know they need you yet: social ads, local partnerships, community presence.
• A short list of known buyers (most B2B): direct outreach, introductions, industry associations, and a website that supports the conversation.

Burnaby's districts change the mix. A storefront in a Town Centre benefits from map visibility and walk-by traffic, while a supplier in an employment area needs targeted outreach. The areas page explains the differences.

Always include the free basics: a fast launch website and verified Google listing, consistent details everywhere, and a habit of asking every satisfied customer for a review.

Step 6: Spread the spend across 90 days

Don't spend the budget in launch week. Divide it so you can learn and adjust:

Set a review date for each channel at around day 45. If its cost per enquiry is well above the ceiling and you can't see a clear fix, stop it.

Step 7: Measure weekly on one page

Keep a simple scorecard, updated every week:

• spend by channel
• enquiries by channel (calls, texts, emails, walk-ins who mention it)
• sales by channel
• cost per enquiry and cost per sale, compared with your ceilings
• new reviews

Ask every new customer how they heard about you. For the first 90 days that single question is worth more than any dashboard.

Common budgeting mistakes

• Using revenue instead of margin. It makes every channel look affordable.
• Assuming a high close rate. New companies close less well than they expect, until the offer and the follow-up are tested.
• Counting likes as results. Only enquiries and sales count against the ceiling.
• Too many channels. Each needs enough spend and time to be judged.
• No stop date. Every channel needs a date when it is either working or switched off.

Putting it together

1. Calculate first-year customer value from margin, not revenue.
2. Choose a share to spend on acquisition and set your cost-per-customer ceiling.
3. Convert it into a cost-per-enquiry ceiling with a cautious close rate.
4. Set a 90-day total you can afford to lose while learning.
5. Pick two or three channels that match how your buyer looks.
6. Pace the spend and review each channel around day 45.
7. Measure weekly and update your numbers at day 90.

If you would like this built and run with you, our opening campaign service follows exactly this structure. For what that costs, see pricing; for the setup steps that come before launch, read the Burnaby launch sequence.