How we work

The small print, up front.

No mystical process, no forced discovery theatre and no guarantee that the answer is always more marketing. The terms in plain language, so you can decide whether this suits you before you ask for anything.

Message us on WhatsApp See the four steps
The short version

Know the problem. Choose the right work. Keep ownership clear. Learn from what happens.

A flat monthly fee per channelNo hourly clock and no pledged hours.
Three months to beginThe first months go on diagnosis, set-up and fixing.
Ad spend is separateIt goes to the platform, not to SMB.

We do not bill by the hour or pledge a set number of hours, because that rewards time spent rather than problems solved. For SEO and paid media we ask for a three-month minimum, because judging results sooner is rarely fair to either side. Unusually large budgets need a custom scope and fee.

We do not publish a rate card, because the scope varies too much for a headline price to mean anything. After a short conversation we quote the specific work. To understand what the market advertises, and why those prices are hard to compare, read our guides to what SEO costs in the UK and what Google Ads management costs.

Starting

Four steps from hello to work.

  1. A message

    WhatsApp or email, in your own words. A few lines is enough.

  2. A short conversation

    To understand the business, what has been tried and whether SMB is the right fit. We will tell you if it is not.

  3. A written scope and fee

    What we will do, what we need from you, how success will be judged and what is not included.

  4. Onboarding

    Thorough, and usually the most intensive part: access, diagnosis, baselines and a written list of priorities.

Day-to-day

You should not need to manage us.

SMB manages the channels it is engaged for independently, and makes recommendations in context. A standard SEO or paid media retainer does not include a standing weekly strategy meeting. We would rather you spent your time on your business.

Decisions that are yours stay yours. We challenge when we think a decision will hurt, and where you choose differently we respect it. Material recommendations and known limitations are put in writing, including the ones that are not followed.

Reporting

Proportionate, and readable on a phone.

  • Monthly health update as the routine: what was done, what the numbers show and what we recommend next.
  • A detailed report after significant work, such as a migration, a restructure or a new campaign structure.
  • Weekly vital-sign updates only when something is time-sensitive.

We favour updates you can read on WhatsApp or by email over large documents nobody opens.

02Expectations

You keep the keys. We do the work.

Advertising accounts, website platforms and business data should not become mysterious agency property.

Wherever possible you keep ownership of your accounts, domains and data, with the access we need to do the agreed work. Who has access to what is agreed for each project, before work begins.

  1. Who owns and who has access?

    Agreed up front, in writing, and revisited when the work changes.

  2. Who approves what?

    Claims, copy and changes to live accounts, with material recommendations recorded.

  3. Who follows up the leads?

    Marketing ends where your sales process begins. We say so when that is where the trouble is.

Who does the work

SMB, plus trusted specialists.

SMB manages SEO, Google Ads and Meta Ads itself. For specialist areas, such as finance advice or creative production, SMB works with a small network of trusted collaborators. Specialists lead their own work independently, and creative collaborators take part on a scoped basis, subject to availability and quoted separately. We do not claim permanent departments or staff numbers.

Strategy and leadership

Scoped differently.

Marketing leadership and strategy are scoped differently from channel retainers. Light-touch advice and real embedded leadership are different commitments, with different involvement and fees, and capacity is limited. Details are on the fractional CMO page.

Not promised

What we do not promise.

We would rather say this now than explain it later. SMB does not promise:

  • A ranking, or a ranking by a particular date.
  • A return on ad spend, a cost per lead or a number of sales.
  • A fixed number of hours each week or month.
  • Daily keyword-position reports.
  • Daily or weekly calls as part of an ordinary channel retainer.
  • Unlimited website development.
  • Permanent in-house design or finance departments.
  • Mass link-building.
  • 24/7 WhatsApp support.
  • Coverage of the map results nationwide.
  • Guaranteed appearance or citations in AI answers.

What we do promise is to do the agreed work properly, to report on it honestly and to be direct about what is and is not working.

WhatsApp us