“How much should I spend on marketing?” is one of the most common questions we hear from Arizona owners — and one of the hardest to get a straight answer to. Here’s a plain-English guide, using a business doing around $500K a year as an example.
The rule of thumb
A common benchmark is 5–10% of revenue for a business holding steady, and more when you’re pushing for growth. For a $500K business that’s roughly $25K–$50K a year. But don’t let that number scare you — most local businesses start smaller, focus on the highest-ROI basics first, and scale up as results come in.
Where to spend it first
- Google Business Profile + reviews — the cheapest, highest-return work there is. Start here.
- A fast, mobile-friendly website that turns visitors into calls — your hardest-working salesperson.
- Local SEO and helpful content so you keep showing up for the searches that matter, month after month.
- Paid ads — add these once the organic foundation is working, to pour fuel on a fire that’s already lit.
Spend on what you can measure
The right budget is less about a magic percentage and more about tracking what each dollar brings back. Know your cost to get one new customer and what that customer is worth over time, and the budget question mostly answers itself.
At Sureway Marketing, we help Arizona small business owners put every marketing dollar where it earns the most — see our marketing services or grab a free marketing report.
Prefer to talk now? Call or text 602-492-6970.
