Why small business owners question their Marketing approach
I’ve worked with enough small business owners to know this question rarely comes from a place of weakness.
More often, it comes from limited knowledge and simply not knowing there’s another way to approach Marketing. Many small business owners start by doing what they think they should be doing - posting regularly, building a website, trying to be visible everywhere - without ever being shown how it all fits together into a clear marketing strategy and/or plan.
That lack of structure is usually the real issue.
So how do you decide?
When doing your own Marketing makes sense
In the early stages, doing it yourself makes sense.
You’re close to the work. You’re testing your messaging. You’re having direct conversations with clients. Writing your own content and building your own visibility teaches you how to articulate what you do and how you help. That learning is valuable.
There’s real benefit in understanding how Marketing works, at a minimum, before handing it over.
The tipping point: when small business marketing becomes overwhelming
But then something shifts.
Marketing starts happening late at night. You’re posting on LinkedIn because you feel you should. You’re trying to write a blogpost but don’t really know why. And you’ve got an idea for a video because someone else has done one…
That’s often when you feel overwhelmed and begin to question if you need help – but this doesn’t mean you have to outsource everything.
Often it’s about clarity first.
You don’t always need to outsource – you need structure
Consider:
What are you actually trying to achieve?
Which channels are worth your time?
What’s generating enquiries – and what’s just noise?
Sometimes the most helpful outcome of working together is that you stop doing two or three things entirely. Simplifying can create more momentum than adding another tactic.
And very often, the issue isn’t capacity alone. It’s that the Marketing isn’t integrated or structured. There’s activity, but no clear thread running through it. No joined-up plan. No defined priorities.
A lot of what I support clients with is building that structure – shaping the messaging, defining the focus, and creating a rhythm that makes Marketing feel deliberate rather than reactive. That kind of small business marketing support often creates more progress than simply outsourcing tasks. And it builds on your understanding of Marketing, so everything fits together.
So, when to get help and when to keep going yourself?
When it’s working, when you’re enjoying it, and when it’s helping you understand your market better – keep going.
And when should you get help?
When Marketing feels reactive instead of intentional, when you’re growing and something has to give, or when you can’t see what needs adjusting anymore.
There’s no badge for doing it all alone. And there’s no rule that says outsourcing is the “serious” move.
Outsourcing Marketing for small businesses isn’t about handing everything over. It’s about deciding where your time has the greatest impact.
The real question is this: What does your business need from you right now – and what could someone else help you with?
That’s usually where the answer sits.
S2 E4 of A Measure of Marketing digs into this. Because it’s rarely a simple “DIY vs hire someone” decision. Budget matters, but so do time, confidence, skill, energy and where you are in your business journey.