Drew has seen this business from every side of the fence: buying advertising as a small-business owner, being sold it, and now selling and managing it for others. We sat down to talk about what he learned, and to answer a question a lot of owners are quietly asking: is Google Ads even worth it for a small business?
You used to run a brick-and-mortar business. Tell us about that.
Drew: I had an opportunity at 25 to take over the music store I was working at. The owner wanted to retire and make a clean exit. It had always been my dream to do something like this, though looking back, I might have been gently talked into it.
Was it a good learning experience?
Drew: A great one. I learned that business is hard. Not the operations, everything else. The tax implications, the looming financial responsibility. I was probably too young, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
My biggest issue was that I wore too many hats. They say it’s necessary in small business, but every hat I put on pulled attention from somewhere else. By the end, I couldn’t be the best teacher and the best owner at the same time. I jumped on the opportunity partly out of FOMO, and I wanted so badly to be “the guy” in the community that I didn’t see how much I was hurting the business by ignoring things like advertising and intentional marketing.
Back then you were the owner being pitched ads. What did you make of advertisers?
Drew: The pitches came from local newspapers, the yellow pages, a coupon-book company. My sentiment? It was a waste of money. A budget I didn’t see the value in splitting off. I ran close to the line every month, so the pitches fell on deaf ears. “What do you mean you can’t guarantee me sales for X per month?”
Now you’re on the other side, the person tasked with bringing sales through the door. What do you make of that instinct?
Drew: I’m of a split mind, because I can see exactly where small-business owners are coming from. The first thing we do is curate who we even work with, to avoid the outcome I lived through. No sense fishing for tadpoles when you need a catfish. Most businesses don’t have the revenue to accommodate a successful Google Ads campaign, not because their product isn’t good, but because Google is powerful and not inexpensive.
It can generate continuous leads and qualified customers with relative ease, alongside good strategy. But the market sets the price, and it’s generally not well suited to a startup or a young business. One last caveat: the business has to support advertising as a consistent expense line, year over year. I’ve seen businesses flick ads on and off and wonder why it doesn’t work. Relevance and repetition are everything, uncannily like the entertainment industry.
The hardest pill to swallow is that even with a proper budget and great strategy, nothing is guaranteed. As an owner, when your budget isn’t flexible, that’s terrifying. As a marketer, it’s just the cost of doing business. You ride the waves of trend and seasonality and adjust with the data.
So why is it so hard for advertisers to “guarantee” sales?
Drew: It’s painfully clear to me now. We don’t go to a store and purchase customers for our clients. We buy ad space and traffic. The decision still sits with the consumer. We can influence it with the quality and frequency of our ads, but we can’t force anyone’s hand to click “buy.”
And here’s something most marketing pitches miss entirely: the whole thing runs on trust. It’s as much of a relationship as the one you have with your barber. Or your doctor. As a freelancer you own every decision, and if they’re lazy or cookie-cutter, you won’t make it. You have to become a sponge for whatever industry you’re in. I’ve had to research chemical compounds and their logistics requirements for one client.
If you could go back and talk to yourself in the shop, what would you say?
Drew: Ha, double-edged sword. I probably could have put that cash to better use, though I think I’d have started a business anyway. Knowing what I know now, I’d absolutely have a line item for marketing and advertising. And I’d have hired a manager. Funny enough, I still want to help the little guy. But yes, it’s an investment. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. Pivot the moment you know it’s the latter.
Andrew: Once you start advertising for a client, it’s a race to break even. Clock’s ticking.
Drew: That’s just it. Break even is the best outcome, and one I’m usually happy with.
What’s a realistic Google Ads budget for a small business?
Drew: I’m wary of giving a number blind. Budget should really be set by expected traffic and the percentage of it likely to convert, so CPCs, monthly search volume, that kind of data. But I find it hard to sustain a flow of leads without the muscle to push when needed. Some clients have under $1,000 a month, and it’s simply not enough to compete. The best ads in the world don’t matter if your competitors will outbid you for position.
If I had to put a range on it: $2,000 to $3,000 a month is a reasonable launch point. The lower end for conservation and data collection, the higher end to actually run an acquisition strategy. That assumes you’re in a Western market with real demand for your service.
Final word for the average business owner?
Drew: Ouf, the hardest question. Set boundaries early for how much personal time you’re willing to give. Treat advertising as an investment, ruthlessly. Never stop working on your product, including the value-to-effort balance. And be present in your local arena. They’re your most valuable customers.
Last one. Marketers have a reputation problem. Seth Godin literally wrote All Marketers Are Liars. Is the skepticism earned?
Drew: Yes, I think it’s earned. Marketers walk into a client’s business on an unwritten rule of trust, to do the whole job, put the thought in, make it tailored. As an owner, you’re handing over wads of cash in the hope that someone does their due diligence to bring customers in. It’s almost like hiring a financial advisor. Money out, customers in.
So yes, there are plenty who just float. Set up the campaigns, set the budget, don’t look again until next month. “It gets what it gets.” At Axbridge, we’re hunting for ways to optimise even when things are already moving in the right direction. I’ve been an educator for nearly two decades. Just because a student grasps something easily doesn’t mean they stop working at what already works. There’s always room for improvement.
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