The first 90 days after launch decide whether a new company builds momentum or burns through its savings guessing. This service gives you a written plan for those three months: which channels to try, how much each month can cost, what a good week looks like and exactly when to stop a channel that isn't earning its keep.
What the launch plan is
It's a document of about six pages that you can actually follow. It starts with your numbers, not with a list of tactics. From the value of a typical first job or sale, your expected close rate and the amount you're prepared to risk, we work out what you can afford to pay for an enquiry. Only then do we choose channels.
A typical plan covers:
- Month 1: be findable and tell your network. Name searches work, the Google profile is live, and a personal launch message goes to people who know you.
- Month 2: one paid channel, tightly limited. Usually search ads or one social platform, with a daily cap and a small geographic radius.
- Month 3: double down or switch. Keep what produced enquiries at an acceptable cost; cut the rest and try the next channel on the list.
Who it's for
The plan suits founders who have a name, a basic brand and a working website, and now need first customers without wasting the budget. It's also useful for owners who launched a few months ago, tried a few things, and can't tell what's working.
If your website isn't live yet, start with the launch website service. Sending paid traffic to a page that doesn't explain the offer is the most expensive mistake on this list.
What's included and the timeline
- Week 0: a 90-minute planning session on your offer, your area, your customers and your money.
- Week 1: the written plan, with monthly budget ceilings, channel order, weekly targets and stop rules.
- Weeks 2, 4, 8 and 12: checkpoints. A short call to look at the numbers and decide what continues.
- Optional weekly support: we set up and run the channels with you on a monthly retainer for the three months.
Launch promotions need care. If you advertise an opening price, show the full amount a customer will pay; the Competition Bureau warns against drip pricing, where mandatory fees are added later. Launch emails and texts must follow CASL, which means consent, identification and an unsubscribe option. Ontario also funds local Small Business Enterprise Centres that offer free guidance to new owners; they're worth a visit alongside any paid help.
How results are measured
Every plan uses the same three measures, so you can compare channels fairly:
| Measure | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Cost per enquiry | Total spend on a channel divided by the calls, texts and emails it produced |
| Enquiry-to-customer rate | How many of those enquiries became paying customers |
| Cost per first customer | Cost per enquiry divided by the enquiry-to-customer rate |
Here's a worked example. If a channel costs $900 in a month and produces 18 enquiries, that's $50 per enquiry. If 1 in 3 becomes a customer, the cost per first customer is $150. Whether $150 is good depends on what a customer is worth to you over a year, and the plan says so in writing before the money is spent.
For context, our HVAC work shows what a disciplined launch period can do: BCWide.ca reached 3× leads in 90 days. That's a result from our HVAC work in another province, not a forecast for your business.
Mistakes we see in launch marketing
- Spreading a small budget across five channels. Each gets too little to tell you anything. One or two channels, properly tested, beat five half-tried.
- Advertising across all of Ontario. A new company serving Hamilton doesn't need clicks from Thunder Bay. Keep the radius honest.
- Counting likes as results. Followers don't pay invoices. Count enquiries and customers.
- Buying an email list. Apart from the legal risk under CASL, purchased lists rarely produce customers for a new local brand.
- Stopping the network push too early. Friends, past colleagues and former clients are often the first buyers. Ask them directly, and ask for introductions.
The 90-day launch guide walks through a full plan with numbers, and the pricing page shows how planning and weekly support are billed.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a new company spend on marketing in the first 90 days?
There's no universal figure. We work backwards from the value of a first job or sale, your likely close rate and how much you can lose without stress. The plan states a ceiling for each month before anything is spent.
Should I start with Google Ads or social media?
It depends on whether customers already search for what you sell. If they do, search tends to produce enquiries sooner. If you're introducing something people don't yet look for, social, partnerships and referrals usually come first.
Can I email people about my launch?
Only people who've given consent, or where a qualifying implied consent applies, under Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation. Messages also need sender identification and a working unsubscribe. The CRTC's CASL guidance explains the rules; we plan launch messages around them but don't give legal advice.
What if nothing works in the first month?
That's common and useful information. The plan includes checkpoints at weeks 2, 4, 8 and 12, and each channel has a stop rule, so a slow start leads to a decision rather than more spending.
Do you run the ads, or just write the plan?
Either. Some founders take the written plan and run it themselves with a weekly call; others want us to set up and manage the channels during the 90 days on a monthly retainer.