How to set the right marketing budget for your business

How much should I spend on marketing? Nobody gives a fixed answer — but there is a logical way to arrive at your own number.

The starting point

Instead of asking "how much should I spend?", ask "how many customers do I want, and what is each one worth?" The budget is built from the goal, not the other way round.

A practical starting rule

• A new business building presence from zero usually needs a higher percentage of revenue allocated to marketing.
• An established business with an existing audience can start smaller and scale based on results.
• Whatever the budget, start small, measure the result, then increase based on real numbers, not a guess.

The right budget is not a fixed number. It is a proportion of your goal, not a guess.