There is no right percentage of revenue for a company that has no revenue yet. A better question is what has to be in place before a buyer will trust you. What it costs to keep it there.
The free basics
- A Google Business Profile.
- A LinkedIn company page and the founders’ profiles.
- An Instagram business account.
- Accounts in the exact licensed name, with the same facts everywhere.
These cost time, not money. Do them in the first two weeks.
A simple website
One clear page is enough at the start, built so search engines and assistants can read the text. Many builders offer this for a modest monthly fee. A fancy site can wait.
The monthly work
This is where the budget goes. Someone has to post steadily, in a voice that sounds like the company, for months. The options:
- The founder does it. Free in money, expensive in evenings. It usually stops when client work arrives.
- A freelancer. Flexible and quality varies. Check who writes and whether they will still be there in six months.
- A hire. A salary and a visa, plus the time to train them.
- A managed service. A fixed monthly fee. Ours is AED 2,899 for a company’s Instagram and LinkedIn with a post every weekday or AED 999 for one person’s own accounts. No setup fee and no minimum term.
Paid ads, later
Once the profile shows a few months of steady work, a small paid test tells you whether ads bring enquiries in your field. Set a fixed budget and judge it on enquiries, not views.
What not to pay for
- Followers. They are easy to spot and they never buy.
- A place on a “top 10” list written by the firms in it.
- A long contract before you know what works.
- Five platforms when your buyers use one or two.
Judging whether it works
Agree what you will look at each month: enquiries and where they came from, saves and shares on useful posts and whether assistants name the company for your buyers’ questions.