Is this a fit?
Help local businesses (dentists, plumbers, restaurants) get more customers through Google, social media, and ads — using AI to deliver premium results at scale
Skills to bring or develop
- Local SEO
- Google Ads
- Social Media
- Sales
- Client Management
The starting sequence
- Pick your vertical and city, build your audit toolkit
- Audit 15-20 businesses with personalized Loom videos
- Close first 3 clients and deliver quick wins
- Build case studies and scale through referrals
- Hire contractors and expand to adjacent verticals
Find your first customers
Treat this customer profile as a starting hypothesis. Talk to people in this role and find out what they already do, what it costs them, and whether they want help.
Role
Owner of a local service business
Company size
2-20 employees
Industry
Local services (dental, HVAC, plumbing, restaurants, auto repair, etc.)
Problems to investigate
- Knows they need to "do marketing" but has no idea where to start or what works
- Paying for a website that was built 5 years ago and generates zero leads
- Getting destroyed by competitors who show up first on Google
- Too busy running the business to learn digital marketing themselves
Channels to test
- Cold Email
- Local Networking
- Referrals
- SEO
- Paid Ads
First launch approach
Pick ONE vertical (dentists, plumbers, restaurants, etc.). Become the go-to marketing person for that vertical in your city. Start with 3 free audits to build case studies, then pitch paid services.
Ways to find your first customer
- Walk into 10 local businesses and offer a free Google Business Profile audit — show them what they are missing in 5 minutes
- Send personalized Loom videos to 20 businesses showing their website issues vs their top competitor (this converts at 15-25%)
- Join the local Chamber of Commerce and BNI networking group — every member is a potential client or referral source
- Offer a "first month free" trial with a 6-month contract — reduces risk perception and locks in revenue
- Partner with a local web designer or accountant who serves the same businesses but does not offer marketing
Content ideas
- Monthly "Local Business Marketing Tips" email to your prospect list
- Before/after case studies showing real client results (reviews, traffic, leads)
- Google Business Profile optimization checklist (free lead magnet)
- Local SEO mistakes most businesses make (position yourself as the expert)
Shape the offer & delivery
These are example packages to adapt, not current market rates or promises of sales. Choose one deliverable, set a revision limit, and test the scope with a real buyer before expanding.
Essentials
$497/mo example price
- Google Business Profile optimization
- Monthly blog post (SEO)
- 10 social media posts/mo
- Monthly performance report
- Email support
Growth
$1,497/mo example price
- Everything in Essentials
- 20 social posts/mo
- Review generation campaign
- Bi-weekly strategy calls
- Landing page for each service
Dominate
$2,997/mo example price
- Everything in Growth
- Full local SEO (citations, link building)
- Email/SMS marketing campaigns
- Reputation management
- Video content creation
- Weekly strategy calls
- Dedicated account manager
Build and deliver the offer
Service delivery
Packages
Name
Local Growth Starter
Deliverables
- Google Business Profile optimization
- 1 Google Ads campaign setup
- 4 social posts/month
Timeline
2 weeks setup, then ongoing
Included in this example
- Local keyword research
- Review-generation setup
- Monthly performance report
Name
Full-Service Retainer
Deliverables
- Google Ads management
- Social media management
- Review response + reputation management
- Monthly strategy call
Timeline
Ongoing, monthly
Included in this example
- Ad spend optimization (ad spend billed separately to client's own account)
Outside this example
- Website design/build (offered as a separate one-time project)
Client onboarding
Step
Get access to Google Business Profile, Ads account, and social accounts
Who handles it
client
Step
Run local competitor and keyword audit
Who handles it
you
Step
Set baseline metrics (calls, reviews, ranking) before starting
Who handles it
you
Step
Launch first campaign and confirm tracking is working
Who handles it
you
Kickoff conversation
- Confirm service area, target customer, and current biggest bottleneck (leads, reviews, awareness)
- Review current Google Business Profile and social presence
- Set the 90-day goals and reporting cadence
Your launch roadmap
Work through the phases at your own pace. Durations and task hours are estimates; client conversations, sales, and other outcomes depend on the response you receive. Growth and exit steps are optional later decisions.
0 of 20 tasks checked
01 · Foundation 5 days · suggested pace
Pick your vertical, build your audit toolkit, and set up operations
Pick ONE type of local business to start: dentists, HVAC, plumbers, restaurants, chiropractors, auto repair, or real estate agents. Specializing in one vertical lets you: (1) reuse templates and strategies, (2) build case studies faster, (3) get referrals within the industry, (4) charge more as a specialist. Research: how many of this business type exist within 30 miles of you?
Target deliverable: Vertical selection with market size (# of businesses in your area)
Tool examples: Google Maps, Google, ChatGPT
Planning allowance: 3 hours · AI can assist; review the output
Create a repeatable audit process you can run for any local business in 15 minutes: (1) Google Business Profile completeness score, (2) Website speed/mobile test, (3) Top 3 competitors ranking comparison, (4) Review count/rating vs competitors, (5) Social media presence check. Build this as a Notion template or Google Sheet. The audit IS your sales tool.
Target deliverable: Reusable audit template with scoring system
Tool examples: Google PageSpeed, Semrush Free, Google Business, Notion
Planning allowance: 6 hours · AI can assist; review the output
Build a simple 3-page website: Home (what you do + results), Services (3 packages with pricing), About (your story + why local businesses). Use Waymaker or Carrd. Include a "Free Marketing Audit" CTA on every page. Get a professional email (yourname@youragency.com). You do NOT need a perfect website — you need a credible one.
Target deliverable: Agency website live with free audit CTA
Tool examples: Waymaker Landing Pages, Carrd, Google Workspace
Planning allowance: 4 hours · AI can assist; review the output
Set up: (1) project management (Notion or Trello per client), (2) social media scheduler (Waymaker Social or Buffer), (3) reporting dashboard (Google Data Studio or AgencyAnalytics), (4) client communication (Slack channel or email). Having systems from day 1 means you can scale without chaos.
Target deliverable: Operations system set up and documented
Tool examples: Notion, Waymaker Social, Google Data Studio
Planning allowance: 3 hours
02 · First 3 Clients 14 days · suggested pace
Land your first 3 paying clients through audits and outreach
Run your audit process on 15-20 local businesses. For each one, record a 2-3 minute personalized Loom video walking through what you found.
Target deliverable: 15-20 personalized audit videos sent
Tool examples: Loom, Google Business, Audit Template
Planning allowance: 8 hours · AI can assist; review the output
Visit 10 businesses in person. Introduce yourself, hand them a printed audit summary, and offer to explain it over coffee. This sounds old-school but local business owners respect it. Dress professionally. Bring a one-pager with your 3 packages. "I help [vertical] in [city] get more customers through Google — here is what I found about your business."
Target deliverable: 10 in-person conversations, 3-5 follow-up meetings booked
Tool examples: Printed audit summaries, Business cards
Planning allowance: 6 hours
In your follow-up meetings, present the full audit, show what competitors are doing better, and present your 3 packages. Get a 3-month minimum commitment. Use AI to generate a proposal customized to their audit findings.
Target deliverable: 3 signed clients, payment collected
Tool examples: Zoom, Google Docs, Stripe, ChatGPT
Planning allowance: 6 hours · AI can assist; review the output
For each new client, deliver immediate visible results: (1) optimize their Google Business Profile (add photos, update hours, write description, add services), (2) set up review request automation (text message after service), (3) fix the top 3 website issues from your audit. Quick wins build trust and prevent early churn.
Target deliverable: Week 1 quick wins delivered for all 3 clients
Tool examples: Google Business Profile, Waymaker Automation, Website CMS
Planning allowance: 8 hours · AI can assist; review the output
03 · Growth 30 days · suggested pace
Scale to 8-10 clients and build case studies
After 30 days with your first 3 clients, document results: # of new Google reviews, ranking improvements, website traffic increase, number of leads/calls. Create a one-page case study for each. These are your most powerful sales tools — real results from real local businesses that prospects can verify.
Target deliverable: 3 case studies with before/after metrics
Tool examples: Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Canva
Planning allowance: 4 hours · AI can assist; review the output
After delivering 30 days of results, ask each client: "Do you know any other business owners who are struggling with marketing? Plumbers know electricians. Dentists know orthodontists. Referrals close at 50%+ because trust is pre-built.
Target deliverable: 3-5 warm referral introductions
Tool examples: Email, Phone
Planning allowance: 2 hours
Expand your Loom audit outreach to 50 businesses. Use AI to personalize at scale — generate unique observations for each business. Add a cold email sequence: audit → follow-up (3 days) → case study share (7 days) → break-up email (14 days). Track everything in a CRM.
Target deliverable: 50 audits sent, 5+ meetings booked
Tool examples: Waymaker Leads, Loom, Waymaker Email, ChatGPT
Planning allowance: 10 hours · AI can assist; review the output
Create SOPs for every recurring task: (1) Monthly blog post creation workflow, (2) Social media content batch process, (3) Google Ads optimization checklist, (4) Review request automation, (5) Monthly reporting template.
Target deliverable: Complete SOP handbook for all recurring deliverables
Tool examples: Notion, Waymaker Automation, ChatGPT
Planning allowance: 8 hours · AI can assist; review the output
04 · Scale 60 days · suggested pace
Hit 15+ clients and build a real agency
At 8-10 clients, you need help. You focus on: client communication, strategy, sales, and ads. A good contractor handles 5-8 clients' content with AI assistance.
Target deliverable: Contractor hired and trained on your SOPs
Tool examples: Upwork, OnlineJobs.ph
Planning allowance: 6 hours
Once you have 10+ clients and proven case studies in your first vertical, expand to a related one. Dentists → chiropractors. Plumbers → HVAC. Restaurants → bars/cafes. Your systems, templates, and processes transfer directly. New vertical = new pipeline without competing with yourself.
Target deliverable: Second vertical selected with 20 prospects identified
Tool examples: Google Maps, ChatGPT
Planning allowance: 4 hours · AI can assist; review the output
Google Ads for local businesses is a goldmine — most businesses waste money because they set and forget. Focus on Google Search ads (not Display) targeting "[service] near me" keywords. This alone can justify your entire retainer.
Target deliverable: Google Ads running for 3+ clients with positive ROAS
Tool examples: Google Ads, Google Analytics
Planning allowance: 8 hours
05 · Exit 60 days · suggested pace
Prepare your local marketing agency for sale, acquisition, or hands-off operation
Create comprehensive standard operating procedures covering every repeatable process in your local marketing agency — client onboarding, delivery workflows, billing, and support. A buyer needs to run this without you.
Target deliverable: Complete SOP handbook with video walkthroughs
Tool examples: Notion, Loom, Google Docs
Planning allowance: 12 hours · AI can assist; review the output
Record the questions this step raises for your business, location, and circumstances. Confirm requirements and assumptions with current official sources and a qualified professional before acting.
Target deliverable: Valuation estimate with supporting financials
Tool examples: Google Sheets, ChatGPT
Planning allowance: 6 hours · AI can assist; review the output
Organize all financial records, contracts, customer data, IP documentation, and legal documents into a virtual data room that a buyer or their advisor can review.
Target deliverable: Organized virtual data room
Tool examples: Google Drive, Google Sheets
Planning allowance: 10 hours
Identify every area where the business depends on you personally. Delegate, automate, or document each one. Test by taking 2 weeks off and measuring impact.
Target deliverable: Owner dependency scorecard (before/after)
Tool examples: Notion, Zapier, Slack
Planning allowance: 20 hours
Create a teaser document (blind profile) for your local marketing agency and either list on marketplaces (Acquire.com, Flippa, Quiet Light) or reach out directly to 5-10 potential acquirers.
Target deliverable: Teaser document + 5-10 buyer conversations started
Tool examples: Acquire.com, Google Docs, Email
Planning allowance: 8 hours · AI can assist; review the output
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Tools, budget & effort
These are tools named in the original playbook, offered as examples to evaluate. Check current capabilities, pricing, licensing, and data handling with the provider before subscribing. Start with the tools you already have.
- Google Business Profile
- Google Ads
- Waymaker Social
- Waymaker Email
- Loom
- Canva
Tools to evaluate
Item
Local SEO/rank tracking tool (BrightLocal or similar)
Why consider it
Local keyword research and monthly performance reporting are named deliverables on the Local Growth Starter package
Make the numbers your own
Include setup, subscriptions, selling, fulfillment, revisions, support, and your time. Use your actual inputs and compare a cautious case with a better case.
Open the experiment calculator →AI roles & prompt templates
Assign a clear job, provide approved inputs, and review the result. These are role and prompt ideas; this page does not run AI or connect your accounts.
Seo Strategist
Run local keyword research for this client's service area
Advertising Specialist
Draft a Google Ads campaign structure for this client's service area
Use the first task above as your opening prompt. Include your audience, desired output, constraints, and how you will judge quality.
Your first small test
- Choose one customer. Find five people who have the problem described in this guide.
- Show one useful sample. Ask about their current process, priorities, and objections.
- Offer a clearly scoped pilot. Agree on deliverables, a price to test, and what success means.
- Record the evidence. Track responses, costs, hours, and what the buyer actually used. Decide whether to continue, change, or pause.
Explore related ideas
Adapted from Ashley’s Waymaker side-hustle playbooks, imported October 15, 2026. This is a published snapshot, not a live connection to your Waymaker account. Source examples are planning material, not verified customer outcomes. Explore Waymaker.