The word "retainer" makes small business owners flinch, and fair enough. It usually means paying a fixed amount every month for a fuzzy amount of work, with the fuzz getting fuzzier over time.
So I do not sell retainers. This is the overview page from the alternative, pulled from a real client proposal.
The situation
A Kelowna business with a few staff and a lot of ambition did not need a one-off project. They needed ongoing help across marketing, their website, and the tech that kept breaking. But they had been through two agency retainers and could not point to what either had delivered.
What I built
The growth partnership page lays out a different deal. The key differences, in plain English:
- Named outcomes, not hours. Each quarter has two or three things that will exist at the end of it. Not "ongoing optimization." Actual things.
- One person who answers the phone. Me. Not an account manager who then talks to someone who then talks to the person doing the work.
- Anything under one roof. Website fix on Monday, social content on Wednesday, printer drama on Friday. One partner, one invoice, no handoffs.
- An exit that does not hurt. Month to month after the first quarter. If it is not working, you leave, and you keep everything.
The page is designed to be read by an owner, not a procurement department. Short sections, one bold line per idea, and the price sitting right there instead of hidden on page 12.
Why it works
The client signed and, more telling, renewed. Their explanation was that for the first time they could see the line between money out and work in. When quarterly outcomes are written down, nobody has to wonder whether the partnership is earning its keep.
The takeaway for your business
If you are paying anyone monthly for marketing or tech, ask them to write down what will exist at the end of the quarter. If they cannot, you do not have a partnership. You have a subscription.
Want something like this for your business?
A growth partnership is a fit if you need ongoing help and are tired of paying for fog. Let's talk through what your next quarter could actually produce.
Book a free 20 minute chat or browse more case studies. No retainers, no account managers, no mystery invoices.
