Sole Trader Packages

Clearer marketing. Better decisions. A practical plan for what to do next.

When you run a business on your own or with a very small team, marketing can easily become a collection of things you feel you ought to be doing. A website update here, a few social posts there, some networking when you have time. The difficulty is knowing what will actually help you attract the right customers and the right work.

Marketing Focus has been created specifically for sole traders and owners of micro-businesses. It brings together three levels of support, from a self-service Marketing Review to expert-led Marketing Clarity and Marketing Action Plan, helping you understand where your marketing should focus and what to prioritise over the next 90 days.

This is not business coaching, and it is not a generic marketing health check. The advice is grounded in what you want from the business, which products or services make commercial sense, the customers you most want to attract and how clearly your business is positioned.

These packages are designed for you if you operate as a sole trader or run a small business with annual revenue operating on a micro-business scale. They are not scaled-down corporate marketing programmes. They provide focused, practical advice that reflects the time, budget and capacity of a small business at this stage.

If you run a larger or more complex business, or need wider strategic marketing leadership across an organisation, Jo Shailes offers separate services better suited to that level of complexity.

Does any of this sound familiar?

• Most of your work comes through referrals, but enquiries are unpredictable.
• You are doing bits of marketing without a clear sense of what should come first.
• You are busy, but not always with the customers or work you would choose.
• You are unsure which products or services deserve the most marketing attention.
• Your website or messaging no longer reflects the direction you want to take.
• The business is well regarded, but much of that reputation rests on you personally.
• You want a practical plan, not a long strategy document that sits on a shelf.

If several of these apply, the answer may not be more marketing. It may be clearer choices about what to promote, who to target, what to say and where to focus your limited time and budget.

What the Marketing Review looks at

Area	What we are trying to establish
Commercial direction	What you want marketing to help the business achieve.
Products and profitability	Which products or services are most commercially useful and whether marketing is giving them enough attention.
Customers	Which customers are most valuable and whether your marketing is reaching them.
Positioning and messaging	Whether people can quickly understand who you help, what you offer and why they should choose you.
Brand and credibility	Whether the business has a clear identity, strong evidence and a reputation that goes beyond the owner.
Demand and measurement	Whether marketing produces the right opportunities and whether you know what is working.

Compare the options

	Marketing Review	Marketing Clarity	Marketing Action Plan
48-question review	Yes	Yes	Yes
Personalised report	Yes	Yes	Yes
90-day priorities	Yes	Yes	Yes
Review by Jo	No	Yes	Yes
Live session	No	90 minutes	90 minutes + 2 follow-ups
One-page marketing plan	No	Yes	Yes
Messaging development	No	Discussion only	Included
Best starting point	Self-directed	Expert direction	Direction + support

What if I may want to sell or step away from the business in future?

The review does not provide valuation or exit-planning advice. It looks at the marketing foundations that can help a business present a clearer value to the market: a defined proposition, attractive customer groups, credible evidence, a recognisable business brand and less reliance on the owner’s personal profile.

If a possible future sale is one of your aims, your recommendations will consider how marketing can strengthen the business’s position and messaging without drifting into financial or transaction advice.

What happens after you choose a package?

1. Choose your option and pay  Select the package that gives you the right level of support.

2. Complete the review  You receive the 48-question online questionnaire and answer it in your own time.

3. Receive your findings  Your responses are scored and turned into a clear summary of what is working, where the gaps are and what should come next.

4. Put the plan to work  Depending on the package, you either work through the action plan independently or discuss and refine it with Jo.

Frequently asked questions

Is this business coaching?

No. The work is focused on marketing: where it should focus, who you should be trying to reach, which offers deserve attention, how the business is positioned and how to create more of the right opportunities.

Do I need to know my exact profit margins?

No, but you will be asked which products or services appear most profitable and how confident you are in that view. If the answer is unclear, the report will treat that as a limitation when recommending where marketing should focus.

Will you do my marketing for me?

These packages are designed to provide clarity, direction and a plan. Marketing Action Plan includes more help shaping messaging and the marketing approach, but it is not a done-for-you marketing service.

What if most of my work comes through referrals?

That is common. The review considers whether referrals are bringing the work you want and whether relying on them leaves your new business too unpredictable.

Can this help if I do not want a bigger business?

Yes. The right recommendation may be better customers, more profitable work, clearer positioning or more predictable enquiries rather than simply more leads.

Is the report just generated by AI?

No. The scores and flags are determined by a defined rules-based framework. AI may be used to help turn the structured findings into clear written guidance, but it does not change the calculated scores or invent missing information.

Is this suitable for a larger business?

These packages are specifically designed for sole traders and owners of micro-businesses. If you run a larger or more complex organisation, or need ongoing strategic marketing leadership, a different service from Jo Shailes is likely to be more suitable.

Which package should I choose?

Choose Marketing Review if you are comfortable working independently. Choose Marketing Clarity if you want expert interpretation and a live discussion. Choose Marketing Action Plan if you also need support shaping the proposition, messaging and practical marketing approach.