Most micro business owners start off doing their own marketing. It feels like the smart choice, saving money and keeping control. But there’s a hidden cost that rarely shows up on a budget spreadsheet: your time.
Whether it’s fiddling with your website, tweaking Instagram captions at midnight, or watching hours of SEO tutorials, those minutes add up. When your time is already stretched, this quiet drain can start pulling your business off course.
In this blog, we’ll unpack why time is your most valuable resource and how to use it more wisely when it comes to marketing.
Your time is your most expensive resource
Most business owners don’t give themselves an hourly rate. But if you did—say £25/hour—how would it change your decisions?
Would you spend 6 unpaid hours designing a flyer in Canva?
When you DIY marketing, you’re paying in opportunity cost: the value of what you’re not doing because you’re stuck doing something else.
Every hour you spend:
- Learning new software = an hour not making sales
- Drafting email campaigns = an hour not improving your product
- Writing social posts = an hour not resting, recharging, or thinking
Doing everything yourself, especially without the right skills, can quietly become a barrier to growth.
👉 Related: The three levers of DIY marketing: time, knowledge, budget
A steep learning curve comes with a high price tag
Marketing might look simple from the outside, until you’re the one actually planning, writing, designing, and launching the content.
There’s a learning tax that comes with every new platform or tool. You pay it in:
- Trial-and-error hours
- Outdated Google results
- Projects that never launch
You don’t need to be a marketing expert. But if you’re constantly figuring things out as you go, the cost of missed sales, wasted time, and mental fatigue quickly adds up.
Ask yourself: Would you pay a freelancer to “figure it out as they go”? If not, why treat your own time that way?
👉 Insight: Why traditional marketing isn’t working for independent shops
Smarter ways to spend your time (and money)
You don’t have to choose between DIY and expensive agencies. Here’s how to get better results without blowing your budget.
1. Play to your strengths
If you enjoy writing, stick to blog content and outsource design. If you’re better on video, record short clips and have someone else edit them. Focus your energy where you’re most confident.
2. Build repeatable systems
Don’t reinvent the wheel each week. Use templates for social posts. Create a set format for your newsletter. This saves time, cuts decision fatigue, and boosts consistency.
Simple tools to use:
- Trello or Notion for content planning
- Google Docs or Canva templates
- Scheduling tools like Buffer or Later
3. Learn with intention
If you want to build marketing skills, block time for it, follow a course, and track your growth. But if you’re only learning because you feel stuck, consider whether outsourcing might save you time (and stress).
4. Ask for help, lightly
You don’t need a consultant on retainer. Chat with a freelancer for an hour. Swap skills with another founder. Ask for a quick audit from someone who’s done it before.
Collaboration doesn’t have to be expensive, but it j has to be strategic.
👉 Explore: Smart marketing budgets for micro businesses
How much is your time actually costing you?
Let’s say your time is worth £25/hour.
If you spend 10 hours on a campaign that brings in £150, your “profit” disappears once you include your hidden labour cost.
Quick formula:
Time spent x hourly value = hidden cost
10 hours x £25 = £250
If your return isn’t at least £250, you’ve just taken a loss, even though you didn’t spend a penny on tools or freelancers.
Conclusion: don’t spend your best energy on the wrong things
Marketing matters. But so do your time, energy, and momentum.
The answer isn’t always to outsource everything. But it’s worth asking:
“What is this really costing me?”
Choose your marketing activities with intention. Put your energy where it matters most. Build support where you need it. And always, always value your time as highly as your money.
👉 Also read: UK micro-businesses and the 3 levers framework
Need help mapping how to spend your marketing time?
Check out our free resources at nfkdigital.com or start with our guide to DIY marketing levers.