Pricing

The four formats

Pick the format that matches how much help you need and how defined the work is.

Hourly consulting

Best when you have a specific question. Typical uses: reviewing a marketing agency's proposal before you sign, pressure-testing a plan, or a single working session on pricing or positioning. Many clients start here.

Projects

Best when the work has a clear start, finish and deliverable. A growth diagnosis and plan, a website and conversion audit or a second-market test are usually priced as projects. We quote a fixed figure after the free consultation, and payments follow agreed milestones.

Monthly retainers

Best when you want a senior advisor on an ongoing basis. The range covers everything from a monthly review meeting and written note at the lower end to substantial hands-on marketing work at the upper end. See monthly growth advisory for what's included.

Growth Partner Program

Best for businesses where results can be measured cleanly and both sides want shared risk. Ali invests time up front and is paid on measurable results. Places are limited, and the terms are custom. Our sister site Ontario.partners explains the program in more depth.

What drives the cost

Four things move a quote up or down: size, scope, hands-on work and the number of markets.

1. Business size and complexity. A single-location firm with three service lines needs less analysis than a multi-location company with a dozen.
2. Scope. A plan alone costs less than a plan plus implementation.
3. Hands-on execution. Writing pages, setting up profiles and managing campaigns takes more hours than advising your team to do it.
4. Number of markets. Planning for one Ontario city is simpler than planning for the GTA, Ottawa and Waterloo Region at once.

A worked example: is it worth it?

Compare the fee with the margin it needs to produce, not the revenue. Say a growth diagnosis is quoted at $7,500 and your gross margin is 40%.

To pay it back, the plan needs to add about $18,750 in revenue, because $18,750 × 40% = $7,500. If your average customer is worth $2,500 a year, that's eight new customers in a year, or fewer than one a month. Run the same sum with your own figures before you decide; if the payback looks implausible, the project probably isn't the right first step.

For a retainer, do the same test monthly. A $3,500 monthly retainer at a 35% margin needs about $10,000 a month in extra revenue, or the same value in avoided waste, to pay for itself.

Taxes, payment and terms

Prices exclude sales tax. Ontario clients pay 13% HST on top, as shown on each invoice (CRA rates, checked 2026-10-23). If you're unsure how sales tax applies to your business, your accountant is the right person to ask.

• Retainers: billed monthly, month to month, no lock-in.
• Projects: milestone payments agreed in writing.
• Hourly: billed after the session or in pre-agreed blocks.
• Ad spend: we recommend you pay platforms directly from accounts in your name; this is confirmed in writing for each engagement.

How to choose

If you're unsure, start small. An hour of consulting is the cheapest way to find out whether our approach suits you. If it does, the natural next step is usually a project, often the diagnosis, followed by a retainer only if you want ongoing help.

To get a quote, call, text or email with a few lines about your business. The contact page explains what to include, and the FAQ covers contracts and ownership.