Uncle Marketing Advisory (UMA)
Solving Your Small Business
“I’m a business owner. Not a marketer.”
“I just want trustworthy marketing advice and ideas.”
“I have a small business.
I don’t know where to start with any marketing.”
Marketing is more than advertising.
My name is Derek. I’ve been in marketing for over 30 years. Having grown up where my parents had a small business, I have a lot of affinity towards main street entrepreneurs and what more advanced marketing ideas can do for even mom-and-pops. What I do best is listen, synthesize, and provide perspective and problem-solving advice about marketing and marketing-related issues. I always do it with empathy, authenticity, and a desire to see people succeed. I promise that I'm not a Tony Robbins guru or a TED-talk etherial.
When you and I engage, it'll be focused on you, not me.
Marketing isn't just advertising. There are areas of your business that you might not realize need marketing. For example, customer service can be improved with marketing. Sales can be improved with marketing. Even your role as a leader can benefit from marketing. My approach focuses on how to drive engagement and get someone to the next step in their journey with you. That applies across all your customer-facing activities.
In simple terms, UMA is a combination of strategy, ideation, and coaching. I charge by package, and you can stop anytime.
Still here? Great!
The UMA Main Street Strategy Package
Ideal for motivated business owners who want to do more than survive. If you know you have something worthwhile to offer, but you're looking for advantages on how to grow, this package is for you.
- Goal: Identify quick, progressive fixes that will improve the flow of business.
- Topic areas: Operations, general management, e-commerce and web marketing, community building, branding, technology, finding opportunities, design reviews, and (yes) advertising
- FREE 1-hr session to learn about you, your goals, create a basic plan
- Ongoing 1-hr sessions to review, problem-solve, brainstorm, action plan
- If you’re local in the San Francisco Bay Area / Silicon Valley, I’m happy to meet you at your business
- 4 sessions (spread according to your needs and schedule)
- Package: $600
What does Uncle Marketing mean?
You know how everyone has “that uncle” who always has opinions or ideas? Uncle Marketing started as a fun way to introduce myself, but it’s become something I’ve really embraced. I love love love coming up with ideas and working out plans for them. I love listening to what motivates people. Uncle Marketing has become a way to share over three decades of knowledge gleaned from my work, the study of others’ work, and an overactive idea factory in my head.
Will this lead to more sales?
This honestly can’t be answered, because I don’t know what you’re up against. Let’s have a quick FREE conversation to see if I can help.
Who have you advised?
My client base has included software and technology companies, e-commerce/retail, mom and pop’s, design and technical services, digital marketplaces, consumer services, and more.
Why are you charging for a package when I haven’t even worked with you?
The effort to onboard a client and create a meaningful path for them takes time. I don’t believe you can deeply examine and solve issues or foster strategies with just a one-off conversation. We’re all busy, but we need to be accountable to our goals. Because of that, keeping a cadence towards progress is a priority. Change takes time.
What do you mean that it’s kind of like therapy or coaching?
We all have blockers in our mindsets that keep us from moving forward. Beyond the strategic aspects of marketing, these sessions will also uncover mental roadblocks and how to press on. I’m here to listen, give you perspective (based on real experience), problem-solve, and cheer you on. Marketing is an incredibly unappreciated, unrewarded effort. Numerically speaking, marketing fails more often than it succeeds, like 1 in 1,000 or 10,000. But when you finally score, it really matters, because you’ll be able to replicate it.
How are sessions conducted?
I use Microsoft Teams with recording and transcription turned on. This is to facilitate note taking. I’m happy to share with you both the recordings and transcripts. I’ll also summarize in a follow-up email so you know what your action items are for the next session.
How is this different from Wildcard CMO services?
Uncle Marketing Advisory is under the Wildcard CMO business, but Wildcard CMO includes me rolling up my sleeves and working directly on client projects. This might include in-person, in-office sessions, iterating through design, building demand programs, helping with content marketing, managing projects, hiring, technology evaluation, writing speeches and presentations, etc. — all the stuff an in-house marketer might do, plus everything in UMA. UMA is focused purely on putting you in the position to make progress, which means you’re responsible for taking action. I also created it as an affordable option for companies who needed my help without overloading my own availability.
When do I pay?
I will bill you after our onboarding session, which will include finalizing our session schedules. The full amount must be paid through credit card, check, or ACH transfer before the first session.
Can I cut back on sessions after the initial program?
Of course. A renewal package can be restructured with longer cycles. I don’t recommend going for more than a month. Too many things change in that time.
How do I cancel?
You can cancel for free before our first session. If you cancel before the package ends, you’ll be refunded for all unused sessions at the rate of $120 per session. This factors in administrative costs, onboarding, and prior scheduling allocations.