Uncle Marketing Advisory (UMA)
Your Personal Small Business Marketing Officer
“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.”
There's more to Marketing than advertising.
Marketing isn't just advertising. There are areas of your business that can benefit from marketing tactics. For example, customer service, sales, even your role as a leader or partner. Even mom-and-pops can employ new marketing ideas to drive their business activities. UMA (Uncle Marketing Advisory) combines strategy, ideation, advisory, and improvement into a motivating (and fun) engagement.
My name is Derek. I’ve been in marketing for over 30 years and started advising over a dozen entrepreneurs in 2023. What I do best is listen, synthesize, and problem-solve all customer engagement issues. I always do it with empathy, authenticity, and a desire to see people succeed.
When you and I engage, it'll be focused on you, not me.
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, social media, branding, technology, finding opportunities, partnering, design reviews, and 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 coming up with ideas and working out plans for them. I love listening to what motivates people. Uncle Marketing lets me share over three decades of knowledge and an overactive idea factory in my head.
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. Over a dozen businesses since 2023 have gotten my support.
How is this different than an agency?
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, problem-solve, and cheer you on. Marketing is an 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 record and transcribe our calls, and provide AI summaries, so you can focus on our sessions instead of taking notes. We'll review goals, prioritize ideas, and create action plans. We'll meet regularly at your convenience. I don’t recommend going for more than a month. Too many things change in that time.
How is this different from Wildcard CMO services?
Wildcard CMO services includes projects for building demand programs, creating websites and content, managing projects, hiring, writing speeches and presentations, etc. — all the stuff an in-house marketer might do. UMA is focused purely on putting you in the position to make progress. I created UMA as an affordable option for smaller businesses.
When do I pay?
I bill after our first session. The full amount can be paid through credit card, check, or ACH transfer before the first session.
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 and onboarding.