How KendallCatherine Helps Small Business Owners Avoid Wasting Money on Unnecessary Marketing
When you’re a small business owner, every dollar counts. You work tirelessly to grow your brand, serve your clients, and invest in resources that will actually help you succeed. Unfortunately, the marketing industry is filled with sales pitches, promises, and “must-have” tools that don’t always deliver — or worse, simply aren’t needed for your stage of business.
Over the years, I’ve seen too many entrepreneurs sold expensive marketing services, software, and websites they don’t understand, don’t use, or didn’t need to begin with. My passion — and the foundation of Kendall Catherine Agency — is helping small business owners make smart, informed decisions so they’re never taken advantage of by unnecessary marketing.
In this blog, I want to share two real-life examples that perfectly illustrate why having an advocate by your side matters. These stories are frustrating, but they also serve as a reminder: informed choices save money, time, and headaches.
The Realtor and the Overpriced CRM
A close friend of mine, a talented and dedicated realtor, was sold what sounded like the ultimate all-in-one marketing platform. It was a customer relationship management (CRM) system with capabilities to design and host a website, post to social media, manage leads, and so much more.
On paper, it was an impressive package — the kind of thing that might make any business owner feel confident they’d just invested in a powerful growth tool. But here was the problem: she wasn’t trained on it. At all.
Week after week, the CRM’s monthly fee kept hitting her account — a hefty amount for a solo business owner — yet she had no idea how to set up the website, schedule social posts, or use the CRM’s features to nurture leads.
Even more frustrating? She still needed a website for her listings and personal branding. Instead of leveraging the site-building capability already included in the CRM she was paying for, she hired a separate web designer for $4,000 to create one.
The result? A site riddled with mistakes, poorly structured for organic SEO, and not built to help her rank well on search engines. It was a double financial hit — paying monthly for a tool she wasn’t trained to use, and blowing thousands more on a site she didn’t technically need in the first place.
This isn’t rare. In fact, it’s one of the most common marketing missteps I see: business owners buying “complete packages” without receiving the education or support to actually use them. Without training, even the most powerful tool becomes little more than another bill.
The $4,000 Website That Was a Lie
Another friend — a fellow small business owner — came to me after feeling completely blindsided by a marketing firm. She had specific needs for her website, one of which included a particular tool that was critical for her business model.
The firm promised they could build it exactly as she envisioned. The price tag? $4,000. After weeks of waiting and back-and-forth, she discovered that the firm had fabricated their capabilities. The tool she requested wasn’t something they could create because it was actually proprietary to another company.
In short, they lied.
It took significant effort, documentation, and persistence to get a refund. And she was lucky — many small business owners don’t get their money back in situations like this.
The kicker? The correct company — the one that actually owned the tool she wanted — charged less than half the price. Under $2,000, and they delivered exactly what she needed without overpromising.
Two different scenarios, same outcome: small businesses paying far more than necessary because they didn’t have the right information upfront.
Why Small Business Owners Are Easy Targets
Small business owners are often juggling countless responsibilities — managing operations, handling customers, keeping up with industry changes, and wearing about a dozen other hats. They don’t have the luxury of spending hours each day researching the technical details of marketing tools.
That lack of time and specialized knowledge can make them vulnerable to persuasive sales pitches.
The marketing industry knows how to package offerings in ways that make them appear essential. Terms like “all-in-one,” “done-for-you,” and “must-have” can sound compelling. But without clear demonstration of how those tools fit a business’s actual goals — and without training — they’re just potential drain points for your hard-earned dollars.
How Kendall Catherine Agency Helps Business Owners Avoid These Traps
My mission is simple: make sure small business owners only pay for marketing tools, websites, and services they actually need — and understand how to use them.
Here’s how we work to protect our clients:
Needs-Based Assessments — Before any recommendations are made, we analyze what you truly need. This includes looking at your goals, budget, stage of business, and existing marketing assets.
Vendor Vetting — We vet service providers and tools before you sign a contract. If there’s a potential red flag — like a high fee with unclear deliverables — we’ll catch it early.
Training & Support — If you invest in a CRM, website platform, or social media scheduler, we train you on it until you feel confident using it.
SEO & Website Review — We review websites for structure, usability, and SEO best practices before you commit big payments to a vendor.
Cost Transparency — We help small business owners compare pricing and features so they understand when a “premium” package is truly worth it — and when it’s not.
The Real Cost of “Unnecessary” Marketing
Unnecessary marketing isn’t just about overspending; it’s about opportunity loss. Every budget dollar wasted on a tool you don’t use is a dollar you could have invested elsewhere — in advertising, events, hiring support, or improving your service.
It’s also about confidence. Business owners who’ve been burned by overpromises or poor-quality work often become hesitant to invest in marketing at all. That hesitation can lead to stalled growth, even when the right solution is sitting in front of them.
If you’ve been sold something you didn’t need, know this: you are not alone, and it doesn’t mean you failed as an entrepreneur. It means the industry needs more ethical voices — and more professionals willing to educate, not just invoice.
Building Smarter Marketing Habits
Here are a few habits I recommend every small business owner adopt to avoid being taken advantage of:
Ask for a Demonstration — Before buying software or a service, ask the vendor to show you exactly how it addresses your needs.
Request Training In Writing — If a platform is part of your investment, make sure the proposal includes training as a deliverable.
Check References — Talk to other clients who have used the same provider. Ask if they’d make the purchase again.
Compare Alternatives — Sometimes you can achieve the same result with a more affordable tool or service.
Get a Second Opinion — Just like you would in healthcare, get a second opinion before signing large contracts.
Why This Matters
Helping small business owners avoid unnecessary marketing isn’t just about saving money. It’s about protecting your ability to grow on your terms. When you’re equipped with the right tools — and the knowledge to use them — marketing becomes an investment with measurable returns, not a gamble.
At Kendall Catherine Agency, we believe every business owner deserves clarity, honesty, and tangible value from their marketing spend. That’s not just a philosophy — it’s how we operate every day.
If you’re a small business owner unsure whether your current marketing tools are worth the cost, or if you want guidance before investing in something new, we’re here to help. People like my realtor friend and my entrepreneur friend above are reminders of why it’s critical to have someone in your corner. Don’t let flashy sales pitches and inflated promises drain your resources — let’s make sure you get exactly what you need, nothing more, nothing less.
