How much should a new business promotion budget be? 3 scenarios, line by line
A new business promotion budget is not one number. It is three buckets: setup you pay for once, visibility that runs every month, and a small test fund. In Türkiye in 2026, a neighbourhood shop can start with zero cash, with a TRY 43,200 setup package, or with that package plus a separate ad budget. A ceiling calculation tells you which one fits.
To find the ceiling, multiply the new customers you want in the first 90 days by the gross profit one customer leaves. Your three-month promotion share should not exceed half of that. Below are the line items, three scenarios and a template to fill in.
Which buckets does a new business promotion budget split into?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Setup bucket: pay once, use for long
- Visibility bucket: money that turns every month
- Test bucket: small money to measure
The setup bucket is paid once and works for years: signage, domain, website, map listing. The visibility bucket runs every month: ad spend, content, photos. The test bucket stays small and is spent only to measure. Mix them up and the maths blurs.
Setup bucket: pay once, use for long
Signage, window graphics, domain, website, social accounts and Google Business Profile sit here. Spread them across 12 months; they keep working long after the shutters go up.
Visibility bucket: money that turns every month
Ad spend paid to Google or Meta, posting and content live here. When it stops, its effect stops.
Test bucket: small money to measure
Money to see whether a campaign, a flyer drop or a new ad text works. A thin slice of the total is enough. An unmeasured test is just an expense.
How do you calculate your budget ceiling in 4 steps?
The ceiling is worked backwards from the gross profit promotion must bring in over 90 days. Multiply a customer target by gross profit per customer, then spread setup over 12 months to find its three-month share. If that share stays under half the expected profit, the budget will not choke your cash. If not, cut line items rather than inflate the target.
- Write the target. New customers wanted in 90 days, say 300.
- Write gross profit per customer: price minus cost of goods, say TRY 150.
- Multiply. 300 × 150 = TRY 45,000, the gross profit promotion must bring in.
- Take half as the ceiling. 45,000 ÷ 2 = TRY 22,500.
Scenario 1: what can you set up for TRY 0 when cash is short?
If cash is tight, part of the setup bucket can be opened for zero lira. Creating a Google Business Profile and listing your business on Google is free, and so are WhatsApp Business and social accounts. You pay with hours instead of money. Your cost is labour; your gap is measurement and consistency.
6 items you can open for TRY 0
- Google Business Profile: address, opening hours, phone, first photos.
- WhatsApp Business: catalogue, greeting message, quick replies.
- Instagram and Facebook business accounts.
- Introductions and referrals with neighbouring shopkeepers.
- 10-15 window and product photos taken on your phone.
- One opening message to your own network.
You pay with hours
This takes at least 5 hours a week, and behind the counter those hours are hard to find. The risk here is not money, it is a half-finished setup. The order of steps is in how to promote a new small business.
Scenarios 2 and 3: what do a setup package and ads add up to?
In scenario two you hand setup to a fixed-price package: TRY 36,000 + VAT, or TRY 43,200 with 20% VAT. Scenario three adds a separate ad budget. The table uses the sample ceiling above; the TRY 200 daily ad budget is an example.
| Line item | Scenario 1: TRY 0 | Scenario 2: Setup package | Scenario 3: Package + ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup (once, excl. VAT) | TRY 0, with labour | TRY 36,000 | TRY 36,000 |
| Three-month share of setup | TRY 0 | TRY 9,000 | TRY 9,000 |
| Ad budget (60 days × TRY 200) | TRY 0 | TRY 0 | TRY 12,000 |
| Three-month promotion share | TRY 0 | TRY 9,000 | TRY 21,000 |
| Against the TRY 22,500 ceiling | Below | Below | Below, close to the line |
Plan cash with VAT included
Do the ceiling maths without VAT, since VAT may be deductible if you are registered; ask your accountant. Plan the cash leaving the till on TRY 43,200 and check the current rate on the invoice.
Which line items are always forgotten?
The most forgotten items look small but come back every year. A shop sign can be subject to the municipality’s advertising tax, which depends on the municipality and the sign’s size. Domain and hosting renew in year two, and ad invoices may carry taxes as a separate line. Skip these early and month two brings a gap in the till.
Signage and the municipality
Before you hang the sign, ask the municipality’s enforcement or revenue office about size, permit and tax. The sign maker’s quote and the municipal charge are separate lines.
Year-two renewals
Year one of domain and hosting is in the package; year two brings a renewal fee, so set a reminder for month 11. We collected a website’s yearly cost items in what does a website cost per year.
How do you split the budget across the first 90 days?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Before opening: 60% on setup
- Month one: 30% on visibility
- Months two and three: 10% on testing
- A 6-line template to fill in
Split the budget into three periods: the 30 days before opening, month one, and months two and three. Most setup money goes before opening, because the map listing, phone and website must be ready on day one. Ads start in month one and tests in month two, so you only spend once there is a place ready to receive the customer.
Before opening: 60% on setup
Put roughly 60% into setup and start Google Business Profile verification first, as it can take a few days. You can also compare channel by channel in flyers or digital promotion.
Month one: 30% on visibility
Ads go live with a low daily budget; the goal is to see the phone and WhatsApp ring. If nothing arrives, check the ad text and page before raising the budget.
Months two and three: 10% on testing
Run one test in month two, such as an opening offer or a flyer drop, and move what works into the visibility bucket. The overall frame is in how to promote a new company, and every opening step is in the new business promotion guide.
A 6-line template to fill in
- 90-day new customer target: ____ people
- Gross profit per customer: TRY ____
- Ceiling (1 × 2 ÷ 2): TRY ____
- Setup total ÷ 12 × 3: TRY ____
- Ad budget (days × daily amount): TRY ____
- Total share (4 + 5), below the ceiling: yes / no
Quick Summary
- A promotion budget has three buckets: setup, visibility, test.
- Ceiling = 90-day customer target × gross profit per customer ÷ 2.
- Setup is spread over 12 months.
- Google Business Profile is free; you pay for it with hours.
- The Start a Business Online package is TRY 36,000 + VAT, TRY 43,200 with VAT; ad spend is separate.
- Sign tax and year-two renewals go on the list from day one.
Short Glossary
Gross profit: Gross profit is the amount used to show what one sale leaves after its direct cost.
Promotion ceiling: A promotion ceiling is the threshold used to set the highest three-month promotion share that will not choke your cash.
Advertising tax: Advertising tax is the term used for the local tax paid to the municipality for signs in Türkiye.
Next Step
With your ceiling in hand, close the setup bucket in one go at a fixed price. Apply to the Start a Business Online campaign, get a name and plan proposal, and reserve your place in the quota.
Frequently Asked Questions
Source: Google — Get listed on Google with a Business Profile
Sık Sorulan Sorular
Divide setup by 12, multiply by 3: a TRY 36,000 setup has a three-month share of TRY 9,000. It works for nine more months, so loading it all onto the first quarter distorts the maths.
The other half is your cushion when the till is quiet. Rent, staff and stock already squeeze the first months; promotion should not eat that cushion.
The most common mistake: building the budget from “whatever is left” after rent and fit-out. It runs out in month two and the ads switch off. Calculate the ceiling first, then return to the fit-out.
In the Start a Business Online campaign, the domain and one year of hosting are in your name. A 6 + 12 page corporate site, 108 articles, 3 social accounts, Google Business Profile, WhatsApp Business, GA4 and Search Console are included. Google and Meta ads are optional and priced separately. For the application window and quota, see the Start a Business Online campaign page.
No. Google and Meta advertising are optional and priced separately; ad spend is paid to the platform.
Without a shop you appear with a service area. The promise is “open online before you open”: test demand before signing the lease.
The campaign has a 10% coupon. Just mention the code when you apply or during the call.
Updated: October 2026