Who We Are
A Maine-based brand and marketing services agency that believes good things come in small packages.
Our mission is to help small businesses that improve the lives of others build authentic brands and attract their ideal customers through creative, affordable, and personalized marketing services.
Who We Work With
As one ourselves, we understand the challenges of building something from the ground up with a whole lot of passion, endless hours, and bootstrapped resources.
We love small businesses.
While we work with a variety of customers, they are all committed in some way to improving the lives of others. From health and wellness-based businesses to insurance firms, from tech startups to purpose-driven companies and non-profits, they all share a common passion: making a positive impact.
Specialties include:
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Technology Startups (B2B and B2C)
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Healthy Lifestyle Products (Organic, Gluten-Free)
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Wellness Providers (Holistic & Alternative Modalities)
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Insurance (B2B and B2C)
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Non-profits
Our Team
Our Story
Bootstrap Marketing launched in 2022 when Julie decided to pivot from a corporate, 9-5 job to start her journey to entrepreneurship as a marketing consultant for startups and small businesses in the health and wellness fields. Meanwhile, Kate had done the same and was already a well-established freelance designer, with nearly 20 years of experience running her own business, Clark’s Design Services.
While the two were former co-workers and longtime friends, they had lost track in the chaos of work and family life until they reconnected in 2023 to discuss the idea of a partnership.
They quickly saw an undeniable opportunity to join forces to deliver their complementary marketing and design services to offer a full-service agency for small businesses.
In 2024 they expanded their team, adding a talented video production and web designer, Mike Poliskey, to offer even more comprehensive marketing services. The three share a strong commitment to being strategic marketing partners by offering valuable expertise and guidance to their clients. Going beyond an “order taking” mentality, they prioritize a proactive marketing approach that involves gaining a deep understanding of a client’s business to deliver what’s of most value and that will generate the best results.
They are grateful to be doing what they love each day and contributing to the success of small businesses.
How We Work
Our approach is simple -
We like to start at the beginning with our customers so we can get the fundamentals right and position you for long-term marketing success.
We help small businesses grow through authentic branding and creative marketing to connect you with your dream customers.
The process:
01.
It Starts With Strategy
We begin with a discovery session (about one hour) where we ask questions of you and your team to learn what makes your business unique. We listen to you and then take it offline to fill in the gaps with details about your market, competition, and ideal customers. We may hold a second session to follow-up on specific characteristics of your key buyers so we can flesh out their personas if applicable.
Final Result: A customized marketing strategy and recommendations on how to achieve your goals.
03.
Making the (Marketing) Plan
We create a plan and then make sure it’s executed seamlessly. Our full-service approach enables us to provide the whole spectrum of marketing services for small businesses, and then provide the analysis to show you the results.
Final Result: A comprehensive plan that provides direction and outlines the tactics for achieving key marketing objectives plus how we will measure results.
05.
Digging Into the Data
Marketing is nothing without data. Our processes focus on analyzing results across a variety of tools to get the best view of your marketing's performance, and we regularly share this information with your team.
Final Result: Personalized reports that we review regularly with your team to ensure we're hitting the mark and can adjust based on analysi
02.
Building Your Brand
Did you know a brand is much more than a logo? From visuals to brand messaging, we build out the framework that reflects who you are to potential customers. Our team guides you through a process for identifying your key values, differentiators, and unique selling position to help you best tell your brand story.
Final Result: We deliver a brand assets package with messaging plus compelling visuals, images, and guidelines for both print and digital platforms.
04.
Create, Launch, Repeat
Your marketing plan is set into motion, with a variety of channels and tactics at play. We continually monitor and refine our approach so your small business sees the most impact for your budget.
Final Result: A clear, transparent process that is expertly managed, with the ultimate goal of providing the best results for your business.