You don't need an agency.
You need the person agencies hire.
Agencies charge $8,000-15,000/month. Half goes to account managers, project managers, and office rent. The other half goes to the person who actually does the work. What if you could hire that person directly?
Side-by-side comparison.
Consultant
Typical Agency
Who does the work?
The senior strategist you hired
A junior assigned after the sale
Monthly cost
$1,500 - $4,000
$5,000 - $15,000
Contract length
Month-to-month
6-12 month minimum
Response time
Same day (direct access)
24-48 hours (through AM)
Strategy + execution
Same person does both
Different departments
Reporting
Plain English, focused on revenue
Dashboards full of vanity metrics
Channels covered
SEO, ads, automation, web — one strategist
Siloed teams per channel
Accountability
If it's not working, you leave
Locked in regardless of results
Overhead in your bill
Zero — you pay for execution
40-60% goes to overhead
Custom automation
Built into every engagement
Separate project, separate budget
Do the math.
Typical Agency
Monthly retainer$8,000 - $15,000
Account management overhead~40%
Actual execution budget$4,800 - $9,000
Contract12 months
Annual commitment$96,000 - $180,000
By Callan
Monthly retainer$1,500 - $4,000
Overhead0%
Actual execution budget100% of what you pay
ContractMonth-to-month
Annual cost (if you stay 12 months)$18,000 - $48,000
See the difference yourself.
Free strategy call. I'll show you exactly what I'd do for your business and you can compare it to what your agency is proposing.