Have you ever had a DIY project go wrong? We’ve all been there. What you thought would be a fun, quick, project turned out to be 4 hours of frustration and an end result that was far from its inspiration.

One year at the beginning of the holiday season, I showed my husband the most beautiful wreath to which he replied, “Just buy the wreath, it’s only $30.” To which most wives would happily comply. But no, not me. Not frugal me. I declared that I would create my own wreath out of the millions of pinecones laying in my front yard.

Two weeks, $25 dollars, and 4 frustrating hours later, I presented the most pitiful wreath to my husband. And even though he hung it on our front door, every time I saw that thing it was a reminder of how I wasted a whole afternoon. And only saved $5.

It’s a timeless tale. As small businesses we want to get more out of our marketing budgets so the inevitable free small business marketing google search commences. And with results like 10 ways to market your small business on a shoestring budget, 27 free and low-budget marketing ideas for any business, and 50 Free Marketing Tools for Any Small Business to Use, where do you start?

You don’t. Because you’re already busy running your business and adding x number of new tasks to your already long to-do list won’t get you anywhere. You don’t have time. All too often small businesses forget they’re time is the most valuable asset they have.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating that all marketing should cost money. There are plenty of budget friendly marketing strategies out there. But small businesses need to remember that their time is as precious, if not more, then the money in the bank.

If you aren’t great at design, why would you spend 4 hours trying to create a graphic when you could have a designer do it for you for a small fee? Yes, it’s cash out but doing so frees your time up so you can focus on actual Revenue Generating Activities like talking to leads, sending proposals, and closing sales.

(remember my story about the Christmas wreath?)

As small businesses, it’s common to want to attempt things on your own but when does crafty turn into just a waste of time? And more importantly, when does that lost time equal lost opportunity? Because at the end of the day a dollar saved isn’t always a dollar earned.

Check out my full blog where I dive even deeper and learn why it’s important to not be an expert in everything and how to balance DIY with professional assistance. Oh, and you can see just how pitiful my wreath is. I’m Sarah from Third Angle, with your Marketing Minute.