how did you establish an advertising budget for a car detailing business

To give you a realistic and strategic ad budget, I will need to know a few key details first so we can tailor it properly. Could you tell me 

1. What platform(s) are you advertising on (e.g., Facebook/Meta, Google Ads, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)?

2. What’s your goal for the ads  brand awareness, lead generation, sales, event sign-ups, etc.?

3. What type of business are you running (e.g., local service, e-commerce, coaching, nonprofit)?

4. Where are you targeting  local, UK-wide, or international?

5. Do you have an idea of your average sale value or client value (so we can estimate return on ad spend)?

Once I have that info, I’ll break down:

• What a realistic monthly ad budget looks like for your goals,

• How to allocate it (testing, optimization, scaling),

• And what performance metrics (CPC, CPA, ROAS) to expect in your industry.

Then we can fine tune your ad strategy so you’re not overspending, just investing smartly.

Could you share those details?

To establish a realistic advertising budget for your car detailing business, set clear goals, understand your numbers, calculate your Cost per Acquisition (CPA), determine your budget based on goals and CPA, allocate your budget as a percentage of revenue, and test, analyze, and adjust based on ROI. Start with a smaller budget, track results, and adjust based on ROI using QuickBooks Online. For example, if your goal is to get 10 new bookings per month, your budget would be $200. If you don't get those bookings, adjust accordingly. Categorize your ad spend in QuickBooks Online under "Advertising Expense" to track ROI.