Grassroots Marketing: How to Create a Boom on a Budget
Online ads matter, but people buy from people—so get out there with swag, charm, and your team, and make real connections at campus events, local markets, and neighborhood shops without draining your budget.
Online ads? Absolutely. But don’t forget: people buy from people. When someone’s ready for your service, they’re choosing the business they connected with at that event, in that moment.
Here’s how to make a splash in your community without draining your
bank account:
- Hit the Campus – Schools host welcome-back events—show up with swag,coupons, and charm. Walk the halls, meet the students, get seen.
- Send Staff on Street Missions – Slow day? Turn your team into brand ambassadors. Have them visit nearby shops and restos with coupons in hand.
- Use Local Events to Your Advantage – Markets, music festivals, block parties—send your team with branded goodies and make it fun! Even better, use
event tickets as incentives for staff performance. - Tap Into Staff Talents – Got a crafty barista or a DJ staffer? Host a pop-up featuring their side hustle. It’s a win-win for team morale and traffic.
- Shoot for the Stars – No joke: get on reality TV. We once sent a staffer to audition for The Bachelor Canada—she got on, and her books exploded.
You don’t need a massive budget to build a massive presence. You just need hustle,
heart, and a little bit of grassroots grit.
by Kyla Dufresne, Founder & CEO, Foxy Box
Kyla Dufresne is a motorcycle-riding, fiercely ambitious entrepreneur who turned her first waxing appointment into a full-blown mission: she traded her razor for a business plan and built Foxy Box Wax Bar from the back of a jewelry store into a powerhouse of inclusive, fun, high-quality hair removal. Today, under her leadership, Foxy Box is Canada’s leading waxing franchise—boasting 25 (and counting) locations—fuelled by her grit, vision, and the belief that feeling foxy is a basic human right.