Listen, if you own a small business, learning how to run paid ads isn’t optional anymore, It’s a must-have skill. Why? Because if people don’t know you exist, they can’t buy from you. A lot of folks think advertising is just for the big guys with million-dollar budgets. That’s wrong. Paid ads level the playing field. They give you the power to reach real customers, test real ideas, and grow your business faster than waiting on word-of-mouth alone. Quick wins: Visibility You can have the best product in the world, but if nobody sees it, you’re going to struggle. Paid ads get your business in front of the right people. Control Stop sitting around waiting for referrals or luck. Ads give you control. You decide how many people see your message and when they see it. Data Every ad is a lesson. You’ll learn what works, what doesn’t, who your ideal customer is, and what they respond to. Speed Organic growth is slow. Ads let you test ideas, find what works, and grow faster. Here’s the good news: you don’t need a big budget. Start small. Five dollars a day is enough to learn. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress. Learn, adjust, repeat. If you’ve been telling yourself ads are too complicated or too expensive, stop believing that lie. Paid ads are one of the best tools a small business owner can use to build a steady flow of customers and predictable income. This is part of taking ownership of your business. No one’s going to do it for you. So, have you ever tried running ads for your business? What did you learn?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a business owner is that market research doesn’t only happen with surveys or reports. You can use local Facebook ads as a powerful tool to learn exactly who your customers are, how they think, and what motivates them to act. For me, this meant two things: 1. Setting aside a monthly budget for ads, even a small one. 2. Dedicating a huge amount of time to creating and refining my ideal client profile. This is how I do it: Step 1: Start Small I began with a simple local ad campaign using a budget of 150 USD per month, which is about 5 USD per day. Instead of sending people to a complicated website, I funneled them straight to my WhatsApp Business number. This meant that every click turned into a direct conversation on my phone. Step 2: Expect Early Frustration Here is the reality: Facebook charges per click, but not everyone who clicks will buy. At first, many people asked questions without purchasing. The cost per click was high, and patience was required. This is part of the process. For example, in one campaign I invested $511 USD, reached almost 3,000 people, and received 179 clicks. The cost per click felt high in the beginning, but what mattered most was the information I gained. Step 3: Gather Data, Not Just Sales After one or two months, something valuable happens. You start collecting real market data such as: • Age groups that engage most with your ads • Whether men or women respond better • Common questions people ask before buying • Which locations bring the best performance • Which ad creatives and messages get the strongest response In my case, I learned that men represented 56.7% of my clicks, while women represented 43.3%. The strongest engagement came from the 35–44 and 65+ age groups, and locations like Florida, Texas, and New York performed especially well. This information is gold because it allows you to adjust your ideal client profile based on real behavior, not assumptions. Step 4: Improved Targeting

Years ago, a plant manager told me something that completely changed the way I look at business: “Rodolfo, your company is excellent and you’ve provided us with service for more than 10 years. But inside the plant, nobody knows you. You need to start working more on your marketing and make yourselves known to the people.” That comment opened my eyes. It’s not enough to do great work or have loyal clients. If people don’t know you, your business becomes invisible inside organizations and in the market. This experience left me with three powerful lessons: 1. Quality is not enough: You can be excellent at what you do, but if you don’t communicate it, you don’t exist. 2. Visibility opens doors: The more people know who you are and what you offer, the more opportunities will come your way. 3. Marketing is an investment, not an expense: It multiplies the years of hard work and takes your business to another level. Many entrepreneurs think marketing is secondary, but the truth is it’s the bridge that connects your value to the right people. Today I’ll leave you with this question: Is your business truly visible, or is it only known by a few?

A long-time client once came to renegotiate a multi-year contract for 50 part numbers. The truth is that I was exhausted with those products. Margins were thin and they required too much care to produce. So I applied what I learned from Alex Hormozi’s 100M Offers. I raised prices. Not by 20 percent. I went three to five times higher. I knew I might lose sales and I was okay with that. The buyer was not happy. Out of 50 part numbers I lost 40. But here is the key: my profits increased by more than 200 percent. I only had to produce 10 part numbers instead of 50, and I manufactured the entire yearly order in just two weeks. I then delivered it gradually throughout the year. One year later the same client returned and added 10 more part numbers, accepting another price increase. Here is why this matters beyond my story: Inflation eats margins silently. In Mexico, inflation has averaged 4 to 5 percent annually in recent years. If you do not raise prices, you are effectively giving clients a discount every year. Costs never stop rising. From raw materials to energy and labor, manufacturers know production inputs climb 5 to 10 percent every year. Your time has value. By cutting product volume but tripling prices, I freed up hours to focus on more profitable projects. The lesson for every business owner: Raising prices is not optional. It is mandatory. Do not wait until the end of the year. It is harder to push one big increase than to adjust gradually every month or every six months. Yes, you may lose some sales. But you will gain higher profits, more free time, and stronger control over your operation. That is the real win-win.

This past week I had the privilege of attending ExpoPyME in Monterrey—not as an exhibitor with a stand, but as a partner ready to pitch my business directly to decision-makers from world-class companies. For me, it was more than just an event—it was a space to connect, learn, and position my company, Regio Partes Industriales, as a trusted partner in MRO, mechanical and electrical maintenance solutions. Having scheduled meetings with top companies reminded me of the importance of being prepared to clearly communicate our value: 🔹 35+ years of experience supporting industry 🔹 Tailored solutions in maintenance, repairs, and operations 🔹 A focus on helping manufacturers avoid costly downtime and achieve production goals ExpoPyME was a reminder that growth doesn’t always come from having the biggest stand, it comes from building the right conversations, delivering expertise, and showing up with clarity and purpose. I’m excited to follow up on the opportunities created this week and to keep building strong partnerships that push our region’s industry forward. To my fellow entrepreneurs: never underestimate the power of showing up prepared, even if you don’t have a booth. Sometimes, the best deals are closed at the meeting table, not the exhibition floor.