Great marketing starts before the marketing.
Let us research your market, competition, and opportunities before you spend a dime. We'll give you a straightforward assessment of where the potential is, what we'd do, and most importantly, whether spending money on marketing even makes sense for your business yet.
Octopus is built for small businesses, makers, and creative entrepreneurs with promising ideas.
We believe great marketing starts before the marketing. We research your business and specific market opportunities first, because we’d rather tell you “don’t spend yet” than sell you something you don't need. Successful growth only happens when every piece of the puzzle is aligned.
Brand, website, pricing, positioning, and customer behavior are all connected. We look at the whole picture to ensure your strategy is rooted in reality. To see where your project actually stands, your first step is our free business assessment.
Marketing gets expensive when the foundation is unclear.
A new website, more posts, or paid ads cannot fix the wrong offer, unclear pricing, or a confusing buying path. We look at the whole picture first — your market, competition, customer, brand, and sales process — then recommend what is most likely to move the business forward.
Sometimes the smartest recommendation is to wait. We would rather protect your budget than sell you work you do not need.
PROCESS
Start with evidence. Build only what earns its place.
1
Tell us what you're building.
Share the business, goal, and point of uncertainty.
2
We investigate.
We review the market, competition, positioning, customer path, and visible gaps.
3
You get a clear recommendation.
We explain the strongest opportunity, the risks, and the first smart step.
4
You choose what happens next.
Use the insight yourself or hire Octopus to build the pieces that make sense.
Start with research
Share your side hustle, product, or creative project. We'll look at the market, the competition, and the customer to find where the real opportunity actually sits.
Our assessment is free with no obligation and no sales pitch disguised as advice.
Promising avenues
Points of concern
Market opportunities
The first smart step
What to avoid now
A realistic path to becoming more profitable
THREE PAID PATHS
Find the Direction — Research and strategy
For a promising business that needs a sharper position, price, audience, offer, or priority list before investing further.
May include: market and competitor review, offer positioning, pricing guidance, customer-path analysis, and a prioritized action plan.
Build the Foundation — Brand and conversion essentials
For a business with real potential but an inconsistent identity, unclear message, weak website, or awkward order process.
May include: brand direction, messaging, website refinement, order forms, sales materials, and customer experience.
Launch What Matters — Practical execution
For a business with the basics aligned and a clear reason to activate specific channels.
May include: social setup, local marketing, campaign launch, content systems, digital execution, and a measurement plan.
How engagement works: No forced package. No mandatory contract. Every project starts with the business problem, not a preset menu. Octopus recommends the smallest useful scope, explains why it matters, and provides a clear project quote before work begins. One-time projects and à la carte support are welcome. Monthly support is optional.
Brands we've built for: Absurd Lodge · Abacus Gadgets · Helvene · Simply Nature Essentials
Octopus has also completed market assessments for several other small businesses and makers since launch.
Our Promises
No selling you something before researching the need.
No claiming that every business needs ads.
No pushing platforms just because others are there.
No manufacturing myths that don't belong to you.
No mandatory contracts; monthly support is optional.
No spending without a reason.
FOUNDER
Meet the founder
Michael Chaney spent years in corporate banking marketing before founding Octopus Smart Marketing Solutions in Newark, Delaware. That background means Octopus brings a discipline you don't always get from a small agency — research-first thinking, real financial literacy, and an understanding of risk — paired with the speed and tools of a modern marketer.
Old-school marketing instincts. New-school tools.