Hiring Bahlr vs. Hiring an Employee

May 5, 2025

Why Your View of Value Might Be Off

Every so often, I get an email from a prospective client that reminds me why the work we do at Bahlr is as much about education as it is about execution.

Recently, I met with a local business owner—great guy, solid vision, loves what we do. But like many others, he was surprised by the monthly investment required to work with us. He shared that he’d spoken with some other media companies and ultimately decided to have a friend build his website. He was kind, sincere, and appreciative—but in the end, it came down to one thing: price.

I don’t take offense to this. I take responsibility.

Because the problem isn’t with the client—it’s with the way our industry has been misunderstood and undervalued.

The Truth About Cost: Employees vs. Bahlr

Let’s break it down.

The average employee in the U.S. costs a business around $66,000 per year—and that’s before you factor in health insurance, benefits, turnover, downtime, and management overhead. Most small business owners don’t think twice about hiring someone to help manage the day-to-day.

But when I present a $48,000 annual investment in branding, website design, video content, ad strategy, and ongoing marketing support, I’m often met with hesitation. That’s understandable—on the surface, it looks like a high price for “marketing.” But the problem lies in how the value is being measured.
When done right, your digital presence is your most valuable employee—one that works 24/7, never calls in sick, never stops selling, and never stops showing your brand at its absolute best.

At Bahlr, we don’t just offer services—we build systems that work around the clock:

Websites that capture leads and deliver credibility
Video content that educates, sells, and emotionally connects
Graphic design and branding that tells your story in seconds
Ad strategy and consulting that turns content into conversions

And unlike a full-time hire, we require zero hand-holding. No training, no drama, no downtime. Just execution, creativity, and results.

The Education Gap

I don’t blame business owners for the confusion. It’s not their job to understand how this all works—it’s ours.

Unfortunately, our industry has taken a hit from freelancers and low-cost providers who undercharge, underdeliver, and ultimately erode the perceived value of real agency work. When a 22-year-old with no experience markets themselves as a full-service creative firm, the lines get blurred. That’s not competition—it’s distortion.

So, we’re left educating the market, one conversation at a time, on what real strategy, real production, and real partnership actually look like.

What You’re Really Buying

When you hire Bahlr, you’re not just buying content—you’re investing in the most efficient, scalable employee you’ll ever have. You’re getting access to nearly 15 years of experience, national-level campaigns, and a local team that cares about your business as if it were our own.

We’re not here to be the cheapest option. We’re here to be the right one.

Because when you look at the cost of hiring a person vs. hiring a machine that doesn’t sleep—powered by a team that lives and breathes results—the math starts to make sense.

Final Thought

If you’re building a business and hiring employees to grow it, don’t overlook the one hire that never clocks out: your digital brand.

It’s not about choosing between people and marketing—it’s about recognizing that the right marketing partner is often the most valuable team member you’ll ever add.