Startemup was founded with one clear mission: to deliver exceptional marketing results without the inflated costs many agencies charge.
In her exclusive interview with
Website Planet, co-founder Emily Bassett shared how she and her partner Connor combined their expertise—Emily in branding, social media, and email marketing, and Connor in SEO, ads, and web development—to build a full-service agency. Their “white glove” approach ensures that each client, whether a solopreneur or a large corporation, receives personalized strategies tailored to their unique goals.
With transparent pricing, flexible engagements, and hands-on support, Startemup helps businesses not just get noticed online, but thrive.
What motivated you to start Startemup with a mission of delivering exceptional marketing results at affordable rates?
My co-founder, Connor, and I both come from marketing backgrounds. I worked with a tourism company and gained experience in startup marketing, while Connor worked at a large agency. What we noticed was that startups often need support in many different areas, wearing multiple hats, but agencies can sometimes treat clients like just another number, without providing the one-on-one attention they really need.
We wanted to create a full-service marketing agency where the team genuinely cares about each business we work with, whether it’s a solopreneur or a large corporation. Our goal is to integrate seamlessly into a client’s team, understand their systems, and deliver marketing strategies that truly work—without wasting their budget. Marketing is so essential to business success, and we wanted to make sure our clients receive personalized, dedicated support for their unique goals.
How does your “white glove” approach—from SEO and social media to web development and email marketing—set you apart from other agencies?
Our “white glove” approach comes from combining our strengths. I focus on social media, branding, and email marketing, while my co-founder Connor handles the technical side, like ads, website development, and SEO. Together, we offer a truly full-service agency.
We believe a holistic marketing strategy works best. Running ads alone, or just having a website or email campaigns, won’t create strong results on its own. By offering support across every stage, we practice what we preach—whether it’s setting up email marketing, running ads, or building a complete SEO strategy.
What also sets us apart is flexibility. If one approach isn’t delivering results, we’ll help clients pivot to a more effective strategy. For example, a client may start with social media to grow their audience, then naturally move into email marketing to engage that audience. And if something falls outside our expertise, we connect clients with trusted partners, ensuring they’re never left to navigate it alone. Our goal is to build a strategy together that truly works, without locking anyone into a service that doesn’t make sense for them.
How do your free, interactive marketing tools—like SEO value calculators and PPC budget planners—help clients understand and invest in digital strategies?
We’ve created simple calculators on our website to help people get an idea of where to start with their marketing. Transparency—especially around pricing—is really important to us. Every business and industry requires different levels of ads, SEO, or other strategies, so these tools let clients create a rough estimate and understand potential costs.
Many business owners don’t know what budget to set for a campaign, which can make planning frustrating. Our calculators give them a clear starting point, helping them make informed decisions. Even if they don’t ultimately work with us, they at least leave with a realistic understanding of industry standards and what a marketing investment might look like.
Can you share how your SEO and content-optimized web designs help brands in industries like pharmaceuticals, coaching, or construction stand out online?
SEO is all about making your business discoverable online. If your ideal customer is searching for a solution—like a plumber, a construction service, or a coaching program—you want to appear at the top of search results. We know that very few people go past the first page, so strong SEO ensures your business gets noticed by the right audience.
Even newer companies can compete locally. For example, if someone searches “plumbers in Toronto” or “construction in Orillia,” there are strategies we can implement to get them onto the first page within a few months. While larger, long-established companies have an advantage, effective SEO and content-optimized web design allow newer brands to thrive. Beyond trades, SEO also supports credibility: making sure your brand shows up when someone searches your company name is essential. Overall, we focus on helping businesses—whether in trade, wholesale, or service industries—be visible to the people actively searching for their solutions.
Your case study with Rockbusters shows impressive results—how did your strategy drive rapid visibility and sales growth for that client?
Rockbusters is a trades client who had just rebranded when he came to us, so his brand wasn’t widely known. One of our main goals was to elevate his presence so that everyone in his industry recognized him. We optimized his visibility by targeting key industry keywords, creating viral content on YouTube, and implementing a holistic strategy that combined social relevance, brand awareness, and effective lead funnels.
We also built custom tools, like calculators, to make his business stand out in the industry. For example, clients can easily calculate how much grout they need, and his transparent pricing adds credibility. Overall, we helped Rockbusters establish a reputable brand, maintain consistent online visibility, and create a lead funnel that streamlines marketing efforts directly to the sales team—allowing them to focus on closing deals rather than outreach.
How do you build and maintain trust with startups and small businesses through transparent pricing, flexible month-to-month engagements, and open communication?
We focus on making our clients feel like we’re truly part of their team. My tagline used to be “your personal CMO,” and many clients still introduce us that way. Each client works with dedicated account managers who feel like an extension of their own team, and sometimes we even participate in team events with them.
Working with an agency like ours allows startups to access full marketing expertise without the cost and hassle of hiring a full-time employee. Clients provide their brand messaging and goals, and we create and execute the strategy, hiring additional team members when needed—all under one contract. We don’t lock clients into long-term commitments; if the partnership isn’t working, it can end, though that’s rare.
Trust is built through transparency and consistent communication. We hold monthly calls, provide real-time access to task spreadsheets, and maintain open channels for ongoing feedback. Everything is kept up-to-date, ensuring that our clients always see the progress of their marketing strategy and feel confident in our support.
Find out more at:
www.startemup.ca
