Playbook

Social media management for local businesses

Planning, photographing and posting for cafés, gyms, salons and shops.

Reviewed 2026-09-25 · what a review checks

At 5h a week: €130–€680/mo
At 10h a week: €260–€1370/mo
Start-up cost: €0–€150
First money: 2–5 weeks
Difficulty: Beginner-friendly
Risk: Low
Customer contact: Some
Where: Local

Start tonight

0/5 done · about an hour

Five small actions. No money, no website. Tick them as you go — your progress is saved on this device.

1.Pick a local business with a weak social presence and write down what you would post for them this week.
2.Write your offer in three lines: what you do, who it is for, and your price.
3.Set up one simple profile — a Facebook page or Google Business Profile — with that offer and your area.
4.Contact 5 neighbours, friends or local businesses directly with the offer. Personal messages beat posts.
5.Post it in two local community or buy-and-sell groups, then write down every reply so you can follow up tomorrow.

Who it suits

People who are good with a phone camera and consistent with posting.

What you need · how much it costs

To start: €0–€150 — phone tripod, scheduling tool.

Monthly: €0–€30 — scheduling/design tools.

Consent from anyone identifiable in photos; clear rules for tagging staff and customers.

How to get your first customer

Audit the Instagram of three local businesses you like
Mock up a week of posts for one of them
Offer a one-month trial at a fixed fee

How to price it

Assumed market range €20–€45 an hour (assumed effective hourly rate; usually a fixed monthly fee per client). Start around €28 for your first three customers, then raise it for new customers once you have reviews. Check three local or platform listings before you publish a price.

Realistic earnings

€20–€45/hour × 5h a week × 4.33 weeks × 30–70% of hours actually paid ≈ €130–€680 a month, before costs and tax.

€20–€45/hour × 10h a week × 4.33 weeks × 30–70% of hours actually paid ≈ €260–€1,370 a month, before costs and tax.

The rate range is an assumption (assumed effective hourly rate; usually a fixed monthly fee per client); the share of hours paid reflects the first few months, when most time goes on finding customers. Actual income depends on demand, pricing and how consistently you find customers. Capped at 20h a week.

What can go wrong

Clients judge you on sales, not posts — agree what success means.
Churn after 3 months if results are vague.
Little money at stake — the main cost is your time.

Irish tax (2026)

Self-employed income.

Declaring side income as a PAYE worker. Side income is taxable from the first euro. If your net non-PAYE income is under €5,000 (and gross under €30,000) you can declare it on Form 12 through myAccount. At €5,000 net or more you are a “chargeable person” and must register for self-assessment and file Form 11 by 31 October. Source · checked 2026-09-25

Business expenses. Costs incurred “wholly and exclusively” for the side business (tools, software, platform fees, a share of home costs) are deductible from the income before tax. Keep receipts for six years. Source · checked 2026-09-25

Educational information about Irish tax rules, not tax, legal or financial advice. Your position depends on your circumstances — check with Revenue or a qualified adviser.

Hustler · execution plan

What to do this week, and how to scale social media management for local businesses

Free gets you started tonight. Hustler gives you the day-by-day plan for your first week and what to do at your first customer, first €100, first €500 and when to scale — €9.99/month, 14-day free trial, cancel any time.

Checking your account…

Sources

CCPC — influencer and advertising rules

Want something that keeps earning without your hours? That is CashCow, our sister site for building income assets.

📱 Social media management for local businesses