Should I set aside a specific amount for marketing each month, or should marketing costs be a percentage of my overall sales?

When I was in the building stage of my business, I would dedicate 1 to 2 percent of my sales to advertising. Once I was well established and sales were high, I would say I spent about .75 percent of sales. It’s always a good idea to build it into your budget, otherwise you may never find the money for advertising. Also, depending on sales dip or what your competition may be offering, you could be forced into spending advertising dollars that you didn’t intend on spending.