Running a business is expensive, and it’s about to get even pricier.
With National Insurance contributions increasing in 2025, employing staff is going to cost more. So, if you’ve been thinking about hiring an in-house marketing team, you might want to hit pause and consider an alternative: outsourcing to a marketing agency (like Farm Creative!)
Let’s break it down…
What’s changing?
From April 2025, employers will pay 15% in National Insurance contributions instead of 13.8%, and the threshold at which you start paying is dropping from £9100 to £5000. Essentially: you’ll be paying more to employ staff.
The Forgotten Costs of Hiring In-House
Hiring a marketing team, however, isn’t just about their salaries and NI contributions! It’s also important to consider:
- Pensions
- Annual leave and sick pay
- Training costs
- Recruitment fees
Suddenly, the ‘one marketing hire’ is costing a lot more than you planned.
Marketing is also constantly evolving – SEO algorithms and keywords need careful monitoring, social media trends come and go, and it needs a good eye to try and cut through the noise in a crowded digital space. Keeping up with all of this is time-consuming – but it’s what we do best! While you’re focused on running your business, we can work on ensuring your marketing stays fresh, relevant and one step ahead of the competition.
The Smarter Alternative:
Instead of paying for one or two new employees, working with a marketing agency gives you access to an entire team of specialists for a fraction of the costs. A hybrid approach is becoming more popular amongst businesses, from small to medium enterprises, to larger international firms looking to enter the UK market, who may have just one Marketing Manager in-house supported by an outsourced marketing agency.
Expertise Across the Board
Graphic design, social media, SEO, branding, content creation, web design and maintenance, marketing strategy… we have specialists in every area.
No overheads
No national insurance, no pensions, no holiday pay, no tying you down in contracts… we work flexibly to suit your needs to provide expert marketing when you need it.
Fresh ideas and strategies
We work with clients across multiple industries, from rural businesses and agricultural firms to events, fashion, construction, hospitality and leisure. It means we can get a vast understanding of many consumers and their behaviour: so we can bring innovative, agile ideas that in-house teams might not have the time or resources to explore.
If rising employment costs are making you rethink hiring in-house, have a chat with us instead! We’re here to help, and we promise no corporate jargon – just straight-to-the-point marketing that works for your business and delivers you a return on your investment.