Start email marketing by collecting emails with clear permission, then automate three emails: a welcome email for new subscribers, a follow-up for people who asked about your service, and a check-in for past customers. In Canada, every marketing email must follow CASL: get consent, say who you are, and include an unsubscribe link.
I set up automated email follow-up for small businesses and online stores, mostly in Klaviyo. Below is the starter setup I'd build if you had zero emails today, plus the Canadian rules that trip people up.
| When it sends | Its job | |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome email | Right after someone joins your list | Say thanks, deliver what you promised, set expectations |
| Inquiry follow-up | A day or two after someone contacts you and goes quiet | Answer common doubts and invite the next step |
| Past customer check-in | A few months after a purchase | Bring them back, or ask for a review |
Is email marketing worth it for a small business?
Yes, if your customers don't always buy on their first visit, which is most customers. Email lets you follow up for very little money, and you own the list. Social media followers belong to the platform. Your email list belongs to you.
Meet Kevin. Kevin filled out your contact form in March, got one polite reply, and then life happened. Kevin wasn't saying no. Kevin was making dinner. Without follow-up, Kevin buys from whoever emails him next. (Sorry, Kevin. We'll come back for you.)
Social apps change their rules whenever they feel like it. Your email list doesn't care about algorithms, and it doesn't vanish when an app does. That's the whole pitch.
How do you start an email list from zero?
Start with the people who already know you: customers, people who contact you, and website visitors. Give them a clear reason to join, like a useful guide or checklist, and say exactly what they'll get and how often. Never add people without their permission.
- A signup box on your website, with one clear reason to join
- A separate, unticked checkbox at checkout or on your contact form
- Something useful in return: a checklist, a price guide, a how-to
- A link to your signup page in your social media bios
What not to do: copy every business card from the networking event into your email tool. I know. The stack of cards is right there on your desk, judging you. CASL only treats a card as permission in narrow cases, and a person who never asked for your emails is a person who clicks "spam". Ask first.
What should a small business send in its emails?
Send emails that help before they sell. A good rhythm is one helpful email for every promotional one: a tip, an answer to a common question, a behind-the-scenes look, then an offer. Keep each email to one idea and one button.
- The question you answer ten times a week
- A quick win they can do today
- What happens when they work with you, step by step
- A real customer story, with their permission
- An offer, with a real deadline if it has one
If every email you send is a sale, your list learns one thing: ignore you. Nobody wants the friend who only calls when he's moving apartments.
Not sure your website is collecting emails at all? A free website audit checks your signup, your forms and your follow-up in one go.
Is your email marketing CASL compliant?
Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) says every commercial email needs three things: consent, clear identification of who sent it, and a working unsubscribe link. According to the CRTC, unsubscribe requests must be honoured within 10 business days.
| Type of consent | How you get it | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Express consent | They clearly said yes, like ticking an unticked box | Until they unsubscribe |
| Implied, from a purchase | They bought from you | 2 years from the last purchase |
| Implied, from an inquiry | They asked you a question | 6 months from the inquiry |
The fines aren't a joke, even though I'm about to make one. CASL penalties can reach $10 million per violation for a business. That's a lot of money to spend emailing your cousin's friend's dentist.
The easy fix: ask for express consent whenever you can, and keep a record of when and how each person joined. Good email tools record this for you.
Which email marketing tool should a small business use?
Pick the tool that fits what you sell. Online stores usually do best with a tool that connects to the store, like Klaviyo for Shopify. A service business can start with any tool that has an affordable plan, simple automations and a signup form.
Prices change often, so check each tool's own pricing page before you choose. The tool matters less than whether you actually turn the automations on. A cheap tool with a working welcome email beats an expensive one with nothing switched on.
Plenty of email accounts end up like gym memberships: paid every month, opened once, deeply motivating in January.
Running an online store? Your first automation should be a cart reminder. Here are abandoned cart emails with examples you can copy.
What are the best email marketing tips for small businesses?
Write like a person, keep one idea per email, use a subject line that says what is inside, send on a steady schedule, and watch replies and clicks, not just opens. Automate the emails that should go out every time, so they never depend on your memory.
- Write the way you talk. If you wouldn't say it out loud, don't send it.
- One idea, one button. Two buttons means two decisions, and people pick neither.
- Say what is inside. "3 ways to cut your heating bill" beats "Newsletter #14".
- Send from a real name. People open emails from people.
- Clean your list. Remove people who never open, so your emails keep landing in inboxes.
- Automate the repeat emails. Welcome, follow-up and check-in should run on their own.
Kevin, by the way, would have received three helpful emails by now. Kevin would have booked.
That last tip is where most of the money is. If you'd rather not build it yourself, I set up automated email follow-up for small businesses and online stores, with a 90-day money-back guarantee.
What I found on 10 Vaughan business websites
When I reviewed 10 Vaughan Chamber of Commerce member homepages in October 2026, none scored full marks for staying in touch with visitors who weren't ready to buy. Most offered only a contact form or a phone number, and none said when they'd reply.
That's a lot of Kevins. Each of those businesses pays, in time, ads or networking, to get people to its website, then lets the ones who aren't ready walk away with nothing. A signup box and one welcome email would catch some of them.
Common questions
How much does email marketing cost for a small business?
Many email tools have free or low-cost plans for small lists, and the price grows with your list. Idea Marketing's 2026 guide puts email marketing tools at about $20 to $300 a month. Setup help is usually a separate, one-time cost.
How often should a small business send emails?
Send on a schedule you can keep. For most small businesses, once or twice a month is a good start, plus automated emails like welcome and follow-up that send on their own.
Can I email people who gave me their business card?
Sometimes, but be careful. CASL allows implied consent in some cases, such as when someone gives you their card and your email relates to their work. The safest route is to ask them directly if they want your emails.
What should my first marketing email be?
A welcome email. Thank them for joining, give them what you promised, tell them what to expect and how often, and invite one simple next step.
Want to know if your website is catching emails at all? Get a free website audit. I'll check your forms, signup and follow-up, and tell you what I'd fix first.
Read next: Abandoned cart emails: how they work, with examples