Marketing & Business Support for Shopify Partners
I help Shopify Partners work out what's holding their marketing back, decide what to do next, and get the work done. That might mean a focused plan, ongoing delivery, or experienced advice when the challenge goes beyond marketing.
Most of my clients are Shopify Partners — agencies, app founders, soloists, and specialists who are serious about growing their business and want an experienced outside perspective to help them do it. I've spent the last 14 years in the ecosystem, including seven at Shopify itself and seven running my own consultancy, so it's a world I know from the inside.
I also work with a small number of founders outside the Shopify ecosystem who are facing similar challenges — if that's you, let's talk.
Most of my work is remote. I have clients across the UK, Europe, and North America, with the occasional early start or late finish to make the time zones work.
There are three ways we can work together.
£1,495 + VAT (if applicable)
Some Shopify Partners know their marketing isn't working as well as it should but aren't sure why. Their positioning may feel vague, their offers difficult to explain, or referrals remain their only reliable source of work. They know something needs to change but not where to start.
The Plan is a focused marketing engagement that identifies what needs attention and turns it into a practical course of action. We'll examine your positioning, offers, pricing, messaging, and where opportunities may be slipping away.
This isn't a 40-page strategy document designed to sit in a drawer. It's a working marketing plan built around your business and priorities.
The Plan usually takes place over two working sessions across two to three weeks. Before the first, you'll complete a short survey so I can arrive prepared and we can spend our time on the work. After the second, I'll turn our decisions into a written, prioritised marketing plan that you can put into action.
The Plan stands on its own, and you can carry it out yourself. If you want help putting it into action, The Engine Room provides hands-on marketing delivery, while The Sounding Board provides ongoing strategic advice.
From £995 p/m + VAT (if applicable)
Most Shopify Partners don't lack marketing ideas. They lack the time and capacity to turn those ideas into consistent work while client delivery or product development takes priority.
The result is stop-start marketing. It goes quiet when things are busy, followed by a rush of posts and emails when new opportunities slow down. By then, you're trying to rebuild attention just when you need it most.
The Engine Room is ongoing marketing support for agencies, app founders, and specialists who need senior direction and hands-on help.
I work alongside you to develop ideas, shape messaging, and turn rough thoughts into finished marketing. The work is collaborative, but I take responsibility for moving it forward rather than leaving you with another list of things to do.
Depending on your priorities, the work might include the following.
Every engagement is different. A typical month includes a working session and two or three substantial pieces of marketing work, such as articles, emails, campaign material, or event follow-up. I can also support active campaigns and launches as they develop.
Some months need more strategic thinking, while others lean towards delivery. Either way, the goal isn't volume. It's to make your business easier to understand, remember, and recommend.
This isn't an outsourced marketing department. I don't run PPC campaigns, optimise funnels, or manage paid social. I focus on positioning, messaging, content, campaigns, and the work that keeps your business useful and visible.
You stay involved in the thinking, while I help carry the work forward. Most Shopify Partners don't need more channels. They need better decisions and more consistent follow-through in the places that already matter.
£695 p/m + VAT (if applicable)
Running a Shopify agency or app business can be surprisingly lonely. The decisions that matter most often land with you, and they can be difficult to judge from inside the business.
A new offer, a pricing change, a shift in positioning, or a difficult team decision can all benefit from someone who understands the context and is willing to challenge your thinking.
The Sounding Board is an ongoing advisory relationship built around two working sessions each month, with Slack and email support between them. There is no fixed agenda. We focus on the decisions and challenges that matter most at the time.
I bring knowledge of the Shopify Partner ecosystem, ask difficult questions, challenge assumptions, and help you examine your options before you commit to them.
You get honest feedback from someone who understands the Shopify Partner world and isn't too close to your business to say what needs saying.
The value builds as I learn your business, your team, and the history behind your decisions. Most clients stay for at least six months because that shared context makes each conversation more useful.
This isn't coaching, therapy, or cheerleading. There is no curriculum or framework, and I won't pretend every idea is a good one. If I think you're wrong, I'll say so and explain why.
Since launching my business in 2019 I've worked with Alvio, Archer Cooper, Beyond Tellerrand, Birmingham Museums Trust, Bounce, Buunto, Cleverific, Colonna Coffee, Disco Labs, Forsberg+two, Fourth Wall Content, Gadget, Gorgias, Kno Commerce, Llanerch Vineyard, Mantle, Milk Bottle Labs, Noughts & Ones, Optizio, Pimsical, Recharge, RecipeKit, Space Squirrel, The Taproom, Sufio, Swanky, The Support Heroes, Three Acres, Tidio, Toward, Treen, Union Works, Venntov, We Make Websites, Whitecap SEO, Zapiet and more.
Q: How quickly can we get started?
Usually within a couple of weeks, depending on availability and the kind of support you need.
Q: What if I need to pause or stop?
If something isn't working, tell me and we'll address it. Ongoing engagements can be paused or ended with one month's notice. Once work has begun, payments already made aren't refundable.
Q: How many clients do you work with at once?
Typically five to eight, which means I can give each client proper attention without spreading myself too thin.
Q: Will you work with clients in the same niche?
Yes. I often work with several agency founders and soloists at the same time. Because the work is specific to each business, this rarely creates a conflict. The exception is app companies: I won't work with two whose products compete directly.
Q: Do you sign NDAs?
Yes. If you need one in place before sharing sensitive information, let me know.
Q: How does billing work?
The Plan is invoiced before work begins. Ongoing engagements are invoiced monthly in advance, in GBP, with seven-day payment terms. If we start partway through a month, I'll invoice you pro rata for that first period. Bank transfer is preferred, although card payment is available.
Q: Do you charge VAT?
Where applicable, I add VAT at 20% to your invoice. My UK VAT registration number is 177672955.
Q: Are you a limited company?
Yes. I work through Metro 55 Limited, incorporated in England and Wales in 2004 under company number 05243642. I trade as Keir Whitaker for simplicity.
If you've read all that and still aren't sure which option is right, that's exactly what a free consultation is for. No pitch, no pressure — just a conversation to work out what would actually help.
Flying Solo is my email newsletter where I share my thoughts on marketing, building a solo business, and life in the Shopify Partner ecosystem — with the occasional detour into useful links, upcoming events, and honest behind-the-scenes lessons.
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