There are three usual ways for a small or mid-sized business to get brand and design work done: hire a designer, retain an agency, or bring in one senior person by the month. None of them is right for everyone. The right one depends on how much work you have, how much direction you need, and whether you want AI and staff training in the same package.
I work the third way, so I’m not neutral. I’ll show my numbers and theirs, and say plainly when the other two are the better choice.
Side by side
| Hire a designer | Agency retainer | By the month | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost in Toronto | About $5,500 or more, all in | Often from $8,000 | $3,495 or $5,495 CAD plus tax |
| Time you get | Full time | Set by the retainer | About 20 or 32 hours |
| Who decides what to make | Usually you | An account team | Me, with you |
| Finished design work | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI built into your work | Rarely | Sometimes, usually extra | Included |
| Staff taught to use it | No | Rarely | Included |
| Who you talk to | The designer | An account manager | The person doing the work |
| Commitment | An employee | A contract, often for a set term | Month to month |
Where the numbers come from
A designer. Salary sites put the average graphic designer in Toronto at roughly $52,000 to $60,000 a year in 2026. PayScale reports about $51,600 on average and about $54,400 mid-career; Indeed about $60,000. Add the employer’s share of CPP and EI, benefits, software and a computer, and a mid-level designer costs about $5,500 a month or more.
An agency. Retainers vary more than anything else here. With a full-service agency they often start around $8,000 a month, and they climb quickly once media buying, video and more people are involved.
By the month. My two plans cover the same work and differ in time: Standard is $3,495 CAD a month for about 20 hours, Priority $5,495 for about 32. Software, ads and printing are extra, as they are with the other two.
When hiring is right
Hire when you have steady production work for 30 hours or more every week: packaging for a growing product line, daily content, a busy retail calendar. A full-time person is cheaper per hour and always there. Be honest with yourself about one thing, though. A designer will make what you ask for. Someone still has to decide what to ask for.
When an agency is right
Use an agency for a big campaign that needs many specialists at once: media buying, a video shoot, PR, a launch in several markets. You pay for the layers, and in return you get the bench. For a twenty-person company that mostly needs clear direction and good everyday materials, those layers are often more than it needs.
When by the month is right
Bring someone in by the month when you need direction and finished work more than forty hours of production a week; when you want AI used in the business and your staff taught, without making a second hire; and when you want to deal directly with the person doing the work. It also fits when you don’t yet know how much you need, because you can stop after any month.
It isn’t right if you need someone in the office every day, or a team of ten for a national launch next month. I’ll tell you that on the first call.
The pricing page has both plans side by side, and why I run brand and AI by the month explains why I chose to work this way.