I started this brand in my kitchen four years ago, and I still handle most things myself. I assumed I’d need to hire someone just to get an affiliate programme set up, but I didn’t. I connected Shopify, set the commission rates, and built a signup page that matches our site, and we were live in an afternoon. When I got stuck on the payout settings, a real person walked me through it on a call, which I honestly didn’t expect at our size—and I’ve mentioned it to several other founders since. Our ambassadors get paid on time now, and I’ve stopped dreading the first of the month. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Setup definitely requires you to pay attention. It isn’t difficult, but it’s also not a simple three-click process. I did end up redoing my commission structure once, because I hadn’t fully thought through how returns would affect it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.