business plan ad agency

Advertising Agency Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Advertising Agency Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Advertising Agency business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Advertising Agencies.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Advertising Agency business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

The Premium Advertising Agency is a startup advertising agency located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company is founded by Patricia and Danielle Swanson, sisters who have amassed millions of dollars for their clients over the past ten years while working at a national chain advertising agency. Now that they’ve garnered a positive reputation of securing a high rate of visibility and profitability for their clients, they have decided to form their own company and they’ve invited former clients to join them. They plan on recruiting a highly-effective team of associates to help manage their agency at the highest peak of performance and stellar results for their clients.

The Premium Advertising Agency will provide a comprehensive array of advertising services to a wide variety of companies and entities that need assistance in launching or growing their businesses. The Premium Advertising Agency will be a one-stop shop for everything needed to propel any business to the next level of profitability and exposure to new client bases within their local region. Premium Advertising Agency will be the ultimate choice in Cincinnati for advertising campaigns and services, while also being a moderately-priced agency in the city.

Product Offering

The following are the services that Premium Advertising Agency will provide:

• Full-service digital media marketing
• Targeted traffic campaigns
• Market research
• Strategic traditional advertising campaigns
• Innovative and results-driven solutions
• Social media analytics
• Content creation (website, social media)
• Influencer marketing
• Paid advertising campaigns
• Day to day account management

Customer Focus

Premium Advertising Agency will target small-to-large-sized businesses within the greater Cincinnati region. There is no company that is too small or too large that cannot benefit from a comprehensive and effective advertising promotion or ongoing advertising program. Premium Advertising Agency will target executive board members at networking events. Premium advertising Agency will target diverse, women-owned and veteran-owned businesses.

Premium Advertising Agency will target marketing managers via local and national associations.

Management Team

Premium Advertising Agency will be co-owned and operated by Patricia and Danielle Swanson. They have recruited Jay Jameson to be the Accounts Manager and Lawrence Slater to be the Staff Accountant. In addition, they have recruited Janelle Meredith to be the Human Resources Manager.

Patricia Swanson is a graduate of the University of Ohio, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Digital Marketing. Danielle Swanson is also a graduate of the University of Ohio, where her earned degree was in Business Management. Patricia and Danielle amassed millions of dollars for their clients over the past ten years while working at a national chain advertising agency. Now that they’ve garnered a positive reputation of securing a high rate of visibility and profitability for their clients, they have decided to form their own company and they’ve invited former clients to join them.

Success Factors

Premium Advertising Agency will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly-qualified team at the Premium Advertising Agency
• Comprehensive menu of services, including social media and digital campaigns
• Traditional advertising campaigns with highly-productive and profitable results
• Innovative techniques that solve the difficult advertising issues of today’s consumer groups
• Select marketing and advertising campaigns for startup companies.
• Premium Advertising Agency offers the best pricing packages for full-service, ongoing account maintenance or one-time marketing campaigns. Their pricing structure is the most cost effective when compared to their competition.

Financial Highlights

Premium Advertising Agency is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its Premium Advertising Agency. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Office space build-out: $20,000
• Office equipment, supplies, and materials: $10,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $150,000
• Marketing costs: $10,000
• Working capital: $10,000

The following graph outlines the financial projections for Premium Advertising Agency.

Company Overview

Who is premium advertising agency.

Premium Advertising Agency is a newly established, full-service advertising agency in Cincinnati, Ohio. Premium Advertising Agency will be the most reliable, effective, and results-driven choice for all businesses in Cincinnati and the surrounding communities. Premium Advertising Agency will provide a comprehensive menu of advertising and marketing services for any business, large or small, to utilize. Their full-service approach includes a comprehensive array of customized campaigns.

  Premium Advertising Agency will be able to actively manage every client account, with dedication to the unique needs of each client. The team of professionals are highly qualified and experienced in marketing and advertising across all traditional methods and digital platforms, as well. Premium Advertising Agency removes all the typical headaches and issues of advertising and marketing and ensures effective solutions are provided, while delivering the best customer service at the same time.

Premium Advertising Agency History

Since incorporation, Premium Advertising Agency has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered Premium Advertising Agency, LLC to transact business in the state of California.
• Has a contract in place for a 20,000 square foot office in a midtown building.
• Reached out to numerous contacts and former clients to spread the word and follow Premium Advertising Agency to their new location.
• Began recruiting a staff of fifteen account managers and six office personnel to work at Premium Advertising Agency.

Premium Advertising Agency Services

The following will be the services Premium Advertising Agency will provide:

Industry Analysis

The advertising agency industry is expected to grow over the next five years to over $500 billion. The growth will be driven by an increased dependency on social media marketing and various forms of digital campaigns. These will replace some traditional forms of advertising and marketing. The growth will also be driven by an increased number of customers who view the internet for a variety of purposes, where advertisements can be strategically placed to influence buying decisions. The growth will also be driven by the application of technological solutions and invitations to consumers not yet known. The growth will be driven by fewer brick-and-mortar stores and an increase in online purchases and marketing campaigns thus directed. Costs will likely be reduced as digital platforms and consumer invitations will become more plentiful and thus, less expensive to produce.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

Premium Advertising Agency will target the businesses in Cincinnati, Ohio. They will target marketing directors and executive personnel of companies. They will target startup companies that are diverse, woman-owned or veteran-owned. They will target associations and trade show events where personal meetings with executives can take place.

Customer Segmentation

Premium Advertising Agency will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• Businesses in the Cincinnati, Ohio region.
• Marketing directors
• C-suite executives and decision-makers
• Startup company executives of diverse, woman-owned, or veteran-owned businesses
• Marketing association executives and thought leaders

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Premium Advertising Agency will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Boone & Stratton Advertising

Boone & Stratton Advertising provides comprehensive marketing and advertising services within Cincinnati, Ohio and the surrounding communities. The company is over 100 years old and is entrenched with family members of both original partners, Madison Boone and Jeremy Stratton. The company has 100 advertising managers, who primarily focus on traditional advertising methods in print, telephone, and added-value inserts in publications. The company leases a multi-story building in the downtown area of Cincinnati and is known for the “team spirit” of the advertising account managers and rigorous standards of professionalism required of each by the executive board members.

Although Boone & Stratton Advertising is well-entrenched in the Cincinnati business landscape, the company does not engage in digital marketing or social media outreach campaigns. This leaves the opening for newer, innovative companies to enter their space and engage with their customers, particularly if companies are targeting younger demographic audiences.

SportsSupport Ad Agency

The SportsSupport Ad Agency is a company that focuses on the sports industry throughout the U.S. The Cincinnati location is one of 25 within this national chain advertising agency and the focus for this location is on regional sports clients. The advertising agency has highly-segmented sports apparel clients directed toward outdoor winter activities, as well as spring, summer and fall activities that include boats, fishing and accessory clients for those targeted audience segments. SportsSupport Ad Agency uses social media marketing via popular channels and uses certain channels to conduct surveys or to test product ideas. Most of the campaigns are directed toward the executives within the industries related to sports and their ad budgets for the yearly track of traditional advertisements.

XYZ Digital Promotions

XYZ Digital Promotions is a social media marketing agency located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company targets the brand managers who oversee products that appeal to younger demographic customers. XYZ Digital Promotions claims to effectively enter and invite that target market better than any other advertising agency. XYZ Digital Promotions targets and partners with executives of beer, music festivals, streetwear, and hip hop music labels to bring the message to consumers via structured and direct digital campaigns.

XYZ Digital Promotions was founded in 2020 during the global pandemic. The brand messages offered to consumers were on-point and spoke to their “human condition,” as well as pointing to a variety of products to solve or provide solace for those hard conditions. Campaigns include new music cuts and contain an array of references to popular stars of the year, with memes and graphic art elements to most campaigns. XYZ Digital Promotions is a highly-segmented, successful advertising and marketing company directed to the consumer aged 17-25.

Competitive Advantage

Premium Advertising Agency will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

• Innovative techniques that solve the advertising issues of today’s consumer groups

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Premium Advertising Agency will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

• Highly-qualified team of skilled employees who are able to provide a comprehensive array of social media campaigns and traditional advertising techniques to ensure successful growth for their clients.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Premium Advertising Agency is as follows:

Word of Mouth/Referrals

Premium Advertising Agency has built up an extensive list of contacts and clients over the years by providing exceptional service and expertise to their account clients. Premium Advertising Agency invites former and current clients to follow them to the new company and help spread the word of the Premium Advertising Agency.

Professional Associations and Networking

Premium Advertising Agency will embark on a thorough campaign to network extensively through regional association and business groups. They will also target marketing directors and executive personnel within those same business groups. They will target startup companies that are diverse, woman-owned or veteran-owned.

Website/SEO Marketing

Premium Advertising Agency will fully utilize their website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that Premium Advertising Agency provides. The website will also list their contact information. Agency brand managers, and list their top-tier brand alliances. The Premium Advertising Agency’s website presence will engage SEO marketing tactics so that anytime someone types in the Google or Bing search engine “advertising agency” or “marketing company near me”, Premium Advertising Agency will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of Premium Advertising Agency will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive excellent value when purchasing their services.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Premium Advertising Agency. Operation Functions:

• Patricia Swanson will be the President and co-owner of the company. Danielle Swanson will be the Vice President and co-owner of the company. They will oversee all staff and manage client relations. Danielle and Patricia have spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
• Jay Jameson, a former associate at their prior employer, will take on the role of the Accounts Manager, directing and assisting Account Representatives.
• Janelle Meredith, a former associate, will be the Administrative Manager, and will manage the office administration, client files, and provide human resources training.
• Lawrence Slater will be the Staff Accountant, providing all client accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.

Milestones:

Premium Advertising Agency will have the following milestones completed in the next six months.

• 5/1/202X – Finalize contract to lease office space
• 5/15/202X – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts for Premium Advertising Agency
• 6/1/202X – Finalize contracts for Premium Advertising Agency clients
• 6/15/202X – Begin networking at industry events
• 6/22/202X – Begin moving into Premium Advertising Agency office
• 7/1/202X – Premium Advertising Agency opens its office for business

Jay Jameson, a former associate at their prior employer, will take on the role of the Accounts Manager, directing and assisting Account Representatives. Janelle Meredith, a former associate, will be the Administrative Manager, and will manage the office administration, client files, and provide human resources training. Lawrence Slater will be the Staff Accountant, providing all client accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Premium Advertising Agency are the fees they will charge to their clients for their advertising and marketing services.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff Premium Advertising Agency. The expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, office supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Premium Advertising Agency is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its advertising agency. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and association memberships. The breakout of the funding is below:

Key Assumptions

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

• Number of Clients Per Month: 35
• Average Revenue per Month: $175,000
• Office Lease per Year: $100,000

Financial Projections

Income statement.

Balance Sheet

Cash Flow Statement

Advertising Agency Business Plan FAQs

What is an advertising agency business plan.

An advertising agency business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your advertising agency business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your Advertising Agency business plan using our Advertising Agency Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Advertising Agency Businesses? 

There are a number of different kinds of advertising agency businesses , some examples include: Full-Service Advertising Agency, Digital Advertising Agency, and Traditional Advertising Agency.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Advertising Agency Business Plan?

Advertising Agency businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start an Advertising Agency Business?

Starting an advertising agency business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop An Advertising Agency Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed advertising agency business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast. 

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your advertising agency business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your advertising agency business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Advertising Agency Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your advertising agency business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws.

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your advertising agency business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms.

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations.

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events.

7. Acquire Necessary Advertising Agency Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your advertising agency business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation.

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your advertising agency business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful advertising agency business:

• How to Start an Advertising Agency

Free Download

Advertising Agency Business Plan Template

Download this free advertising agency business plan template, with pre-filled examples, to create your own plan..

Or plan with professional support in LivePlan. Save 50% today

Available formats:

What you get with this template

A complete business plan.

Text and financials are already filled out and ready for you to update.

• SBA-lender approved format

Your plan is formatted the way lenders and investors expect.

Edit to your needs

Download as a Word document and edit your business plan right away.

• Detailed instructions

Features clear and simple instructions from expert business plan writers.

All 100% free. We're here to help you succeed in business, no strings attached.

Get the most out of your business plan example

Follow these tips to quickly develop a working business plan from this sample.

1. Don't worry about finding an exact match

We have over 550 sample business plan templates . So, make sure the plan is a close match, but don't get hung up on the details.

Your business is unique and will differ from any example or template you come across. So, use this example as a starting point and customize it to your needs.

2. Remember it's just an example

Our sample business plans are examples of what one business owner did. That doesn't make them perfect or require you to cram your business idea to fit the plan structure.

Use the information, financials, and formatting for inspiration. It will speed up and guide the plan writing process.

3. Know why you're writing a business plan

To create a plan that fits your needs , you need to know what you intend to do with it.

Are you planning to use your plan to apply for a loan or pitch to investors? Then it's worth following the format from your chosen sample plan to ensure you cover all necessary information.

But, if you don't plan to share your plan with anyone outside of your business—you likely don't need everything.

More business planning resources

How to Write a Business Plan for Investors

Industry Business Planning Guides

10 Qualities of a Good Business Plan

How to Write a Business Plan

How to Start a Business With No Money

Simple Business Plan Outline

Business Plan Template

How to Create a Business Plan Presentation

Download your template now

Need to validate your idea, secure funding, or grow your business this template is for you..

• Fill-in-the-blank simplicity
• Expert tips & tricks

We care about your privacy. See our privacy policy .

Not ready to download right now? We'll email you the link so you can download it whenever you're ready.

Download as Docx

Download as PDF

Finish your business plan with confidence

Step-by-step guidance and world-class support from the #1 business planning software

The quickest way to turn a business idea into a business plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

No thanks, I prefer writing 40-page documents.

Discover the world’s #1 plan building software

How to Create an Advertising Agency Business Plan

Blog > how to create an advertising agency business plan, table of content, introduction, executive summary, company overview, market analysis, target market and customer analysis, competitor analysis, services and offerings, marketing and sales strategies, operational plan, human resources and talent acquisition, financial projections, budgeting and resource allocation, client acquisition and retention, technology and innovation, risk management and legal compliance, expansion and growth strategies, exit strategy, our other categories.

• Company Valuation
• Pitch Deck Essentials
• Raising Capital
• Startup Guide
• Uncategorized

Reading Time : 24 Min

Business plan 101.

Starting an advertising agency is an exciting venture, but success requires careful planning. A comprehensive business plan is the foundation of your agency’s growth and profitability. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of creating a well-structured advertising agency business plan that aligns with your goals. As an expert startup consultant service provider, Stellar Business Plans is here to support you in crafting a winning strategy that stands out in the competitive advertising industry.

The executive summary is the gateway to your business plan, offering a concise overview of your agency’s key elements. This section is your chance to make a strong first impression and capture the reader’s attention. While providing an elevator pitch, emphasize the unique aspects of your agency that set it apart from the competition. Include your mission and vision statements, key services, target market, and the most significant financial projections. Keep it brief, engaging, and compelling to entice investors, partners, and potential clients to read further.

Stellar Business Tips:

• Keep the executive summary clear and concise, focusing on the unique value your agency brings to the market.
• Highlight your agency’s key differentiators, such as specialized expertise, innovative approaches, or a client-centric approach.

Example: “XYZ Advertising Agency offers data-driven solutions that deliver up to 30% higher conversion rates for our clients, thanks to our cutting-edge AI-powered ad targeting algorithms.”

The company overview provides essential background information about your advertising agency. Detail the founding story, explaining the inspiration behind your agency and the driving force that led to its establishment. Introduce the key stakeholders, founders, and leadership team, highlighting their expertise and experience in the advertising industry. Clearly state your agency’s mission, vision, and values to showcase your commitment to delivering exceptional services. Additionally, provide insights into your agency’s current status, such as the number of employees, locations, and awards or recognitions received.

• Personalize the company overview by sharing anecdotes or personal experiences that motivated you to start the agency.
• Emphasize your team’s collective strengths and past successes to build trust and credibility.

Example: “Our agency, Stellar Ads, was founded by marketing enthusiasts with a shared passion for creative storytelling. Our team members collectively bring over 50 years of experience in successful advertising campaigns for Fortune 500 companies.”

A thorough market analysis is crucial to understanding the advertising industry’s current state and future trends. Conduct extensive research on market growth rates, industry size, and key drivers shaping the advertising landscape. Identify emerging technologies and digital platforms that are disrupting traditional advertising methods. Gather data on consumer behavior, preferences, and engagement with different advertising channels. Use industry reports, market research, and expert insights to back up your analysis and projections.

• Utilize reputable sources and industry reports for market data and statistics.
• Focus on current and future trends that will impact the advertising industry, such as the rise of mobile advertising or the growth of influencer marketing.

Example: “According to the Global Advertising Market report by Grand View Research, the global advertising market is projected to reach $654.55 billion by 2028, with digital advertising accounting for over 50% of total ad spending.”

Defining your target market is critical for tailoring your advertising strategies to meet specific needs. Identify the primary industries or sectors you want to serve and the demographics of your ideal clients. Create buyer personas to better understand the pain points, challenges, and aspirations of your target audience. Conduct surveys or interviews with potential clients to gain valuable insights into their expectations from an advertising agency. Analyze competitors’ clientele to identify gaps and opportunities for your agency.

• Consider conducting focus groups or beta testing campaigns to gather feedback from potential clients before launch.
• Use social listening tools to monitor online conversations and understand customer sentiment regarding advertising trends and campaigns.

Example: “Our target market includes tech startups and e-commerce businesses in the B2C segment, aged 25-35, who seek innovative and visually captivating ad campaigns to stand out in a competitive market.”

A comprehensive competitor analysis helps you position your agency strategically in the market. Identify direct and indirect competitors, evaluating their strengths, weaknesses, and market share. Study their marketing and sales strategies, service offerings, pricing models, and client retention practices. Identify areas where your agency can excel and differentiate itself from competitors. Highlight your competitive advantages and how you plan to capture market share from established players.

• Use a SWOT analysis to identify your agency’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in comparison to competitors.
• Conduct regular competitor monitoring to stay updated on their new offerings and strategies.

Example: “Competitor A excels in social media marketing, but our agency’s strength lies in data-driven audience targeting, providing clients with a higher return on investment (ROI) through efficient ad spend.”

Detail the breadth and depth of your advertising services, showcasing your expertise in various advertising channels. Describe each service in-depth, including the strategies, tools, and technologies used to deliver exceptional results to clients. Provide case studies and success stories of previous campaigns that demonstrate your agency’s capabilities. Present testimonials or feedback from satisfied clients to build trust and credibility with potential clients.

• Highlight case studies where your agency’s creativity and problem-solving skills resulted in successful campaigns.
• Mention your agency’s adaptability to new advertising platforms and technologies to demonstrate your readiness for future challenges.

Example: “Our comprehensive services encompass digital advertising, content marketing, brand storytelling, and influencer partnerships. In a recent campaign for Client B, we increased brand awareness by 50% through a compelling social media storytelling series.”

A well-crafted marketing and sales strategy is essential for attracting clients and driving business growth. Outline your digital marketing efforts, content marketing, social media presence, and thought leadership initiatives. Leverage search engine optimization (SEO) to increase your agency’s visibility and organic reach. Showcase your agency’s past successes to demonstrate your track record of delivering results. Additionally, develop a sales playbook that outlines your sales team’s strategies, tactics, and target metrics for lead generation and conversion.

• Showcase your agency’s expertise through thought leadership content, such as blog posts, webinars, or whitepapers.
• Leverage client testimonials and case studies in your marketing materials to establish credibility and trust.

Example: “Our marketing strategy includes targeted content marketing and thought leadership webinars that showcase our agency’s expertise in the advertising industry. We consistently engage with our audience on social media platforms to build lasting relationships.”

The operational plan outlines how your agency will function on a day-to-day basis to deliver outstanding services. Define the organizational structure and hierarchy, including the roles and responsibilities of each team member. Emphasize collaboration and cross-functional communication to ensure seamless workflow. Detail the workflow for creating and executing advertising campaigns, from initial client briefings to campaign launch and reporting.

• Emphasize the importance of open communication and collaboration between creative and account teams to deliver cohesive campaigns.
• Implement a project management system to streamline workflow and ensure timely delivery of campaigns.

Example: “Our agency follows an agile project management approach, allowing creative teams to collaborate with account managers and clients in real-time, resulting in efficient campaign execution and streamlined processes.”

An advertising agency’s success heavily relies on its team of creative professionals, marketers, and account managers. Detail your talent acquisition and retention strategies, emphasizing a culture that fosters creativity, innovation, and growth. Offer competitive compensation packages, professional development opportunities, and incentives to retain top talent. Outline your recruitment process, employee training programs, and mentoring initiatives to nurture and upskill your team.

• Offer flexible work arrangements and a positive work culture to attract and retain diverse talent.
• Encourage continuous learning and skill development to keep your team updated on the latest advertising trends and technologies.

Example: “Our agency provides ongoing training and development programs to nurture our team’s creative and strategic skills. We foster a culture of open communication and creative freedom, ensuring every team member feels valued and motivated.”

Financial projections are essential for demonstrating the agency’s viability and potential return on investment. Provide detailed revenue projections based on your target market and service offerings. Factor in pricing strategies, growth rates, and market share estimations. Include expense projections, such as salaries, marketing, technology, rent, and overhead costs. Prepare income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow forecasts for multiple years to demonstrate long-term sustainability.

• Use conservative estimates in your financial projections to account for unexpected challenges or market fluctuations.
• Include a sensitivity analysis to understand how changes in key variables may impact your agency’s financial performance.

Example: “Our financial projections indicate a 20% revenue growth in the first year, driven by increased demand for digital advertising services. We anticipate a healthy profit margin of 15%, with prudent cost management.”

A well-managed budget ensures efficient resource allocation and maximizes the return on investments. Develop a detailed budget for various operational and marketing expenses, ensuring they align with your business objectives. Consider potential cost-saving measures and opportunities for strategic investments to fuel growth. Regularly review and adjust your budget based on performance and changing market dynamics.

• Keep a contingency budget for unforeseen circumstances, such as sudden campaign changes or market disruptions.
• Allocate resources based on data and performance metrics to optimize ROI.

Example: “Our budget allocates 30% of total funds for marketing and lead generation efforts, as we aim to expand our client base through targeted campaigns and strategic partnerships.”

Attracting and retaining clients is the lifeblood of an advertising agency. Develop a comprehensive client acquisition plan, including lead generation strategies, outreach initiatives, and networking efforts. Implement a structured client onboarding process to ensure clear communication, expectations, and deliverables. Focus on building long-term relationships and delivering outstanding results to retain clients and encourage referrals.

• Offer attractive referral programs or incentives for clients who refer new business to your agency.
• Establish a client feedback system to continuously improve your services based on client preferences and satisfaction.

Example: “Our agency maintains strong relationships with our clients by providing regular performance reports and conducting satisfaction surveys. We incentivize client referrals with exclusive access to upcoming beta campaigns.”

Advertising is rapidly evolving, driven by technological advancements and digital transformation. Embrace technology to enhance your advertising campaigns and improve data analytics. Adopt advanced tools and platforms for audience targeting, retargeting, and campaign optimization. Stay abreast of emerging technologies and trends to stay competitive and offer innovative solutions to clients.

• Invest in analytics tools to gather data on campaign performance and audience behavior, enabling data-driven decision-making.
• Keep your team updated on the latest advertising technologies through training and workshops.

Example: “Our agency harnesses AI-driven analytics tools to precisely target audiences and optimize campaigns in real-time. Our technology investments allow us to deliver more personalized ad experiences, resulting in higher engagement rates.”

The advertising industry comes with its fair share of risks, from data breaches to campaign performance challenges. Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies to minimize their impact on your agency’s operations. Ensure your agency complies with advertising laws, data privacy regulations, and industry standards. Educate your team on ethical advertising practices and transparency in client communications.

• Establish a crisis management plan to address potential reputation-damaging scenarios swiftly and effectively.
• Regularly review and update your agency’s legal compliance policies to stay aligned with changing regulations.

Example: “Our agency employs data encryption protocols and adheres to GDPR guidelines to protect client data and ensure utmost privacy. We have a crisis management team in place to handle any unforeseen challenges.”

To sustain long-term success, consider opportunities for geographic expansion or niche market penetration. Evaluate the feasibility of offering additional services, such as branding, public relations, or content marketing. Explore strategic partnerships or collaborations with complementary agencies to broaden your service offerings and reach new client segments. Assess potential mergers or acquisitions to accelerate growth and expand your agency’s market presence.

• Consider forming partnerships with local businesses or startups to enter new markets and gain regional expertise.
• Leverage industry events and conferences to network and explore potential growth opportunities.

Example: “We plan to expand our agency’s reach by partnering with a boutique PR firm to offer integrated branding and communication solutions for our clients, providing a one-stop-shop experience.”

While it may seem premature, having a well-thought-out exit strategy demonstrates your agency’s long-term planning and vision. Outline your objectives for a potential exit, whether it involves selling the agency, merging with another firm, or transitioning ownership to key team members. Develop a succession plan to ensure a smooth transfer of leadership and continuity for your clients.

• Consult with financial advisors or industry experts to determine the most suitable exit strategy for your agency’s long-term goals.
• Ensure all legal agreements and contracts allow for a seamless transfer of ownership or dissolution.

Example: “Our agency’s exit strategy involves grooming internal talent for future leadership positions and maintaining a strong client-centric focus to ensure client retention in the event of an ownership transition.”

The advertising industry is dynamic and competitive, demanding a well-crafted business plan to navigate its complexities successfully. By following this comprehensive guide and creating a detailed advertising agency business plan, you’ll position your agency for growth, profitability, and long-term success. At Stellar Business Plans, we understand the intricacies of developing effective business strategies. Our team of expert consultants is here to guide you through every step, from market analysis to financial projections, to make your advertising agency thrive. Let’s embark on this exciting journey together, making your mark in the advertising world and achieving extraordinary results for your clients.

Start Your Journey With Us

To know us more.

Updated On : September 1, 2023

Total shares:, average rating :, related posts.

How to Write a Business Plan for a Loan

How to create an airline business plan, how to create an effective amazon fba business plan, how to create an agricultural business plan, how to create an accounting business plan, how to create 3d printing business plan, how to create mcdonalds restaurant business plan, how to create a bbq restaurant business plan, how to create airbnb business plan, how to create a gym business plan: complete guide, how to write a strong executive summary.

13 Reasons why you need a Solid Business Plan

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 4.3 / 5. Vote count: 16

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

WhatsApp us

Advertising Agency Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

Advertising Agency Business Plan

If you want to start an advertising agency or expand your current ad agency, you need a business plan.

You can download our business plan template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

The following advertising agency business plan template gives you the key elements to include in your own advertising agency business plan. It can be used to create a business plan for a full-service digital marketing agency, social media marketing agency, email marketing agency, creative agency, public relations firm, or a creative agency business plan.

Sample Business Plan Template For Advertising Agencies

Below are links to each of the key sections of a successful advertising agency business plan. Once you create your plan, download it to PDF to show banks and investors.

• Executive Summary
• Company Overview
• Industry Analysis
• Customer Analysis
• Competitive Analysis
• Marketing Plan
• Operations Plan
• Management Team
• Financial Plan

Comments are closed.

Advertising Agency Business Plan Home I. Executive Summary II. Company Overview III. Industry Analysis IV. Customer Analysis V. Competitive Analysis VI. Marketing Plan VII. Operations Plan VIII. Management Team IX. Financial Plan

• Starting a Business

Our Top Picks

• Best Small Business Loans
• Best Business Internet Service
• Best Online Payroll Service
• Best Business Phone Systems

Our In-Depth Reviews

• OnPay Payroll Review
• ADP Payroll Review
• Ooma Office Review
• RingCentral Review

Explore More

• Business Solutions
• Entrepreneurship
• Franchising
• Best Accounting Software
• Best Merchant Services Providers
• Best Credit Card Processors
• Best Mobile Credit Card Processors
• Clover Review
• Merchant One Review
• QuickBooks Online Review
• Xero Accounting Review
• Financial Solutions

Human Resources

• Best Human Resources Outsourcing Services
• Best Time and Attendance Software
• Best PEO Services
• Best Business Employee Retirement Plans
• Bambee Review
• Rippling HR Software Review
• TriNet Review
• Gusto Payroll Review
• HR Solutions

Marketing and Sales

• Best Text Message Marketing Services
• Best CRM Software
• Best Email Marketing Services
• Best Website Builders
• Textedly Review
• Salesforce Review
• EZ Texting Review
• Textline Review
• Business Intelligence
• Marketing Solutions
• Marketing Strategy
• Public Relations
• Social Media
• Best GPS Fleet Management Software
• Best POS Systems
• Best Employee Monitoring Software
• Best Document Management Software
• Verizon Connect Fleet GPS Review
• Zoom Review
• Samsara Review
• Zoho CRM Review
• Technology Solutions

Business Basics

• 4 Simple Steps to Valuing Your Small Business
• How to Write a Business Growth Plan
• 12 Business Skills You Need to Master
• How to Start a One-Person Business
• FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks Comparison
• Salesforce CRM vs. Zoho CRM
• RingCentral vs. Zoom Comparison
• 10 Ways to Generate More Sales Leads

Business.com aims to help business owners make informed decisions to support and grow their companies. We research and recommend products and services suitable for various business types, investing thousands of hours each year in this process.

As a business, we need to generate revenue to sustain our content. We have financial relationships with some companies we cover, earning commissions when readers purchase from our partners or share information about their needs. These relationships do not dictate our advice and recommendations. Our editorial team independently evaluates and recommends products and services based on their research and expertise. Learn more about our process and partners here .

Starting an Advertising Agency

Launching an advertising agency is a low-cost way to enter the world of entrepreneurship.

Table of Contents

Every business needs to advertise and spread the word to new customers to keep growing. Some small businesses and startups may need to keep their marketing and advertising needs in-house to start, but external marketing and advertising agencies can bring many benefits to the table, especially for companies looking to expand their reach. Many companies, including small businesses, rely on the expertise of advertising agencies to help them create and execute effective marketing strategies . 

In the digital marketing era, ad agencies conduct their business and provide services primarily online, making them both low-cost and COVID-19-friendly. While some agencies prefer to run their operations out of physical locations, traditional Mad Men operations are quickly becoming a thing of the past. This paves the way for more accessible and specialized advertising agencies to cater to a broader range of clients and businesses. 

If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur with a background in marketing and communications, here’s what you need to know about starting an advertising agency.

How to start an advertising agency

Once you’ve decided to start your own ad agency, follow these steps.

2. Create a business plan for your advertising agency.

Before you can get up and running, you’ll need to create a detailed business plan to guide your growth and internal strategy.

The three main purposes of a business plan are to establish your business focus, secure funding (if you’re planning to seek investor capital as your agency grows), and attract executive leaders to help you manage your company. Include the following elements in your plan.

• Executive summary: What does your advertising agency do?
• Company description: What defines your company?
• Product/service overview: What services do you offer your clients?
• Market analysis: What kinds of clients does your agency target?
• Financial plan: What are your expected expenses, and how will you make money to sustain operations?

2. Choose your pricing model.

Most advertising agencies make money by brainstorming and developing creative assets for their clients, including traditional advertising campaigns and content marketing pieces, like blogs and social media posts. You can use several pricing models to charge your clients. The best one for you depends on the type of work you do and how you work with your clients. You’ll need to decide if you’ll charge per hour, per project or according to a fixed retainer model, in which a client pays an agreed-upon amount in advance for a certain number of service hours. A flexible or hybrid approach with different payment structures can help you meet clients’ needs while allowing them to stay on budget. 

3. Stay on top of the advertising game.

If you subscribe to trade publications, blogs and podcasts geared toward ad agencies, you can keep up with industry events, trends, suppliers and technology. Here are some top advertising blogs to follow, as well as reputable ad industry sources:

• Kissmetrics

4. Join advertising industry trade associations.

Joining a trade association allows you to continue your education, keep up with trends and technology , meet with your peers at trade shows and conventions, and enter awards contests to add to your credentials.

While there are many niche organizations for specific types of advertisers, consider joining one of the following organizations for general advertising and marketing professionals:

• American Advertising Federation
• American Marketing Association
• Association of National Advertisers (ANA)
• Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)

5. Find clients for your advertising agency.

Every advertising agency needs clients. Before you start spreading the word about your marketing services, decide what types of businesses you want to work with (in terms of industries, business size, location, services needed and so on). Once you’ve defined your ideal client, research companies that fit your description and study their current advertising efforts.

By going after businesses with a small or lackluster marketing presence, you can offer yourself as a solution for busy entrepreneurs and business leaders who need help taking their advertising to the next level. Highlight the benefits of advertising and demonstrate how good marketing can help your prospects earn new business and grow their revenue.

Once you have a few regular clients, you can politely and professionally request a testimonial or referral to keep expanding your client base through word-of-mouth recommendations.

6. Build your contacts.

If you’re planning to help your clients with ad placements on television, radio shows, podcasts, blogs and news publications, you’ll need to start building a stable of media contacts. From these outlets, collect media kits that list advertising rates, demographics and specs so you know what kinds of campaigns might be appropriate for your clients to place there. Prepare to introduce yourself to sales representatives at the media outlets you plan to use regularly. Create a portfolio of past work, if you have been in the industry, to highlight ad campaigns you’ve worked on in the past and thus make your ad sales meetings go more smoothly.

7. Create an incredible website to sell your services.

Like all modern businesses, your advertising agency needs a robust, informative website that engages potential clients and explains how you can help them with their marketing campaigns. You can go the DIY route and choose one of the many available website-building tools, or hire a professional web designer or digital marketing agency to create a more customized web presence. [Read related article: The Best Website Builders and Design Services of 2024 ]

Either way, you’ll want your small business website to have an appropriate domain name, pages that define who you are and what you offer, a contact form, a payment portal (if you plan to accept client payments through your website), and high-quality, original images to visually communicate your brand.

8. Develop your own marketing plan to advertise your business.

Advertising agencies have a unique advantage over other types of service businesses: Their own marketing and advertising efforts serve as a work sample and let potential clients see upfront what the agency might be able to do for them.

That’s why you need to pull out all the stops for your digital presence and show off your strengths to prospects. For instance, if you offer graphic design services for client ad campaigns, ensure all of the graphic elements of your website and social media are impeccable. If you offer copywriting services, maintain a well-written, SEO-friendly blog on your website so they can see your expertise and writing style.

In other words, let your marketing strategy speak for itself so your agency can keep growing and attracting new clients. [If your target audience is active on Pinterest, learn the do’s and don’ts of advertising on the platform .]

Benefits of starting an advertising agency

There are nearly 14,000 established advertising agencies in the United States, and they generated about $57 billion in 2021, according to U.S. Census Bureau data as reported by Statista . It’s not hard to see why this startup path is so attractive: It’s relatively easy to launch and has the potential for a big payoff.

Here are some benefits of starting an ad agency:

• Low overhead and startup costs. Many agencies operate remotely, so they don’t need to invest in a brick-and-mortar office space. In most cases, your only startup costs will be technology equipment (hardware and software), internet service and any applicable business registration. You don’t need a big team to get started, either. You can run the business and execute a lot of the deliverables yourself, in the beginning, to save money on salaries and wages.
• Large potential client base. Thanks to digital tools, ad agencies can serve clients anywhere in the world. Although the marketing industry is crowded, there are a lot of opportunities to carve out a niche by catering to specific types of businesses, such as restaurants, salons, medical practices or law firms.
• Low barrier to entry. You don’t need years of marketing experience to start a digital advertising agency because the industry is constantly changing. With a baseline knowledge of content marketing and social media, plus a willingness to learn new and emerging platforms, you can make a name for yourself as a professional advertiser.
• Scalability. With a robust team of affordable freelancers and contractors, your agency can scale up quickly and offer full-service marketing campaigns with copywriting, social media, email marketing, graphic design, SEO and more.

Jenni Simcoe contributed to this article.

Get Weekly 5-Minute Business Advice

B. newsletter is your digest of bite-sized news, thought & brand leadership, and entertainment. All in one email.

Our mission is to help you take your team, your business and your career to the next level. Whether you're here for product recommendations, research or career advice, we're happy you're here!

Starting an Advertising Agency?

How to write an advertising agency business plan (fast), step by step (actionable) case study.

If you’re looking for a sample of an Advertising Agency Business Plan, then look no further! We have produced this plan to give you ideas and inspiration.

To be successful in any business you need to consider a lot of factors, and marketing is definitely one of them. That’s why advertising can be seen as one of the most lucrative, recession-proof businesses you could wish to venture into.

So without further ado…

Let’s look at this example of an Advertising Agency Business Plan.

#1 Executive Summary for an Advertising Agency Business Plan

The Executive Summary section of your business plan outlines exactly what your business does.

It’s an overview of your business and summarizes all its key points, as well as being an introduction for the rest of your plan.

The main goal of this advertising agency business plan is to convince either the bank or an investor to invest in the business by providing start-up capital. It’s vital that you provide a solid case for your business idea, which is why your executive summary is so important.

In our Advertising Agency Business Plan sample, the executive summary is composed of:

• The Company
• The Investment Offer
• The Exit Strategy

Management Team

• Background of the Company
• Mission Statement

Check it out and feel free to lift any of it that you want.

The #Executive #Summary outlines what your business does, summarizes your key points, and prepares investors for the rest of your #businessplan. It’s vital you provide a solid case for your business idea, which is why your #executive #summary is so important! Tweet

Executive Summary

Established in March 2012, Advertising Agency is a specialist public consultation, PR, political liaison, and creative agency which operates across the USA. We currently work in the housing, property, regeneration, education and retail sectors. We are expanding into the energy, transport, and health sectors.

We are experts in creating and managing corporate communication campaigns, public affairs, media relations, copywriting, public consultation, and providing strategic counseling and social and digital communications.

Our objective has been to create a communications agency that is fit for the modern age.

Advertising Agency

We were named Best New Agency in 2013 and best Public Affairs Agency of the Year 2013. We are very ambitious and we have already promoted and defended the reputation of major national brands including AllMart and New York Bank. Based in Manhattan, we also work with a growing list of regional clients including ABC Homes and One Manhattan. We offer a fully integrated service for the likes of national architects XYZ, contractor United States and Manhattan law firm Manhattan LLP.

We’re looking to secure funding to enable Advertising Agency to open offices in California and New York – to take advantage of the many opportunities offered in the US and the growing market in the eastern region of the US. Our agency has three distinct offers: Agency Consult, providing intelligent, creative, award-winning public affairs; Agency PR, serving the property, construction and professional services sectors with media relations and social media management; and Agency Create, delivering all aspects of branding, digital design, print services, video production and animation. Each team stands up in its own right as a leader in its field – no other US agency delivers these disciplines like we do.

We’re really proud of our achievements to date and we’re very excited at what the future holds.

Welcome to Advertising Agency.

Investment Offer

2016 is a key year for Advertising Agency. Our aspiration is to grow into a >$1million turnover company by 2017 and hit $3million by 2021. To achieve this aim, we have identified the need to open an office in California in 2016 to help service the California region, open an office in New York to take advantage of the housing, renewables and infrastructure investment in the US, and also to invest in our creative and digital team which operates out of our Manhattan office. By opening up California and New York offices, we believe we will be able to secure some major contracts in a regional housing, regeneration, transport and renewable market that is continuing to grow at pace. Our California office in particular would allow us to expand into the infrastructure and transport sectors.

To help with our growth plans and to achieve our 2017 and 2021 aspirations, we are seeking $230,000 in return for 23% of our business.

The investment will help Advertising Agency to:

• Grow our California and New York presence
• Secure start-up office space in California and New York
• Expand into the transport and renewable sectors
• Be positioned and marketed specifically to a California market
• Be at the pitch table to support the consultation for major housing, regeneration, transport, and renewable projects
• Service the volume housebuilders and other developers in a growing regional southern market
• Work alongside some of the biggest California based planning agencies including EFG, NBO and Crimson Planning (all known to Advertising Agency) and their clients – airport, infrastructure, etc.
• Significantly grow our digital and creative marketing services
• Provide a comprehensive nationwide offer to support clients who work across the US.

Exit Strategy

Our Exit Strategy needs to be further confirmed at the next Board Meeting, but we would like the company sold within eight to 10 years.

#2 Advertising Agency Business Plan Company Profile Section

The Company Profile in your Advertising Agency Business Plan is also known as the Company Description.

If it’s well written, your potential investors will find easy to understand your business model, your mission and goals, and how it’s going to meet the needs of your target market.

For the purpose of this business plan, we’ve included the following:

• The Management Team

Jack is a versatile communicator and has had almost 25 years’ experience of working with some of the biggest names in the US.

Previous to setting up Advertising Agency, Jack was a non-shareholding director at a Manhattan based public affairs agency for five years. Jack helped to transform that agency into a $1.5 million t/o company and win and service major blue chip clients.

Jack has been instrumental in turning Advertising Agency, a $6,000 start-up company into a $500,000 t/o profitable business in less than four years.

He is excellent at motivating and inspiring his team to deliver. Nicknamed ‘The Rainmaker’, Jack has been responsible for bringing 90% of the new business into Advertising Agency.

Jack is both a visionary and able to see the potential for major growth as well as grounded and able to manage the business to successfully deliver. He is innovative and has been able to shape Advertising Agency into an agency that has brought in the right skills to meet the ever-changing communications and marketing demands which clients now expect.

He is particularly skilled at managing media issues and crises. Jack gets on with people and is an expert at capturing hearts and minds. His work in reinventing consultation to help developers achieve planning consents has won awards.

He is as comfortable presenting to a board of directors, briefing the national press, discussing policy or planning applications with politicians as he is working with local people at grass roots level.

Jack has worked on numerous contentious planning applications, including mobile phone masts and supermarkets and wind farms, and he has an excellent understanding of the planning process as well as how to identify and work with supporters.

As an ex-journalist, Jenny has honed her skills as a writer and has the ability to write about a range of subjects to fit perfectly with the audience.

PR and writing is in her blood. She cut her teeth in PR in Manhattan, where she has worked for the last 14 years. Jenny has a natural ability to ‘sell’ stories to the media and handle press enquiries, having helped run the press office for one of the largest councils in the US.

Feature writing, blogging, opinion pieces, website copy and the good old, solid press release are her specialties. Jenny is brilliant at creating and placing content where it is guaranteed to reach the right audiences. A creative thinker, she helped bring brands to life through clever use of storytelling and media relations.

David is a communications expert with 10 years’ experience of working in public affairs, community consultation and PR. He is adept at understanding audiences and engaging in effective and creative ways.

From Facebook campaigns to viral films, from media releases to community meetings, Pete has a track record of delivering results for clients across the country.

A veteran of over 50 housing, supermarket, infrastructure and energy planning applications, Pete has been entrusted to manage community and stakeholder engagement by some of the UK’s leading names in housing, retail, energy, and regeneration.

His work has been recognized with PR industry awards for his innovative and committed approach to community consultation on complex and controversial planning proposals. As well as his effective approach to building relationships with communities, David has the skills required to decipher complicated planning proposals into plain language, with the help of a creative approach to visual communication.

An attention to detail and commitment to shared goals means David continues to enjoy excellent relationships with the clients, colleagues, and communities he has worked with.

Patrick has over a decade’s experience writing, editing, and designing websites; and as a freelance pop culture and tech journalist has written for a wide range of digital and print outlets including Wired, BBC America, Den of Geek and When Saturday Comes. As web developer, Patrick is responsible for in-house site development on behalf of our clients, tailoring clean, accessible and responsive websites to their specific needs. As a writer, he specializes in informative feature and promotional content, making information accessible and engaging to a wide audience.

Patricia is a qualified chartered accountant with a wealth of experience working as both a business advisor in the accounting profession and as a Finance Director in industry.

Since moving from the accounting profession, Patricia’s experience has been at director level – in both finance and managing director roles. This has led to experience in a wide range of business roles including leadership, operations, human resources, information technology as well as the excellent core knowledge of accountancy. As a commercially aware accountant she has the ability to look at the company’s business as a whole, not just the financials.

Patricia also has a strong IT background and holds a postgraduate diploma in Business Information Technology. Her skills working with both established and start-up businesses will help Advertising Agency’s on-going growth.

In November 2014 we rebranded the agency as Advertising Agency – to reflect our offer of PR, Consultation and Design. The registered business name remains as Advertising Agency Relations Limited.

The company was set-up using $6,000 of director loans in February 2013. Since then we have grown into a profit-making $457,473 turnover company and we remain debt free. Our financial year is 1st November to 31st October.

The company currently employs 11 full-time members of staff including two strong and experienced account directors, account managers, a social media manager, an account executive, a marketing executive, and a creative designer. We already have a strong client list which includes AllMart, Places for People, Manhattan Living, National College for high Speed Rail, and New York Bank. We are currently based in Manhattan but we are a national agency servicing clients across the US.

In May 2016 we pitched and won the Olympic Park account. This is a joint venture between Balfour Beatty and Places for People. The account is our first California office client and will commence in September. We will be announcing our win to coincide with our California office announcement in September. We will be providing our full range of communications services on what has the potential to be a 15-year project.

We have also just won two new accounts.

The first is to support the for High Speed Rail launch. This will be announced in September. We will be supporting the college with PR and creative services to drive the recruitment of students in California to help produce the engineers of the future and attract people into rail industry. This was a major win for us, as we competed against four other agencies. It’s a very significant fee (c.$100,000 pa) and opens the door to High Speed Rail. Furthermore, this is a landmark infrastructure client and the win also establishes us firmly in the education sector.

The second is to support the launch of Heaven – a new retirement village company. We will be providing a full range of services from planning consultation through to PR and sales support. We are also currently in discussions with some very significant names, including two volume house builders.

We have a growing reputation as a successful and reliable agency and this is reflected in the number of awards that Advertising Agency has managed to win within just 3 years of entering the market:

• New Agency of the Year (2013) – winner
• Public Affairs Agency of the Year (2014) – runner up
• Public Affairs Agency of the Year (2015) – winner
• Small agency of the Year (2016) – runner up

A #mission #statement is a short statement of an organization's purpose and shows the goal of its operations: what kind of product or service it provides, its primary customers or market, and its geographical region of operation. Tweet

MISSION STATEMENT

At the heart of our business lies our commitment to use an integrated approach across all PR, Public Affairs, Creative and Marketing disciplines at our disposal to address our clients’ needs and problems and provide innovative and effective solutions. We help our clients utilize and take advantage of all the communications channels available to ensure their message is seen, heard, and read in all the right places.

Our core principle is to provide best value for money and generate a reasonable return on investment.

Agency responsibility is central to our company ethos. This is why we donate a percentage of our pre-tax profits to charity and give staff the opportunity to spend two days a year supporting a local charity of their choice.

OUR DIFFERENCE

Advertising Agency is already establishing itself as a creative, personable, intelligent public affairs agency that can engage stakeholders and communities, identify supporters, and mobilize them to help influence the planning decisions being made in their areas. We are setting a new standard in public affairs – one of which focuses more on the communities in which we work, not just on politicians (like so many of our competitors). We have already out-performed agencies in California in securing a number of national PR clients.

#3 Advertising Agency Business Plan Products & Services Section

The Products and Services section needs to be much more than simply a list of what your new business is going to provide. This is especially important if you’re looking to get funding.

Make sure that you showcase the value, the quality, and the benefits of your business.

Ask yoursel f:

• What sets you apart from your competitors?
• How does your pricing compare?
• Why would people buy from you as opposed to your competitors?

Here’s the example.

Products And Services

What we sell.

• Advertising Agency provides a wide array of services. We have three teams of experienced specialists:

Agency Consult

Agency create.

They offer their expertise in the following areas:

Agency Consult – Our team of highly experienced consultants offer their expertise in the following areas:

• Political/stakeholder mapping and engagement;
• Political analysis and briefing;
• Public consultation events;
• Project websites;
• Social media campaigns;
• Supporter activity;

and much more.

Agency PR – Our specialist PR team work for national and regional clients in the housing, construction and professional services:

• Press release writing;
• Crisis and issue management and support;
• Copy writing;
• Social media support;
• Website and blogs management;
• Effective PR support.

Agency Create – Our in-house design studio provides all aspects of graphic design, film production, and animation, including:

• All aspects of graphic design from websites to brochures;
• Film production and animation;
• Social media content writing.

From stakeholder mapping and political briefings to social media campaigns and community events, our expert public affairs team can help deliver the public and local authority support your planning application needs to be successful.

Effective public relations is central to every successful organization. Our experienced team of PR professionals and ex-journalists can raise your profile, shape your reputation and reach and engage new audiences for your business.

Exceptional design is key to getting your message across in the right way – and our in-house creative team can work with you to create the look and style you need for your social media, website, film, brochure, and much more.

Competitors

Advertising Agency has two significant competitors based, among others, in California and Manhattan: Remarkable PR and ABC Communications. These are also public affairs and PR agencies providing similar services from government relations, through to stakeholder engagement, to issues and crisis management.

What makes Advertising Agency stand out is our new approach to public affairs. Instead of focusing primarily on the influencers and politicians – which is what most of our competitors do – we concentrate more on the communities we work for by trying to provide people with factual information and gaining support. The support is then harnessed to influence political decision making.

With a team of experienced professionals onboard and with excellent people skills, we are able to talk to chief executives and members of the community alike. Since the industry as a whole has a reputation of over-promising and under-delivering, we do our upmost to provide best value for money and establish a good name.

Finally, the potential of Advertising Agency graphics production, social media and internal communications function offers further opportunity.

Product And Service Development

Advertising Agency currently services clients in the housing, contractor, retail, education, property, and regeneration sectors. We are constantly monitoring market needs and developing our services. In future, with the right resource and experience, we will be targeting the following sectors:

• Transport and infrastructure
• Renewable and non-renewable Energy (specifically anaerobic digestion, shale gas)
• Retirement Villages
• Health Sectors
• Rural and farming sectors

Intellectual Property

Steps have been taken to protect the property of Advertising Agency, Agency Consult, Agency PR, and Agency Create in a trademark and copyright.

#4 Advertising Agency Business Plan Target Market Section

While conducting research for your business plan, it’s important to identify your potential audience – that is, the people who are going to buy your products.

Basically, you need to define your target market.

This section can include:

• Market Overview
• Market Needs
• Market Trends
• Market Growth
• Industry Analysis

Here’s our example.

Target Market

Market overview.

The Public Affairs and Public Relations markets, both in Manhattan and other parts of the US, are very competitive. We are a dynamic agency delivering campaigns for clients in the property, construction, housing, retail, education, and energy sections, with aspirations to expand into other markets. We combine online expertise, media intelligence, political insight and engaging personalities to get results. We reach new audiences, achieve great media coverage, give communities a voice and help clients successfully deliver their projects.

MARKET NEEDS

We understand the planning process and we work on a range of planning applications from small housing developments, major housing-led regeneration projects, sports stadia, and new supermarkets to renewable energy schemes, as well as major infrastructure projects.

Unlike our competitors, we do not focus mainly on reaching to the most influential person as or politicians. We take a new approach and work on stablishing good relations within the community we are operating in, gain support for projects and make sure the people involved are presented with factual information.

To achieve this, we concentrate on the online activity, like the social media channels, starting a dedicated Facebook page, setting up a website, etc. We confront the opponents and clear out the misinformation. It is our job to give the community access to facts to get people drawn to the idea. We also organize consultations, where people can voice their opinions.

We all keep abreast with all the changes in the market by regularly reading and engaging with the relevant trade publications, e.g. Planning and Place making; Inside Housing; Estates Gazette and Property Week. Furthermore, we hold team meetings every morning to read the national papers and then share and brainstorm relevant insights and stories.

In addition to all that, we regularly attend relevant trade conferences, and we regularly meet with journalists and have very good relationships with our key media contacts who are often a good source of information. We are good networkers and often attend regular breakfast seminars and briefings.

MARKET TRENDS

California’s recovery from the 2008 recession continues. The property, regeneration and development sectors have strengthened over the past two years. Several major developments are continuing with a healthy pipeline of projects large and small are at various stages of planning.

The house-building program continues across California with varying levels of urgency.

MARKET GROWTH

When it comes to the housing industry, we are experiencing a significant growth where there is a huge concentration of large infrastructure projects. By opening a new office in California, we are planning to maximize on that.

Since we have significant experience working with businesses and individuals across the US, and the word of mouth is our most powerful tool, we are hoping that developers will be turning to our organization to help them with the planning process, consultation and PR.

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

The California PR and communications sector is very competitive. The larger, established PR companies had made a significant number of staff redundant as client budgets tightened since 2008. This has resulted in an increase in the number of smaller niche PR businesses starting up.

Since 2011 a lot of these smaller companies have been acquired by more established industry stalwarts as they seek to expand client lists and recoup talent. While this has resulted in a lot of consolidation it has also meant there is a lot of opportunity as potential clients review their PR and communications servicing. It is a highly competitive but very active market.

The market is also very diverse. As developers, construction companies, public sector regeneration bodies, property companies, architects, retail companies and housing associations seek to take advantage of the increasingly positive policy statements by both central and local government – as well as an increasingly attractive economic environment – there are opportunities for those service companies that can prove themselves to be valuable in terms of short term commercial growth and sound additional benefit to attract buyers and investors. In the housing sector, for example, the reduction in grants from central government means they have a requirement to distinguish themselves, work more closely with developers and attract private sector investment as well as establishing a demonstrable record of commercial self-sufficiency.

We believe that what is needed to operate successfully in the industry, is the right approach to the business. At Advertising Agency, we add a different dimension to the industry by offering a truly extensive range of services and focusing more on the community, and various ways to win over the potential opponents, rather than just directly engaging the politicians.

Key Customers

Our current sectors.

Advertising Agency currently services clients within the housing, contractor, retail, property, education and regeneration.

TARGETED SECTORS

With the right resource and experience, we will be targeting the following sectors:

• Transport and Infrastructure
• Energy (specifically anaerobic digestion and shale gas)
• Retirement villages

OUR CLIENTS

We work with a growing number of clients across property, retail, energy and construction – proudly promoting, defending and developing brands across the country.

In future, we are planning to target the following sectors: transport and infrastructure, energy, retirement villages, leisure, health, education and rural and farming sectors.

The vast majority of our customer base are retainers. We believe that clients keep coming back to us, as they value our first class service. We have full communications skills in-house from design, social media and film production to traditional PR, marketing and copywriting. We are highly dependable when it comes to meeting deadlines: we deliver when we say we are going to and we get results. We make sure to cater to our clients’ needs and suggestions and not only that – we often go beyond what is required and come up with extra ideas and solutions. And last, but not least, we keep abreast with all the the regulations and policies. We know the sectors our clients operate it, and are always able to offer sound advice.

#5 Advertising Agency Business Plan Marketing Strategy Section

The marketing strategy section of your business plan describes who your customers are going to be and how you plan to communicate to them the services or goods you are offering.

If your potential customers are not made aware of your business, you are not going to stay in business for very long!

Defining a marketing strategy in your business plan highlights your understanding and knowledge and emphasizes what makes your business concept compelling. It also outlines how you plan to attract and maintain a customer/client base.

Ask yourself:

• How are you planning to advertise to your market?
• What is your competitive edge?
• What is your sales strategy?

Let’s look at the following example.

Strategy And Implementation

As far as marketing is concerned, Advertising Agency has not done any advertising or marketing, other than some low level engagement on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblrt, LinkedIn and Instagram). Our success to date has largely been down to our team’s contacts books and especially word of mouth. This has been our most powerful and important tool from both our and the clients’ point of view.

To launch California, New York and to celebrate the announcement of the new Group structure we will be a having a drinks evening in both locations. Existing clients, prospective clients and our network of contacts will be invited. Apart from that, we will also have a launch communications plan to include press releases to the relevant media, and website banner ads taken out on targeted websites.

Our California MD will be joining a number of California property clubs and will be creating a separate communications strategy aimed specifically at the rail industry.

We will be introducing the Advertising Agency marketing plan which will include a regular HTML newsletter update to our database, a more considered and high profile push across all social media, and creating speaking opportunities at conferences.

Our Manhattan office will be moving from south Manhattan to the Manhattan City Centre in February – that will make a statement and will provide easier access to business, clients and potential clients.

Our services are provided on a monthly retainer basis (all PR, some public affairs clients) or for an agreed one-off fee (design work, most public affairs projects). Our strategy has been to build the business around clients paying a monthly retainer, with the more lucrative – but shorter term – project work adding to this. We continue to add services to our agency to create new revenue streams, the most recent example being to invest in an in-house video production offer which we promote to both existing and potentially new clients.

We have identified a California office because we are already servicing clients in California and the SE. What is more, we believe that the opportunities to grow are significant. The California office has the potential to see our turnover significantly increase over two years. The California office is opening on 5th September. We are planning to coincide the office announcement with the announcement of our Balfour Beatty JV win – our first California office client.

We are confident of securing some early business for the New York office via our planning consultant contacts. These consultants are working with a number of developers who all often require consultation and public affairs support.

With our connection to High Speed Rail and the rail industry via Jim Mann our California lead, we are confident of securing work in this sector. We anticipate there will be a permanent team of at least three based in New York by the end of 2017.

The opening of the New York office will also be followed by promotional activity: we are going to promote the team, including our associate director.

Your #Market #Analysis section of a business plan is one of the most important aspects of your marketing plan. It defines where you are currently in terms of your market, product, customer and competition. Check out this example in our #Advertising Agency #BusinessPlan! Tweet

Swot Analysis

We are a niche agency which is now established and recognized in its peer group. The company directors have had offers of buy-outs from other, larger agencies lacking in public consultation experience. Just 9 months after starting, the agency was awarded Best New Agency at the PRCA industry awards.

What is more, the company has a good team (consultation, former youth worker, journalists, PR and design) with the right blend of experience to service current clients and bring in new business. MD Jack Black has a wealth of contacts and is well known and well respected across the industry and in sectors in which Social operates. Director Jenny Lowe is a former journalist with 15 years PR experience, and is able to manage the day-to-day running of the business with skills to manage the staff. Furthermore, although we are currently Manhattan-based, our staff are already working across schemes in California and know the California market well. The company is not tied to one region and has ambitions to branch out to other key areas.

On top of all that, our accounts are solid and turnover and gross profit is as we predicted for year 3 in our original business plan. We have secured the services of a freelance finance director.

Although we are a $500,000 t/o company, our current weakness is that we do not have the cashflow to enable us to grow.

OPPORTUNITIES

We are starting to see significant opportunities with housebuilders and retailers bringing sites forward for consultation.

What is more, opening a California office is another major opportunity for us. We are already working on projects in the South. Our niche offer and the way we deliver planning application consultation will secure some major new contracts.

Thanks to a number of successful campaigns and our good reputation, people are keen to work for Agency – and there are a number of high quality, high earning staff speculatively sending their CVs. This gives us an opportunity to create a network of regional offices, starting in California. Building a stronger team to take the business forward.

Moreover, Jim Mann, our California office managing director is well connected in our markets and will bring an additional market – transport – into the agency. The company has the skills and ability to grow into new sectors such as retirement villages.

One of our biggest threats is the fact that there are clients who do not renew their contracts and the work dries up. In future, we are planning to implement a reliable CRM system to prevent that.

Another possible threat is that we might have trouble finding the right people to staff our California office, or that we win new business but cannot service it due to cashflow and not being able to grow our core team. California office could also not perform as well as we have planned.

We may also experience cashflow problems and lack of funding to further grow the business.

It may also happen, that our competitor will copy our business model and start delivering their services our way.

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Advertising Agency is already establishing itself as a creative, personable, intelligent public affairs agency that can engage stakeholders and communities, identify supporters and mobilise them to help influence the planning decisions being made in their areas. We are setting a new standard in public affairs, one which focuses more on the communities in which we work, not just at politicians (like so many of our competitors). Although based in the north, we have already out- performed agencies in California in securing a number of national PR clients.

By building relationships with national brands such as WallMart and Places for People, we have the opportunity to gain an insight into what they require from an agency – and therefore how we can stay ahead of the competition.

PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY

Our main source of advertising our services is through our website: www.advertising agency.com. We also promote our business across social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Linkedin, etc.,

Our reputation is everything and we also rely heavily on the word of mouth.

We are planning to implement a reliable CRM system to have contact with our clients and manage our extensive database of business contacts. We are also working towards a regular newsletter. For the time being, we do a lot of engagement through the LinkedIn page as well.

STRATEGIC ALIANCES

We might establish strategic alliances and partnerships in the future.

INVESTMENT INFORMATION

2016 is a key year in for Advertising Agency. Our aspiration is to grow into a >$1million turnover company by 2017 and hit $3million by 2021. To achieve this aim, we have identified the need to open an office in California in 2016 to help service the Greater California and open an office in New York to take advantage of the housing, renewables and infrastructure investment and also to invest in our creative and digital team which operates out of our Manhattan office.

Advertising Agency is currently valued at $1million

USE OF FUNDS

The funds would be used to open a California and New York office as well as grow our digital offer. We would hire the right team to secure and deliver new business in these areas. Including:

Expanding into the transport and renewable sectors

Be at the pitch table to support the consultation for major housing and regeneration projects

Service the volume housebuilders and other developers in growing regional southern and eastern markets.

Work alongside some of the biggest California based planning agencies.

We have identified office space in California which is at one of our clients, Places for People’s offices. We are planning to start with two desks. There would be a one year license agreement for the office space. The office will be located at: West Street California .

The California office will require a small team with senior leadership in order to successfully service existing clients and to exploit new business opportunities.

We have identified Jim Mann to lead the California office. Jim has just left the media team for USA Media and has been known to Jack Black since 1997.

In the first 12 months it is likely that Jim will require the support of at least two other permanent members of staff that would include a deputy (account director) and an account manager / senior account executive. Other resource would be pulled in from a bank of freelance contacts, as and when required.

Jim has worked in the PR industry for 20 years. He has worked in the public sector and for some of the best known major PR agencies. He has experience of leading PR campaigns for some of the largest FMCG clients (including Nike), he has held Board level positions and has set up and sold two agencies of his own.

He has worked with several developers, housing agencies, planners and architects.

In 2011 Jim set up Mann PR, a specialist PR company focused on the property, regeneration and development sectors in California. In 2013, this was sold.

PROJECTED INCOME

In its first year of trading, we forecast that we could earn in the region of $75,000 per annum from one volume housebuilder alone –providing consultation and public affairs support.

Additional revenue would be generated via project work coming from the retail and transport sectors. We forecast that individual project work would generate $100,0000

We would seek to secure at least two retained clients, generating c.$75,000

The office costs will be $7,200 for a desk in a serviced office.

NEW YORK OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

• Agency is already working with a number of clients in New York
• Wide range of contacts already established
• Existing key clients have offices/projects based here
• New York office – Senior Consultant identified to run and help drive new business
• Huge potential growth in this city
• Identified a strong candidate to run the New York operation

The New York office will be headed up by group director Gary Johns. Gary is already leading on projects in New York for WallMart. Gary will be supported by agency MD Jack Black. Jack is very well connected with the New York leadership and this year attended MIM with the New York Local Enterprise Partnership.

#6 Advertising Agency Business Plan Financial Section

Ensuring that you have a COMPLETE financial plan within your business plan will DOUBLE your chances of investment as well as the future growth of your business.

A lot of small businesses don’t have a financial plan and it’s essential to your long-term success and business growth.

We’ve listed here the key elements you need to have in a successful financial section:

• Initial Start Up Expenses – Especially if this is a start-up idea, it’s essential that you have a description of what you need for investment purposes.
• Sales Forecast – It’s essential to have an estimate of your monthly sales revenue as well as annual. This helps you understand your business and plan out any marketing and growth strategies.
• Direct cost of sales – Measures the amount of cash the company will have to spend to produce the goods or services sold by the company. The direct cost of sales only includes the expenses directly associated to production.
• Profit and Loss Forecast – This is a statement summarizing the revenues, costs and expenses incurred during a specific period.
• Balance Sheet – This is the financial position of the company and states its assets, liabilities and owners’ equity at a particular point in time. It illustrates the business’s net worth.
• Loan Repayment – This shows the lender or potential investor the act of paying back any monies.

So… Are you ready to look at some figures?

Projected Income

Our predicted fee income from the New York office in year one is $100k, rising to $450k in year two and $650k in year three.

Gross Profit

Budget (with Monthly Detail)

Balance Sheet

• Ecommerce Business Plan sample
• Bar & Restaurant Business Plan sample
• Medical Center Business Plan sample
• Outdoor Activity Business Plan sample
• Bakery Business Plan sample
• Boutique Business Plan sample
• Real Estate Business Plan Sample

Additional Resources:

• 40 Common Business Plan Mistakes to Avoid when Writing your Plan
• What is a Business plan and why do you need one?
• How to Write a Business Proposal in 5 Easy Steps
• 10 FREE Business Name Generator Tools to find your perfect business name

Now, over to you...

Now I’d love to hear from you:

Are you going to start up your own advertising agency, or have you recently written a business plan?

We’d love to know what you thought about our advertising agency business plan sample.

Feel free to leave any comments below and I will be sure to answer them as soon as they come in.

Useful Links

Leave a comment cancel reply.

WEEKLY GEMS

Sign up for weekly tips on how to improve your business

How to Start an Advertising Agency

Starting an advertising agency can be very profitable. With proper planning, execution and hard work, you can enjoy great success. Below you will learn the keys to launching a successful advertising agency.

Importantly, a critical step in starting an advertising agency is to complete your business plan. To help you out, you should download Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template here .

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here

14 Steps To Start an Advertising Agency :

• Choose the Name for Your Advertising Agency
• Determine the Type of Advertising Agency You Will Launch
• Develop Your Advertising Agency Business Plan
• Choose the Legal Structure for Your Advertising Agency
• Secure Startup Funding for Your Advertising Agency (If Needed)
• Secure a Location for Your Business
• Register Your Advertising Agency with the IRS
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get a Business Credit Card
• Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
• Get Business Insurance for Your Advertising Agency
• Buy or Lease the Right Advertising Agency Equipment
• Develop Your Advertising Agency Marketing Materials
• Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Advertising Agency
• Open for Business

1. Choose the Name for Your Advertising Agency

The first step to starting an advertising agency is to choose your business’ name.  

This is a very important choice since your company name is your brand and will last for the lifetime of your business. Ideally you choose a name that is meaningful and memorable. Here are some tips for choosing a name for your advertising agency:

• Make sure the name is available . Check your desired name against trademark databases and your state’s list of registered business names to see if it’s available. Also check to see if a suitable domain name is available.
• Keep it simple . The best names are usually ones that are easy to remember, pronounce and spell.
• Think about marketing . Come up with a name that reflects the desired brand and/or focus of your advertising agency.

2. Determine the Type of Advertising Agency You Will Launch

The next step is to determine the type of advertising agency you will launch. The four main types of advertising agencies are:

• Creative agencies : These agencies design advertising campaigns and create promotional materials. They are typically responsible for all creative aspects of a campaign, including research, writing copy, designing images, video production and more.
• Content Marketing Agencies : These agencies create content such as blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts and other forms of media to help advertise a product or service.
• Digital advertising agencies : These agencies specialize in digital marketing and create campaigns for websites, social media channels, email and other forms of online advertising.
• Media planning/buying agencies : These agencies plan how and where to advertise a product or service across various media outlets, including television, radio, print and more.

3. Develop Your Advertising Agency Business Plan

One of the most important steps in starting an advertising agency is to develop your advertising agency business plan . The process of creating your plan ensures that you fully understand your market and your business strategy. The plan also provides you with a roadmap to follow and if needed, to present to funding sources to raise capital for your business.

Your business plan should include the following sections:

• Executive Summary – this section should summarize your entire business plan so readers can quickly understand the key details of your advertising agency.
• Company Overview – this section tells the reader about the history of your advertising agency and what type of advertising agency you operate. For example, are you a  creative agency, content marketing agency, digital advertising agency or media planning/buying agency? 
• Industry Analysis – here you will document key information about the advertising agency industry. Conduct market research and document how big the industry is and what trends are affecting it.
• Customer Analysis – in this section, you will document who your ideal or target customers are and their demographics. For example, how old are they? Where do they live? What do they find important when purchasing products or services like the ones you will offer?
• Competitive Analysis – here you will document the key direct and indirect competitors you will face and how you will build competitive advantage.
• Marketing Plan – your marketing plan should address the 4Ps: Product, Price, Promotions and Place.
• Product : Determine and document what products/services you will offer 
• Prices : Document the prices of your products/services
• Place : Where will your business be located and how will that location help you increase sales?
• Promotions : What promotional methods will you use to attract customers to your advertising agency? For example, you might decide to use pay-per-click advertising, public relations, search engine optimization and/or social media marketing.
• Operations Plan – here you will determine the key processes you will need to run your day-to-day operations. You will also determine your staffing needs. Finally, in this section of your plan, you will create a projected growth timeline showing the milestones you hope to achieve in the coming years.
• Management Team – this section details the background of your company’s management team.
• Financial Plan – finally, the financial plan answers questions including the following:
• What startup costs will you incur?
• How will your advertising agency make money?
• What are your projected sales and expenses for the next five years?
• Do you need to raise funding to launch your business?

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

4. choose the legal structure for your advertising agency.

Next you need to choose a legal structure for your advertising agency and register it and your business name with the Secretary of State in each state where you operate your business.

Below are the five most common legal structures:

1) Sole proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is a business entity in which the owner of the advertising agency and the business are the same legal person. The owner of a sole proprietorship is responsible for all debts and obligations of the business. There are no formalities required to establish a sole proprietorship, and it is easy to set up and operate. The main advantage of a sole proprietorship is that it is simple and inexpensive to establish. The main disadvantage is that the owner is liable for all debts and obligations of the business.

2) Partnerships

A partnership is a legal structure that is popular among small businesses. It is an agreement between two or more people who want to start an advertising agency together. The partners share in the profits and losses of the business. 

The advantages of a partnership are that it is easy to set up, and the partners share in the profits and losses of the business. The disadvantages of a partnership are that the partners are jointly liable for the debts of the business, and disagreements between partners can be difficult to resolve.

3) Limited Liability Company (LLC)

A limited liability company, or LLC, is a type of business entity that provides limited liability to its owners. This means that the owners of an LLC are not personally responsible for the debts and liabilities of the business. The advantages of an LLC for an advertising agency include flexibility in management, pass-through taxation (avoids double taxation as explained below), and limited personal liability. The disadvantages of an LLC include lack of availability in some states and self-employment taxes.

4) C Corporation

A C Corporation is a business entity that is separate from its owners. It has its own tax ID and can have shareholders. The main advantage of a C Corporation for an advertising agency is that it offers limited liability to its owners. This means that the owners are not personally responsible for the debts and liabilities of the business. The disadvantage is that C Corporations are subject to double taxation. This means that the corporation pays taxes on its profits, and the shareholders also pay taxes on their dividends.

5) S Corporation

An S Corporation is a type of corporation that provides its owners with limited liability protection and allows them to pass their business income through to their personal income tax returns, thus avoiding double taxation. There are several limitations on S Corporations including the number of shareholders they can have among others.

Once you register your advertising agency, your state will send you your official “Articles of Incorporation.” You will need this among other documentation when establishing your banking account (see below). We recommend that you consult an attorney in determining which legal structure is best suited for your company.

5. Secure Startup Funding for Your Advertising Agency (If Needed)

In developing your advertising agency plan, you might have determined that you need to raise funding to launch your business. 

If so, the main sources of funding for an advertising agency to consider are personal savings, family and friends, credit card financing, bank loans, crowdfunding and angel investors. Angel investors are individuals who provide capital to early-stage businesses. Angel investors typically will invest in an advertising agency that they believe has high potential for growth.

6. Secure a Location for Your Business

Having the right space can be important for your advertising agency, particularly if you’d like to meet clients there.

To find the right space, consider:

• Driving around to find the right areas while looking for “for lease” signs
• Contacting a commercial real estate agent
• Doing commercial real estate searches online
• Telling others about your needs and seeing if someone in your network has a connection that can help you find the right space

7. Register Your Advertising Agency with the IRS

Next, you need to register your business with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which will result in the IRS issuing you an Employer Identification Number (EIN).

Most banks will require you to have an EIN in order to open up an account. In addition, in order to hire employees, you will need an EIN since that is how the IRS tracks your payroll tax payments.

Note that if you are a sole proprietor without employees, you generally do not need to get an EIN. Rather, you would use your social security number (instead of your EIN) as your taxpayer identification number.

8. Open a Business Bank Account

It is important to establish a bank account in your advertising agency’s name. This process is fairly simple and involves the following steps:

• Identify and contact the bank you want to use
• Gather and present the required documents (generally include your company’s Articles of Incorporation, driver’s license or passport, and proof of address)
• Complete the bank’s application form and provide all relevant information
• Meet with a banker to discuss your business needs and establish a relationship with them

9. Get a Business Credit Card

You should get a business credit card for your advertising agency to help you separate personal and business expenses.

You can either apply for a business credit card through your bank or apply for one through a credit card company.

When you’re applying for a business credit card, you’ll need to provide some information about your business. This includes the name of your business, the address of your business, and the type of business you’re running. You’ll also need to provide some information about yourself, including your name, Social Security number, and date of birth.

Once you’ve been approved for a business credit card, you’ll be able to use it to make purchases for your business. You can also use it to build your credit history which could be very important in securing loans and getting credit lines for your business in the future.

10. Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits

There are a few business licenses and permits you will need to operate your advertising agency, such as:

Business license –  Generally, you need to obtain a business license from the city or county in which your advertising agency will be located.

Sales tax permit – Depending on the products/services that you offer, you may need to apply for a sales tax permit. This allows your business to collect and remit sales taxes when applicable.

Nearly all states, counties and/or cities have license requirements including:

• General Business License : getting your Articles of Incorporation as discussed above
• Sales Tax License or Seller’s Permit : for selling products
• Zoning Approval : typically at the city or county level, this provides authorization for construction or use of a building or land for a particular purpose
• Fire Department Approval : a process by which the local fire department reviews and approves the installation of a fire alarm system.

Depending on the type of advertising agency you launch, you will have to obtain the necessary state, county and/or city licenses.

11. Get Business Insurance for Your Advertising Agency

When you’re starting a business, it’s important to protect yourself and your business with the appropriate insurance. Here are some of the most common types of insurance businesses should have:

General liability insurance – This insurance protects your advertising agency from any lawsuits that may arise from accidents or injuries that occur on your property.

Business interruption insurance – This type of insurance helps protect your business if something happens that causes you to lose income. For example, if a fire destroys your office building, this insurance would help reimburse you for lost income while you rebuild.

Other business insurance policies that you should consider for your advertising agency include:

• Workers’ compensation insurance : If you have employees, this type of policy works with your general liability policy to protect against workplace injuries and accidents. It also covers medical expenses and lost wages.
• Business interruption insurance : This covers lost income and expenses if your business is forced to close due to a covered event.

Find an insurance agent, tell them about your business and its needs, and they will recommend policies that fit those needs. 

12. Buy or Lease the Right Advertising Agency Equipment

Most advertising agencies don’t need much equipment. To start an advertising agency, you probably only need a computer, phone and internet access. You might also need office furniture.

If you’re just starting out, you may want to look into leasing options as this can help reduce costs and keep your overhead low. Leasing also allows you to upgrade your equipment more easily when needed.

13. Develop Your Advertising Agency Marketing Materials

Marketing materials will be required to attract and retain customers to your advertising agency.

The key marketing materials you will need are as follows:

• Logo : Spend some time developing a good logo for your advertising agency. Your logo will be printed on company stationery, business cards, marketing materials and so forth. The right logo can increase customer trust and awareness of your brand.
• Website : Likewise, a professional advertising agency website provides potential customers with information about the products and/or services you offer, your company’s history, and contact information. Importantly, remember that the look and feel of your website will affect how customers perceive you.
• Social Media Accounts : establish social media accounts in your company’s name. Accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and/or other social media networks will help customers and others find and interact with your advertising agency.

14. Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Advertising Agency

There are a few software programs you will need to run your advertising agency. The first is a good graphic design program for creating marketing materials and logos. Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign are all good choices.

The second software program you will need is an accounting program. This will help you keep track of your expenses and income. QuickBooks or Microsoft Excel are both good options.

Last, you will need a customer Relationship Management (CRM) program. This will help you track and manage your customer data. Salesforce and SugarCRM are both popular CRM programs.

Research the software that best suits your needs, purchase it, and set it up.

15. Open for Business

You are now ready to open your advertising agency. If you followed the steps above, you should be in a great position to build a successful business. Below are answers to frequently asked questions that might further help you.

How to Finish Your Advertising Agency Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Advertising Agency business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

How to Start an Advertising Agency FAQs

Is it hard to start an advertising agency.

No, it's not hard to start an advertising agency. In fact, with the right information and planning, it can be easy.

Moreover, if you follow the steps above, you should be able to start your advertising agency without too much difficulty.

How can I start an advertising agency with no experience?

The best way to start an advertising agency with no experience is to start small. You can offer your services to friends and family members, or to local businesses. Once you have a few clients, you can then start marketing your business more aggressively.

What type of advertising agency is most profitable?

Some of the most common advertising agencies that are profitable include digital marketing agencies, creative agencies, and PR firms. For example,  digital marketing agencies specialize in helping businesses create and run digital campaigns, while creative agencies focus on coming up with unique ideas for advertising campaigns.

How much does it cost to start an advertising agency?

The cost to start an advertising agency will vary depending on the services you choose to offer. The startup costs for advertising agencies range between $2,000 and $10,000. These costs include things like website design and development, software applications, and marketing materials. 

It's important to remember that while the start-up cost may seem high initially, it can be offset by gaining clients quickly and efficiently. With proper planning and strategy, you should be able to recoup your investment in no time. 

Overall, the cost of starting an advertising agency can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. It's important to do your research and plan accordingly to ensure that you have everything you need to get your business off the ground.

What are the ongoing expenses for an advertising agency?

The ongoing expenses for an advertising agency can vary depending on the size and scope of your business. The typical ongoing expenses range between $500 and $10,000 per month. This includes things such as software, marketing materials, advertising campaigns, website hosting fees, and labor costs.

How does an advertising agency make money?

An advertising agency makes money by providing creative and effective advertising campaigns for their clients. They typically charge a commission for each campaign that is run, which can vary depending on the size and scope of the campaign. Additionally, many advertising agencies also offer consulting services, which can be quite lucrative.

Is owning an advertising agency profitable?

Yes, owning an advertising agency can be very profitable. 

If you're creative and effective in your campaigns, you can bring in a lot of business and make a good profit. Advertising agency owners can earn excellent money, depending on their client base and how well they manage their business. Additionally, there is potential to earn more money through additional services such as consulting or training.  

Some of the key things you can do to make your advertising agency more profitable include:

• Developing a strong network of clients
• Researching effective advertising strategies
• Offering competitive rates and fees
• Investing in marketing materials and campaigns 
• Keeping up to date with industry trends
• Investing in training and certification courses 
• Narrowing your focus to a specific niche market 
• Offering add-on services that complement your main offering
• Optimizing your website for SEO to increase online visibility
• Creating a unique selling proposition
• Providing outstanding client service

Why do advertising agencies fail?

There are a number of reasons why advertising agencies can fail, but some of the most common include:

• Not developing a strong network of clients
• Focusing on the wrong niche market
• Not keeping up to date with industry trends
• Offering low-quality services
• Not investing in marketing and advertising materials
• Poor customer service
• Charging too little or too much for services

One of the main reasons that advertising agencies fail is a lack of planning. This can include not having a detailed business plan, not doing research on the industry, and not targeting the right customers.

Another reason is a lack of marketing and sales skills. This can include not creating a sales process and not have a clear and strong value proposition.

The last main reason is a lack of financial management skills. This can include not having a realistic budget, not tracking expenses, and not investing in the business.

Who are key players in the advertising agency market?

The advertising agency market is made up of a variety of different players, including small businesses, large enterprises, and even individuals.

Some of the key players in the market include:

• Publicis Groupe
• Interpublic Group
• Dentsu Aegis Network
• Havas Group

However, there are many other players in your specific target market, and it is important to research the market to identify the key players that may have the most direct influence on the success of your business.

How much should I charge for my advertising agency services?

Advertising agency fees can vary depending on the type of advertising agency services being offered, as well as the size and scope of the project.

However, some common advertising agency fees include:

• Hourly rates - $50 to $250 per hour
• Project fees - $500 to $5,000+ 
• Retainer fees - $1,500 to $10,000+ per month
• Commission: 10% - 20% of project value

The best way to determine the right fee for your advertising agency services is to research the rates of similar businesses in your industry, and to also consider the value that you will be providing to the client.

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Free Advertising Agency Templates

We’ve collected the most useful free advertising agency templates in several formats. These templates provide a framework for agencies, marketers, brand managers, and more to manage partnerships for optimal performance and business goal alignment.

By Joe Weller Updated December 15, 2023

Simple Advertising Agency Creative Brief Template

This easy-to-use template guides you through defining the critical elements of your advertising project — from the client details and brand identity to the campaign objective and core message. With designated sections for comments and approvals, this template ensures clarity and consistency across your team, simplifying project sign-offs and enhancing collaboration.

Download Template for

Microsoft Word     Google Docs

Basic Advertising Agency Campaign Brief Template

Maximize your advertising campaign's potential with this basic campaign brief template, available with or without sample data. The template guides you through every critical aspect of campaign planning, from an in-depth client overview to a comprehensive summary of the project objectives, audience targeting, strategy, scheduling, budgeting, and competitive analysis.

Download Template with Sample Copy for

Microsoft Word     Adobe PDF     Google Docs  

Download Blank Template for

Advertising Agency Business Plan Template

This detailed template, available with or without sample data, covers essential components, such as a business summary, a situational analysis, core and marketing capabilities, strategic goals, and a focused marketing strategy. With sections dedicated to performance standards and financial planning, you can set clear benchmarks and track progress.

Microsoft Word    Adobe PDF    Google Docs

Advertising Agency Marketing Plan Template

Maximize your brand's potential by using this marketing plan template. With this tool, you can articulate a robust advertising strategy, insightful analytics, impactful content, and social media initiatives. Set in a monthly framework, this template lets you coordinate your marketing efforts across various platforms, propelling your campaigns to new heights.

Excel → Smartsheet

Advertising Agency RFP Template

Available with or without sample data, the template blends ready-to-use text and adaptable, fillable sections, so it’s ideal for agencies seeking to increase efficiency without sacrificing impact.

Download Template with Sample Data for

Microsoft Word   Adobe PDF    Google Docs Download Blank Template for

Microsoft Word   Adobe PDF    Google Docs

AI vs. creativity. Allies or adversaries?

Explore AI’s impact on creativity in a thought-provoking webinar featuring creative and marketing leaders from Agency FIFTY3, Puke Rainbows Creative, and Smartsheet. Delve into practical and ethical aspects of applying AI to creativity and its potential implications for the future.

Advertising Agency Proposal Presentation Template

Illuminate your agency's insights with slides dedicated to your situation analysis, array of services, transparent cost investment details, and timelines. Download with or without sample data.

PowerPoint   Google Slides

Advertising Agency Invoice Template

Available with or without sample data, use this template to itemize services, such as market research, creative design, and digital marketing. This tool automatically calculates totals.

Excel   Google Sheets

Advertising Agency Scope of Work Template

This template, available with or without sample data, guides you through each step of planning complex marketing campaigns by providing a clear framework for all involved parties.

Microsoft Word   Adobe PDF   Google Docs

Advertising Agency Cost Estimate Template

With columns for item names, quantities, prices, and totals, this template simplifies advertising-estimation. It automatically adds up costs, so you can present clients with accurate budget predictions.

Advertising Agency Campaign Template

Optimize your multichannel advertising strategy with this template. As you input each advertising element's forecasted and actual results, the template calculates the total response rate and cost.

Excel   Google Sheets  

Advertising Agency Campaign Timeline Template

This template offers a blueprint, guiding you from the conception to culmination of a campaign. For those seeking inspiration, the sample version is pre-filled with a timeline of an example campaign.

Excel   PowerPoint  

Excel   PowerPoint

Advertising Agency Campaign Presentation Template

Use this template, available in both a blank version and a pre-filled sample version, to detail target audiences, unique offerings, business and marketing goals, strategic actions, and KPIs.

Advertising Agency Monthly Client Report Template

Use this visually dynamic template to showcase advertising success by including the reach by channel, overall campaign effectiveness, conversion rate, customer acquisition, and lead generation.

Advertising Agency Dashboard Template

Complete with interactive CPA and CPC bar graphs, an acquisitions distribution chart, and a detailed CTR comparison across campaigns, this dashboard transforms data into actionable insights.

Advertising Agency Status Report Template

The template simplifies the reporting process with activity, status, ownership, and key date columns for each advertising campaign. The tool includes sample activity phases for a structured overview.

Streamline and Elevate Your Advertising Processes with Free Advertising Agency Templates from Smartsheet

The best marketing teams know the importance of effective campaign management, consistent creative operations, and powerful event logistics -- and Smartsheet helps you deliver on all three so you can be more effective and achieve more. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed.

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time. Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Improve your marketing efforts and deliver best-in-class campaigns.

How to Write Advertising Agency Business Plan? Guide & Template

In the dynamic landscape of marketing and promotion, advertising agencies play a pivotal role in helping businesses shine amidst competition. However, behind every successful advertising agency lies a well-structured business plan. This article dives deep into the essence of a compelling advertising agency business plan, its significance, and the steps to craft one that paves the path to success.

What is an Advertising Agency Business Plan?

An advertising agency business plan serves as a roadmap, outlining the objectives, strategies, and operational details necessary for the establishment and growth of an advertising agency. It encapsulates the agency’s vision, target market analysis, service offerings, financial projections, and marketing strategies.

Why do you need a business plan for an Advertising Agency?

• Clarity and Direction

Provides a clear roadmap for achieving business goals. Defines target market segments and unique selling propositions.

2. Attracting Investors and Partners

Demonstrates the viability and potential profitability of the agency. Instills confidence in potential investors and partners.

3. Risk Mitigation

Identifies potential challenges and outlines strategies to overcome them. Offers contingency plans for unforeseen circumstances.

Source of Funding for Advertising Agency Business

Securing funding is a critical aspect of launching and sustaining an advertising agency. Potential sources of funding include:

Personal Savings: Investing personal savings into the business demonstrates commitment and confidence. Bank Loans: Traditional bank loans provide a source of capital for initial setup costs and operational expenses. Venture Capital: Venture capitalists may invest in promising advertising agency startups in exchange for equity. Angel Investors: Individual investors, or “angel investors,” provide financial backing to startups in exchange for ownership equity. Crowdfunding: Platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo enable entrepreneurs to raise funds from a large pool of individuals. Government Grants and Programs: Various government grants and programs support small business development and innovation.

How to Write an Advertising Agency Business Plan?

Crafting a comprehensive advertising agency business plan involves several key steps:

• Executive Summary

Concisely summarizes the entire business plan. Highlights key objectives, strategies, and financial projections.

2. Company Description

Provides an overview of the advertising agency, its mission, and vision. Details the agency’s history, location, and legal structure.

3. Market Analysis

Conducts thorough market research to identify target demographics, industry trends, and competitor analysis. Determines the agency’s niche and competitive advantage.

4. Services Offered

Describes the range of services offered by the agency, such as branding, digital marketing, social media management, etc. Emphasizes the agency’s unique value proposition and expertise.

5. Marketing and Sales Strategies

Outlines marketing strategies to attract and retain clients. Defines sales channels and tactics for business development.

6. Operational Plan

Details day-to-day operations, staffing requirements, and workflow processes. Addresses logistical considerations such as office space, equipment, and technology needs.

7. Financial Projections

Projects revenue, expenses, and cash flow for the first few years of operation. Includes profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and break-even analysis.

8. Risk Management

Identifies potential risks and challenges and outlines strategies to mitigate them. Establishes contingency plans for unexpected events.

Advantages of Starting an Advertising Agency Business

Starting an advertising agency offers several advantages:

Creativity and Innovation: Allows for creative expression and innovation in marketing strategies and campaigns. Flexibility and Autonomy: Provides the flexibility to work with diverse clients and industries while maintaining autonomy over business decisions. Lucrative Income Potential: Successful advertising agencies can generate substantial revenue through client contracts and project-based fees. Industry Influence: Establishing a reputable agency can lead to industry recognition and influence.

Crafting a comprehensive advertising agency business plan is indispensable for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to venture into the dynamic realm of advertising and marketing. By delineating objectives, strategies, and financial projections, a well-crafted business plan sets the foundation for success and ensures a clear path towards achieving business goals.

Advertising Agency Business Plan FAQs

How do you write an advertising business plan?

To write an advertising business plan, include an industry overview, competitor analysis, your agency’s positioning and specialties, biographies of owners and key creative staff, proposed services, target markets, fee structures, a marketing strategy for winning clients, and financial projections.

How profitable is an advertising agency?

An advertising agency can be a highly profitable business through recurring account fees, markups on vendor services, and expanding into related marketing services, but profit margins depend significantly on winning and retaining key clients.

How do you structure an advertising agency?

An advertising agency is typically structured with creative departments like art direction, copywriting, and content production, account services to coordinate projects with clients, media planning teams to manage ad placements, and leadership setting business strategy and growth plans.

What is the business model of an advertising agency?

The core business model of an ad agency involves taking on client contracts encompassing some ad creation and media planning services then charging markups when outsourcing those project elements, essentially buying wholesale and selling retail.

Written by Ivan Smith

Hello, I'm Ivan Smith, a graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. Currently, I'm actively engaged in practicing business plan writing.

Text to speech

Digital Advertising Agency Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business ideas » Internet Based Industry » Digital Marketing Agency

Are you about starting a starting a digital advertising agency ? If YES, here’s a complete sample digital advertising agency business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE to raise money .

If you have a penchant for advertising, then you may want to start a business that revolves around it. In many countries of the world like America, you are required to be a member of a body, as well as get some certifications in some advertising fields. These hurdles stated, helps you to operate at a much deeper level that stands you out in business.

A Sample Digital Advertising Agency Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

A standard Advertising agency create advertising campaigns for periodicals, newspapers, radio, TV and other media platforms such as social media. Through internal capabilities or delegating, ad agencies provide advice, creative services, account management, production of advertising campaign material and of course media planning and buying like ad placement et al.

Suggested for You

• Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan [Sample Template]
• Getting a Digital Marketing Firm License, Permit & Insurance
• LED Screen Advertising Business Plan [Sample Template]
• Marketing Consulting Business Plan [Sample Template]
• Do You Need a Business License for Social Media Marketing Service?

Establishments in the Advertising Agencies industry are responsible for creating advertising campaigns and place the advertisements in periodicals, newspapers, radio, TV and other media outlets such as social media and digital media platforms.

The arrival of new media and, in particular, the trend moving away from traditional media and toward digital and online services, has stimulated a drastic change in advertising strategies. As a matter of fact, loads of traditional advertising agencies have started to specialize in online advertising cum digital marketing so as to stay competitive in the industry.

As a result of this trend, the revenue generated in the industry has grown tremendously over the years. Going forward, the Advertising Agencies industry will continue to experience sustained growth, as the proliferation of digital devices, such as tablets and smartphones, provide new streams of income.

No doubt, the Advertising Agencies industry is in the mature phase of its life cycle and luckily for the industry, the advent of digital media has provided an opportunity for the industry to explore and experience vibrant growth. Of course, the industry is becoming more concentrated, as seen by a few large global firms dominating the market and gaining huge market share of the available market.

The Advertising Agencies Industry is indeed a very large industry and pretty much thriving in all parts of the world especially in developed countries such as united states of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, France and Italy et al.

Statistics has it that in the United States of America alone, there are about 65,454 licensed and registered advertising agencies responsible for employing about 251,296 employees and the industry rakes in a whooping sum of $43billion annually with an annual growth rate projected at 3.5 percent. It is important to state that the establishments with lion shares of the available market in this industry are The Omnicom Group Inc., WPP and IPG.

Over and above, advertising agencies cannot be phased out despite the change in advertising approaches and the emergence of new media. It is easier for advertising agencies to leverage on modern technology to reach – out to their target market. As a matter of fact, it is cost effective and far reaching for them to make use of social media platforms to carry out some of their advertising campaigns.

2. Executive Summary

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is a U.S based and world class advertising agency that will be located in Los Angeles – California. We have been able to secure a standard and well – positioned office facility in a central business district in Inglewood.

We are an advertising agency that is set to compete in the highly competitive advertising agencies industry not only in the United States market, but also in the global market because our clientele base will not be restricted to just businesses and organizations in the United States but in the internal market.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. will offer robust advertising services to both corporate organization and individuals. Our core services will revolve around creating advertising campaigns and place the advertisements in periodicals, newspapers, radio, TV and other media outlets such as social media and digital media platforms and other related advertising and media consulting and advisory services.

Our business goal is to become one of the leading advertising agencies in the United States of America with high profile corporate and individual clients scattered all around the globe. Our workers are going to be selected from a pool of talented and highly creative advertising and media experts in and around Los Angeles – California and also from any part of the world as the business grows.

We will make sure that we take all the members of our workforce through the required trainings that will position them to meet the expectation of the company and to compete with leading advertising agencies such as The Omnicom Group Inc., WPP and IPG in the United States and of course throughout the globe.

At Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc., our client’s best interest will always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s business needs precisely and completely. We will cultivate a working environment that provides a human, sustainable approach to earning a living, and living in our world, for our partners, employees and for our clients.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is founded by Lilian Goldberg and her friend and business partner for many years Lesly Henderson. They both graduated from University of California, Beckley with BA in Mass Communications and they have a combine experience that revolves around corporate branding and advertising, market researching, sales, web designing, graphic designing, and business management et al.

3. Our Products and Services

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. was established with the aim of maximizing profits in the Advertising Agencies industry. We want to compete favorably with leading advertising agencies such as The Omnicom Group Inc., WPP and IPG in the United States and of course throughout the globe which is why we have but in place a competent team that will ensure that we meet and even surpass our customers’ expectations.

We will work hard to ensure that Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. do not just work for clients in the United States of America, but also for clients in other parts of the world. Our products and services are listed below;

• Advertising services
• Creative services
• Public relations services
• Media planning, buying & representation
• Creating advertising campaigns
• Disseminating advertising campaigns through available mediums, such as TV and periodicals
• Other related media and advertising advisory and consulting services

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to establish a standard and world class advertising agency whose services and brand will not only be accepted in the United States of America, but also in other parts of the world.
• Our mission is to provide professional and highly creative result oriented advertising services and other related advisory and consulting services that will assist businesses, individuals and non-profit organizations in promoting their brands and reaching out to a wide range of potential customers all over the globe.
• We want to build an advertising agency that can favorably compete with other leading brands in the advertising agencies industry.

Our Business Structure

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is a world class advertising agency that intend starting small in Los Angeles – California, but hope to grow big in order to compete favorably with leading advertising agencies such as The Omnicom Group Inc., WPP and IPG in the United States and of course throughout the globe.

We are aware of the importance of building a solid business structure that can support the picture of the kind of world class business we want to own. This is why we are committed to only hiring the best hands within our area of operations.

At Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. we will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, hardworking, and creative, result driven, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders (the owners, workforce, and customers).

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more as agreed by the board of trustees of the company. In view of the above, Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Executive Officer
• Creative Director

Advertising cum Digital Marketing Specialist

Human Resources and Admin Manager

• Sales and Marketing Executive
• Web Designer cum Graphic Artist
• Content Creator / Online Traffic Generator

Client Service Executive

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO:

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization

Creative Director:

• Serve as project manager of the organization; works directly with employees
• Responsible for designing advertising concepts and winning business proposals for the organization
• In charge of copy writing and laying out chronological advertisement plans
• Develops strategic plan by studying technological and financial opportunities; presenting assumptions; recommending objectives.
• Accomplishes subsidiary objectives by establishing plans, budgets, and results measurements; allocating resources; reviewing progress; making mid-course corrections.
• Coordinates efforts by establishing procurement, production, marketing, field, and technical services policies and practices; coordinating actions with corporate staff.
• Builds company image by collaborating with customers, government, community organizations, and employees; enforcing ethical business practices.
• Maintains quality service by establishing and enforcing organization standards.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking state-of-the-art practices; participating in professional societies.
• Make certain that operations and marketing department perform efficiently, coordinate employee efforts, and facilitate communications between management and employees
• Ensures that the organization work in line with international best practices.
• Responsible for handling media planning, buying & representation
• Responsible for creating advertising campaigns
• Responsible for disseminating advertising campaigns through available mediums, such as TV, Radio and periodicals et al
• Responsible for handling core digital services such as banner advertising, video advertising, rich media advertising, sponsorship advertising, classifieds/directories, lead generation, mobile messaging/email, digital display advertising, mobile advertising, social media management
• Handle other related media and advertising advisory and consulting services
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Enhances department and organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.
• Defining job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carrying out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Oversee the smooth running of the daily office.

Sales and Marketing Manager

• Manage external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
• Model demographic information and analyze the volumes of transactional data generated by customer
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of development projects.
• Writing winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with organizations’ policy
• Responsible for handling business research, market surveys and feasibility studies for clients
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develop, execute and evaluate new plans for expanding increase sales
• Create new markets cum businesses for the organization
• Empower and motivates the sales team to meet and surpass agreed targets

Accountant / Cashier:

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for Zebra Plus Digital Marketing Consulting™, LLC
• Serves as internal auditor for Zebra Plus Digital Marketing Consulting™, LLC.

Web Designer cum Graphic Designers

• Liaising with clients to determine their requirement and budget
• Responsible for Optimizing Website Functionality for owners of existing websites
• Responsible for Search Engine Optimization Services and Code Writing Services
• Responsible for developing concepts, graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and websites
• Responsible for managing client proposals from typesetting through to design, print and production
• Responsible for preparing drafts or material based on an agreement brief.
• Research and advice the organization on style, genre and other trendy info as it relates to new media and traditional media advertising.

Content Creator / Traffic Generator

• Responsible for creating contents for the organization as it relates to advertising
• Responsible for creating content / buzz words that will help attract traffics
• Responsible for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Responsible for engaging internet users to get help statistics and leads
• Liaising and working effectively With other staff members to generate sales for our clients
• Welcomes clients and potential clients by greeting them in person, online or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the creative director in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries.

6. SWOT Analysis

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. engaged the services of a core professional in the area of business consulting and structuring to assist our organization in building a well – structured advertising agency that can favorably compete in the highly competitive advertising agencies industry in the United States and the world at large.

We know that if we get things right before starting our advertising agency, we will not have to struggle before attract loyal clients and building our clientele base cum corporate profile to a level where we can easily breakeven in record time.

We hired the services of Dr. Edwards Christopher, a HR and Business consultant with bias in business structuring to help us conduct SWOT analysis for our company and he did a pretty good job for us. Here is a of the result we got from the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc.;

Our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team of creative, result driven and highly proficient advertising cum digital marketing expert, a team with excellent qualifications and experience various niche areas in the advertising agencies industry and other related industry.

Aside from the synergy that exist in our carefully selected advertising cum digital marketing experts, our services will be measurable, result driven and guided by best practices in the industry.

As a new advertising agency in Los Angeles – California, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from top profile clients in the already saturated and highly competitive advertising agencies industry; that is perhaps our major weakness.

Another weakness is that we may not have the required cash to pump into promoting our business especially via main stream media (TV, Radio and Newspapers et al) the way we would want to.

• Opportunities:

No doubt, the opportunities available in the advertising agencies industry is massive considering the number of individuals and corporate organizations with active presence on the internet and of course the pretty large numbers of people who visit the internet / social media platforms on a daily basis and own mobile phones / smart phones and other related gadgets.

As a standard and world class advertising agency, we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that is available in the industry.

Just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn. It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing / spending power. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of advertising agency, a digital marketing agency or even a social media marketing company in same location where our target market exist and who may want to adopt same Business model like us.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

It is trendier in recent time to note that, loads of traditional advertising agencies have started to specialize in online advertising cum digital marketing so as to stay competitive in the industry. As a result of this trend, the revenue generated in the industry has grown tremendously over the years.

Going forward, the Advertising Agencies industry will continue to experience sustained growth, as the proliferation of digital devices, such as tablets and smartphones, provide new streams of income.

Another common trend in the advertising agencies industry is that, majority of advertising agencies no longer rely on tradition media for advertisement, they now fully embrace new media. As a result of this trend, they no longer settle for clients within the location where their physical office is located but also from any part of the world.

The truth is that with the advent of the internet, it is now easier for an advertising agency to work for clients in any part of the world. For instance, an advertising agency can be located in the United States of America and have their biggest client in United Arab Emirates or in China. Many thanks to the power of the internet which has brought the world closer to us.

Lastly, the advertising agencies industry will continue to evolve due to the advancement of computer technology and software applications designs et al.

8. Our Target Market

Prior to starting our advertising agency, we are certain that there is a wide range of both corporate and individual clients who cannot successfully run their businesses without the services and support of a standard advertising agencies; a company that can help them reach out to their target market and effectively promote their corporate brand and image.

In view of that, we have created strategies that will enable us reach out to various corporate organizations, non – profits, government agencies and individual who we know can’t afford to do without our services. We have conducted our market research and survey and we will ensure that we meet and surpass the expectations of our clients

Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically market our services to;

• Banks, Insurance Companies and other related Financial Institutions
• Blue Chips Companies
• Corporate Organizations
• Manufacturers and Distributors
• Real Estate Owners, Developers, and Contractors
• Research and Development Companies
• The Government (Public Sector)
• Schools (High Schools, Colleges and Universities)
• Celebrities, Politicians, Public Figures and Public Speakers
• Sport Organizations
• Religious Organizations
• Political Parties
• Television Stations
• Printing Press (Publishing Houses) and Authors
• Branding and Advertising agencies
• Aspiring celebrities
• Entrepreneurs and Start – Ups

Our Competitive Advantage

Surviving in the business world as an advertising agency requires more than, your expertise, knowing how to conduct your business but also how to network with key people that matters; decision makers that can decide who will get a contract or a business deal.

We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the advertising agencies industry means that you are not only expected to be able to deliver consistent and excellent services, but you must be result driven and able to meet set targets. No one would want to continue to hire your services if don’t always meet up with the target sales the organization intends to generate when they hire your services.

Our competitive advantage lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team of creative, result driven and highly proficient advertising cum digital marketing experts, a team with excellent qualifications and experience various niche areas in the advertising agencies industry and other related industry.

Lastly, all our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (startups advertising agencies in the United States) in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the advertising agencies industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to meet and surpass the expectations of all our clients.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. will generate income by offering the following advertising cum digital marketing services and other related services;

• Disseminating advertising campaigns through available mediums, such as TV, radio and periodicals

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain, there would always be corporate organizations, government agencies, non – profits and individuals who would need the services of advertising agencies to help them increase sales or promote their brands and corporate image.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is well positioned to take on the available market in advertising agencies industry and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six month of operations and grow our advertising agencies to enviable heights.

We have been able to critically examine the advertising agencies marketing space and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projection is based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to similar startups in Los Angeles – California.

Below is the sales projection for Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc., it is based on the location of our business and of course the wide range of our media and advertising services we offer and our target market;

• First Fiscal Year-: $200,000
• Second Fiscal Year-: $500,000
• Third Fiscal Year-: $750,000

N.B : This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same advertising agency services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

We are mindful of the fact that there is stiffer competition in the advertising agencies industry; hence we have been able to hire some of the best marketing experts to handle our sales and marketing.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the advertising agencies industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall business goal of Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc.

Our corporate goal is to grow Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. to become one of the leading advertising agency brands in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in the United States of America but also in other parts of the world.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

• Introduce our advertising agency by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to individuals, corporate organizations, government agencies, non – profits, religious organizations and key stake holders.
• Promptness in bidding for advertising and digital marketing contracts from the government and other cooperate organizations
• Advertise our business in relevant business magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station.
• List our business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
• Attend relevant international and local expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
• Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still deliver excellent services
• Leverage on the internet to promote our business
• Engage direct marketing approach
• Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We have been able to work with our in house brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market. We are set to become the number one choice for both corporate clients and individual clients in the whole of the United States and beyond which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our advertising agency.

Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc.;

• Place adverts on both print (newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant community based events / programs
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook , twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our services
• Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations all around Los Angeles – California
• Engage in road show from time to time in targeted neighborhoods
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
• Contact corporate organizations, non – profits and government agencies by calling them up and informing them of Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. and the services we offer
• List Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. in local directories / yellow pages
• Advertise Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site.
• Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our company logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

At Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. we will keep the prices of our services below the average market rate for all of our customers by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance from corporate organizations who would hire our services. In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to all our customers at regular intervals.

We are aware that there are some one – off jobs or government contracts which are always lucrative, we will ensure that we abide by the pricing model that is expected from contractors or organizations that bid for such contracts.

• Payment Options

At Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc., our payment policy will be all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them. Here are the payment options that we will make available to our clients;

• Payment by via bank transfer
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via bank draft
• Payment via mobile money
• Payment with cash

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will help us achieve our plans with little or no itches. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials so that it will be easier for clients to make payments when necessary.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

It is a known fact that, in setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by renting a place, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.

This means that the start-up can either be low or high depending on your goals, vision and aspirations for your business. The materials and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked.

As for the detailed cost analysis for starting a standard advertising agency; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money. However, this is what it would cost us to setup Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. in the United of America;

• Business incorporating fees in the United States of America will cost – $750.
• The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $3,500
• Leasing / renting an office space in a good location in Los Angeles – California that will accommodate the number of employees for at least 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – $150,000.
• The cost for furnishing and equipping the office (computers, printers, projectors, markers, servers / internet facility, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – $30,000
• The amount required to purchase the needed software applications – $3,500
• Launching an official Website will cost – $500
• The amount need to pay bills and staff members for at least 2 to 3 months – $70,000
• Additional Expenditure such as Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $5,000
• Miscellaneous – $5000

Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need about two hundred and fifty thousand ( 250,000 ) U.S. dollars to successfully set – up a medium scale but standard advertising agency in the United States of America.

Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is a business that will be owned, financed and managed by Lilian Goldberg and her friend and business partner for many years Lesly Henderson. They are the sole financial of the business which is why they decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital for the business to just three major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings and sale of his stocks
• Generate part of the start – up capital from friends and other extended family members
• Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).

N.B: We have been able to generate about $100,000 (Personal savings $85,000 and soft loan from family members $15,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $150,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

It is an established fact that, the future of a business lies in the numbers of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

One of our major goals of starting Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our advertising services and other related media and advertising advisory and consulting services a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. will make sure that the right foundation, structures and standard operating processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner of our business strategy.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more as determined by the board of the organization. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check:>Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Securing a standard office facility in a good location in Los Angeles – California: Completed
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating part of the start – up capital from the founders: Completed
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
• Design of Logo for the business: Completed
• Secure trademark for our products: In Progress
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the Needed furniture, office equipment, software applications, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In Progress
• Creating Official Website for the business: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in various industries: In Progress

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election results
• Google trends
• AP & Elections
• U.S. Open Tennis
• Paralympic Games
• College football
• Auto Racing
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Federal agency cracks down on a predatory lending practice that often hurts Somali Muslims

FILE - Women walk down a street in the predominantly Somali neighborhood of Cedar-Riverside in Minneapolis on May 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski, File)

• Copy Link copied

For years, Fartun Weli has been frustrated with the way low-income Somali Muslims in Minnesota have been targeted by shady home sellers edging their way into the community -- by exploiting a principle of Islam meant to protect the poor.

Weli says many are refugee immigrants who know little about the formal homebuying process and often have little or bad credit. Even when they qualify for traditional mortgages, they’re uncomfortable with the typical financing options because Islamic law forbids interest on loans.

In comes a private seller who offers them seemingly low-priced homes without interest. In such sales, the two sides agree on a price outright, with a sizeable down payment and monthly installments. The seller claims there’s no interest payment because no banks are involved. But no banks also mean no appraisals, allowing the seller to inflate prices with no questions asked on the condition of the home.

Typically, the seller legally owns the home until the entire loan is paid off and all the seller’s conditions are met, while the buyer takes on ownership responsibilities like paying the property taxes, fixing it up to livable standards and all ongoing maintenance.

“This is a community that has been scammed,” said Weli, who leads Isuroon, a community nonprofit that supports Somali refugee immigrant women and their families resettling in Minnesota. “There are so many of them that just folded quietly. Most of our families are not even talking about it.”

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is now pledging to scrutinize bad deals in this format, known as contracts for deed. It is also urging people to report such deceptive and predatory loans.

Contracts for deed are a form of alternative or seller financing in which a private seller or investor group comes to a loan agreement with a buyer without many of the typical banking and mortgage regulations and protections. But the federal watchdog agency declared earlier this month that they must now play by the rules – effectively putting private sellers on notice that they too are subject to the Truth in Lending Act as banks, lenders and brokers are.

At a field hearing in St. Paul, Minnesota on August 13, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra highlighted how predatory lending has especially affected the Somali Muslim community in Minnesota, where many have resettled from the Somali Civil War in recent decades, describing how families’ housing situations could be derailed by hidden balloon payments and uninhabitable properties.

Chopra said it’s become a trap and churn system, where the buyers are set up to fail and the sellers can re-sell the home on their terms to another family.

“We actually need to make sure that when people are struggling financially, they can sometimes know who to go for help, when to report and what we can do to make them feel comfortable and safe when it comes to speaking up,” Chopra said.

The Pew Charitable Trusts reports about 1.4 million Americans were using contracts for deed to buy a home in 2022. Tara Roche, who leads Pew’s housing policy initiative, said part of the problem of trying to regulate them is that some states view them as falling under contract law rather than housing law, and some lawmakers see such home sales as merely private contracts between two people with no need for government oversight.

“The reality is that the seller has all the power on the requirements and the terms of the contract,” Roche said. “It’s not balanced through legal framework.”

The National Association of Realtors said while they appreciate the crackdown on predatory lending, they want to ensure that buyers who had traditionally used contracts for deed — also known as land contracts — won’t be affected.

“For a small niche of homebuyers, particularly in rural and farming communities, land contracts have worked. The CFPB should ensure that safe, alternative products are available for this community if land contracts become more limited,” according to a statement by the real estate trade group.

Others have urged for more regulation by state lawmakers to help vulnerable low-income and immigrant communities.

“We’ve long known that communities of color and immigrants were being targeted, but the additional targeting based on religious beliefs is especially troubling,” said Sarah Bolling Mancini, co-director of advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center, which calls for policy reforms including requiring such sales to be recorded in deed records. “The most important thing is we not allow these contracts to be in a gray area with none of the protections of a buyer or a renter.”

In the case of Somali Muslims in Minnesota, the contracts for deed hold appeal because mainstream Islamic law views the concept of paying or receiving money as interest on a loan as a greedy sin, said Yasir Qadhi, an Islamic scholar and chair of the Fiqh Council of North America.

“We believe interest is an unfair tool, that people who have wealth can leverage their wealth as a means of becoming more wealthy by taking advantage of the poor,” Qadhi said. “In our faith, giving someone a loan is an act of charity, it’s not a business.”

Weli said she hopes the latest move by the CFPB will result in more awareness within the Somali refugee community and also lead to more resources for immigrants to achieve financial literacy to help them be less vulnerable.

“There’s something about being an immigrant and being a refugee. You plan things so well and you strive,” Weli said. “This homeownership thing, it’s the ultimate destination. It’s part of feeling completely safe.”

• Veliky Novgorod Tourism
• Veliky Novgorod Hotels
• Veliky Novgorod Bed and Breakfast
• Flights to Veliky Novgorod
• Veliky Novgorod Restaurants
• Things to Do in Veliky Novgorod
• Veliky Novgorod Travel Forum
• Veliky Novgorod Photos
• Veliky Novgorod Map
• All Veliky Novgorod Hotels
• Veliky Novgorod Hotel Deals

Novgorod for Day Trip From Cruise Ship in St. Petersburg - Veliky Novgorod Forum

• Europe    
• Russia    
• Northwestern District    
• Novgorod Oblast    
• Veliky Novgorod    

Novgorod for Day Trip From Cruise Ship in St. Petersburg

• United States Forums
• Europe Forums
• Canada Forums
• Asia Forums
• Central America Forums
• Africa Forums
• Caribbean Forums
• Mexico Forums
• South Pacific Forums
• South America Forums
• Middle East Forums
• Honeymoons and Romance
• Business Travel
• Train Travel
• Traveling With Disabilities
• Tripadvisor Support
• Solo Travel
• Bargain Travel
• Timeshares / Vacation Rentals
• Novgorod Oblast forums
• Veliky Novgorod forum

Our original plan for this cruise was to use the "Moscow option" and spend our second day not in St. Petersburg, but in Moscow. However, the second day is a Thursday - when the Kremlin is closed. The second day is the only day that the long trip to Moscow is possible. But there is no point in going all the way to Moscow without seeing the Kremlin! Major disappointment!

Plan B - Instead of Moscow, our guide suggested that we might want to go to Veliky Novgorod on our second day,Thursday. I haven't found too much about it other than that it's one of the oldest cities in Russia and it has lots of churches. One church is okay, but we're not really interested in visiting lots of them, and if we make the long trek to Novgorod, it has to be for much more than a church. What else is there to see and do in Novgorod? Is it worth the 2.5 - 3 hour drive each way in the car between St. Petersburg and Novgorod? Or are we better off staying in St. Petersburg and seeing again what we did last time? I loved St. Petersburg, so revisiting sights wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. However, if there is somewhere outside of St. Petersburg that is incredible, fabulous, amazing - then, I'd like to go there, too. Does Novgorod fit that description? Alternatively, if it doesn't, can you suggest a place outside of St. Petersburg that does? Preferably a place that is closer to St. Petersburg? Or even a place within St. Petersburg that is off-the-beaten-path that we might not have seen last time we were there?

Thanks for your help!

3 replies to this topic

Who is your guide? We'd like to hire her, too :)

It is a pretty long way and bumpy road to Novgorod The Great if nothing hasnt changed recently, which Im sure hasnt. And yes you are right -it is all about churches and religious heritage, its an ancient Russian city - there are houndreds of churches and monasteries. One of the attraction of Novgorod which is different is The open-air architectural-ethnographic museum "Vitoslavlitsy", which provides a whole complex of genuine folk wooden architecture, including ancient churches of the 16th — 18th centuries, peasant houses of the 19th — early 20th centuries, exhibitions of folk art and everyday life items of Novgorod peasants of the same period. But again if you are not much into OMG another church.

Yes, Novgorod is famous first of all thanks churches, cathedrals and monasteries, but these churches are different from St. Petersburg churches. First of all they are much older. Novgorod was a very important center in the past, for several years it was even our official capital but now it’s a real province with very slow and calm provincial life. Some information about Novgorod and tourists cites their you can find here http://www.bestguides-spb.com/tour-novgorod.html I love Novgorod and tour to Novgorod could be very interesting. Please notice that guides from St. Petersburg are not allowed to provide tours of Novgorod churches/museums. If you are only two it could work but with a bigger group I’m afraid it could be problems.

Despite my very special feelings about Novgorod (I really love it!) I would suggest you to visit Moscow even on Thursday. Moscow has so much beside of Kremlin which you will see from outside: the Red Square, St Basil Cathedra, the unique metro!, Arbat street, Tretyakov gallery, Novodevichy monastery and so on…

• Arriving early V Novgorod, where to get breakfast? Dec 28, 2019
• tranportation Feb 15, 2019
• Transportation Veliky Novgorod Aug 16, 2018
• Getting to Rurikov Ancient Town from Veliky Novogorod centre Aug 16, 2018
• Veliky Novgorod from St.Petersburg by bus/train Apr 08, 2018
• St Petersburg to Veliky Novgorod - options Apr 05, 2018
• St Pete - Veliky Novogorod - Moscow - Day Trip Mar 06, 2018
• Moscow overnight train...sleeper? Kids? Jan 03, 2018
• Liturgy and Vespers at St. Sophia Sep 05, 2017
• Getting to Veliky Novgorod Sep 01, 2017
• Transportation between Veliky Novgorod and Moscow Jun 12, 2017
• Train form Moscow to Veliky Novogorod Apr 07, 2017
• Direct train from Veliky Novgorod to Vologda Jan 07, 2016
• Moscow to Veliky Novgorod Train Jul 05, 2015
• One day trip to Novgorod 13 replies
• Saint Petersburg to Novgorod by bus 6 replies
• Riga to Veliky Novgorod - by bus? 8 replies
• St. Petersburg-Novgorod-Moscow 10 replies
• Spb to vn 4 replies
• Trains to Novgorod (Again, yet different) 6 replies
• Novgorod to St. P by train in Sep 2010 - none running?! 7 replies
• train 7 replies
• apartment rental/accommodation in Novgorod 3 replies
• Novgorod vs Pskov 4 replies
• GreenLeaders

• #Luxury travel
• #Unusual Moscow
• #Jewish Heritage
• #Russian traditions

Velikiy Novgorod Guide

• #Velikiy Novgorod
• #Great Russian Cities

Velikiy Novgorod is a small city not far from Saint Petersburg and Moscow. Being the oldest city in Russia, it is often called a museum of the ancient Rus and was given the status of the World Heritage Site of UNESCO. No other city in Russia managed to preserve such a number of pieces of architecture and art from the very ancient times.

• How to get to Velikiy Novgorod

The most convenient way of travel to Velikiy Novgorod is to travel by train and the fastest route is now offered by the Lastochka train departing from Saint Petersburg twice a day: in the early morning (07:36 a.m.) and at 7:32 p.m. (the timetable is the matter of change, so you should check it before planning a trip. Tickets can be booked online). Travel time is less than 3 hours which is much faster than traveling by train from Moscow which will take the whole night. However, on the overnight train from Moscow, you can sleep on your bunk in the shared compartment for four people, while Lastochka from Saint Petersburg offers only seating coaches.

Approximately 4 hours you will spend on your way to Velikiy Novgorod if you choose bus travel from Parnas metro station in Saint Petersburg. However, this might be more convenient if you need to travel in the afternoon, later than 7 o’clock in the morning or before 19:00, as there are more buses than the train and the schedule offers routes during the whole day.

Getting to Velikiy Novgorod by car is also quite a fast and convenient way for those who choose privacy and comfort.

Start your trip

• What to do and what to see

Velikiy Novgorod is a gem for those who are into history and culture; sometimes they call it Russia Florence. Let’s start with the Cathedral of St. Sophia, built in 1045 and located in the historic downtown of Novgorod. Why is it worth seeing? Mostly, for its unique examples of ancient art: frescoes and altar-screens, especially the most famous one called Virgin of the Sign. Another great cathedral is the Cathedral of St. Nicholas; for the fullest experience, visit the Chuch of the Nativity of Our Lady in St. Anthony's Monastery, where you will also enjoy mural paintings, iconostases, and of course the ancient exterior. The Kremlin of Novgorod — the oldest kremlin in Russia — was the heart of crucial moments in ancient Russia: it was used for the town’s meetings and welcoming foreign ambassadors. One of the remarkable points of the Kremlin is the monument called "The Millenium of Russia”, erected in 1862. It is dedicated to the most outstanding Russian figures like tsars, writers, politicians, historians. To explore more art of the 1012 centuries, visit the main hall of the Faceted Palace in Kremlin: it features an exhibition of enamel art with some very unique and rare items. The Yaroslav Court and the ancient Tradeyard is another open-air museum with great examples of architecture like churches of Paraskeva-Pyatnitsa, Myrrh-Bearing Women, and St. John-The Baptist. If you drive only 4 kilometers away from Velikiy Novgorod city center, you will have a chance to see the famous open-air complex called Vitoslavlitsy. It is fully dedicated to the wooden architecture from 16th to 20th centuries and gives you an opportunity to explore wooden churches, peasant houses and get acquainted with the folk art and household items of plain citizens of Novgorod during past centuries.

• What to buy

There is no doubt that you want to keep your memories by buying some special souvenirs from Velikiy Novgorod — not just simple nesting dolls or ushanka hats, sold in every corner of Russia. In Velikiy Novgorod, you are most likely to find more unusual options. First of all, Novgorod craftsmen have always been famous for their birchbark crafts and you can find various cute items to take with you: jewel cases, hairpins, and hairbands, plates, and cups. For a laugh, you can also buy bast shoes — traditional footwear of Russian peasants also made of birchbark. Along with the birchbark, you will always find wooden carved figures on the shelves — some of them are made in a rather exquisite way and will become a perfect gift or a part of your home design.

Not many people know about Valday bells. Their history starts from veches — public assemblies in Novgorod and other Slavic countries and to call the audience to visit the veche, they used a big bell located in Kremlin. Small bells, sold as souvenirs are crafted in Valday, a town in the Novgorod region, and are believed to have a very melodic and clear sound. They symbolize the Russian orthodox church and remind of veche traditions at the same time.

If you want to buy a gift for children, tin whistles are the right choice. They are sold literally everywhere in Velikiy Novgorod and are made in different shapes to resemble birds or animals. This is not a simple whistle, but an ancient musical instrument with a high-pitched sound.

• Where to eat

Velikiy Novgorod is not famous for any luxury restaurants, but still offers a wide range of decent places with Russian and European cuisine. In the very heart of the city, near the Kremlin, there is a very cozy café called Telegraph; locals and guests love it for its delicious meals and great view right on the main sight of the city.

While walking around the city, you will always find some small coffee shop chains where you have a snack and tea or coffee; for those, who have time restrictions, there are popular fast-food chains like McDonald’s’ and KFC.

• Yekaterinburg read

We use cookies to improve your experience on our Website, tailor content, and measure advertising. By continuing to use our Website, you accept our Privacy Policy .

Your request has been sent successfully! Our travel expert will contact you shortly.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Princely state within Kievan Rus'

In 882, due to its growing economic and political authority, Oleg of Novgorod captured Kiev and founded the state of Kievan Rus . The city soon became the second most powerful city in Kievan Rus. It was ruled by a series of political organizations, called posadnicks, which governed when the ruler had no son to inherit the throne. When not being ruled by posadnicks, Novgorod had the good fortune to experience a series of benevolent rulers who governed with the best interest of the city's inhabitants in mind.

In Norse sagas the city is mentioned as the capital of Gardariki (i.e., the East Slavic lands). Four Viking kings—Olaf I of Norway, Olaf II of Norway, Magnus I of Norway, and Harald Haardraade—sought refuge in Novgorod from enemies at home. No more than a few decades after the death and subsequent canonization of Olaf II of Norway, in 1028, the city's community had erected a church in his memory, Saint Olaf's Church in Novgorod.

After the tenth century, Novgorod emerged as a strong political and religious center. Its secure position was primarily due to Novogorod's strong military onslaught against Constantinople . As a result of the military campaign, Novgorod maintained equal trading rights with Byzantine and began a cultural interchange. East Slavic tribes from Byzantine began pouring into the ancient Slavic state, influencing the art and culture of Novgorod.

The most notable among the benevolent leaders of Novgorod was Yaroslav I the Wise , who had sat as prince while his father, Vladimir the Great , was prince in Kiev. Yaroslav promulgated the first written code of laws (later incorporated into Russkaya Pravda) among the Eastern Slavs and is said to have granted the city a number of freedoms or privileges, which they often referred to in later centuries as precedents in their relations with other princes. His son, Vladimir, sponsored construction of the great St Sophia Cathedral, more accurately translated as The Cathedral of Holy Wisdom, which remains in modern times.

His Majesty Lord Novgorod the Great

Under a series of benevolent rulers, the inhabitants of Novgorod were steadily granted increased independence and political autonomy. As a result of their increased role in the political process, it soon became apparent to the inhabitants of Novgorod that a singular ruling authority was not necessary for Novgorod to function. As a result of this revelation, the Novgorodians dismissed their prince in 1136.

This date is seen as the traditional beginning of the Novgorod Republic, which invited and dismissed a series of princes over the next two centuries in order to rule Novgorod. While the veche, or electing authority, maintained supreme nominal power, some powerful leaders were able to assert a strong agenda over the objections of the people. [3]

The city state controlled most of Europe's northeast, from today's Estonia to the Ural Mountains, making it one of the largest states in medieval Europe, although much of the territory north and east of Lakes Lagoda and Onega were sparsely populated and never organized politically. While a basic outline of the various officials and the veche can be drawn up, the city-state's exact political constitution remains uncertain. The boyars and the archbishop ruled the city collectively, although where one officials power ended and another's began is uncertain. The prince, although reduced in power beginning in about the mid-twelfth century, was represented by his namestnik or lieutenant, and still played important roles as a military commander, legislator, and jurist. The exact composition of the veche, too, is uncertain, with some scholars such as Vasily Kliuchevksii claiming it was democratic in nature, while later scholars, such as Valentin Ianin and Alesandr Khoroshev, see it as a "sham democracy" controlled by the ruling elite.

Novgorod, with its unique political structure, soon became a thriving center for arts and culture. During the Medieval Ages Novgorod gained its reputation for literacy and education, a reputation that stayed with the city for most of its legacy.

Written records at this time are in the form of birch bark documents, many of which were written in the archbishop's scriptorium. It was in Novgorod that the oldest Slavic book written north of Macedonia and the oldest inscription in a Finnic language were unearthed. Possibly due to the intellectual and cultural strength of Novgorod, Novgorod did not fall during the Mongol invasion of ancient Russia. During this invasion, many surrounding cities fell to the Mongol invaders, but the cultural beacon of Novgorod resisted the invasion.

Within the united Russian state

Despite being able to resist the Mongol invaders, Novgorod began to falter politically in the early fifteenth century. Many scholars trace Novgorod's crumbling political power to an inability to provide the basic needs for its inhabitants. The citizens of Novgorod were particularly threatened by a lack of grain , which drove many citizens close to starvation. In order to rectify the lack of bread Novgorod made a political agreement with Moscow and Tver to provide much needed grain. These cities used the agreement to exercise political control over Novgorod, and the city's independence began to weaken in proportionate to its dependence on Moscow and Tver for grain. Novgorod was eventually annexed by Moscow in 1478.

Eventually Ivan III annexed the city to Muscovy in 1478. Novgorod remained the third largest Russian city, however, until the famine of 1560s and Ivan the Terrible sacking the city and slaughtering thousands of its inhabitants in 1570. The city's merchant elite and nobility were deported to Moscow, Yaroslavl, and elsewhere.

The difficulties for Novgorod continued in the Time of Trouble, when the city fell to Swedish troops. According to some accounts, the city voluntarily submitted to Swedish rule. Novgorod continued under Swedish authority for six years, after which time it was returned to Russia and allowed to rebuild a level of political authority. After the transfer of Novgorod to Russia, the city began an ambitious program of building and many of its most famous structures were constructed during this time period. Notable examples of this period of architecture include the Cathedral of the Sign and Vyazhischi Monastery . The most famous of Russian patriarchs, Nikon, occupied the metropolitan see of Novgorod between 1648 and 1652.

Novgorod became the administrative center of the Novgorod Governorate in 1727, demonstrating its reclaimed importance to Russia. This administrative division existed until 1927. Between 1927 and 1944 the city was a part of Leningrad Oblast, and then became an administrative center of the newly formed Novgorod Oblast.

Novgorod continued to be important to Russia until World War II , when German troops occupied the city and systematically destroyed many of the historical and cultural landmarks.

When the Red Army liberated the city on January 19, 1944, out of 2,536 stone buildings, fewer than forty were still standing. After the war, the downtown was gradually restored according to a plan worked out by Alexey Shchusev. Its chief monuments have been declared a World Heritage Site . In 1998, the city was officially renamed Veliky Novgorod, thus partly reverting to its medieval title "Lord Novgorod the Great."

Sights and Landmarks

No other Russian or Ukrainian city can compete with Novgorod in the variety and age of its medieval monuments. The foremost among these is the St Sophia Cathedral, built between 1045 and 1050 under the patronage of Vladimir Yaroslavich, the son of Yaroslav the Wise (Vladimir is buried in the cathedral along with his mother, Anna.) [4] The Cathedral is one of the most finely preserved examples of eleventh century Russian architecture. It is particularly noted for its Russian style architecture, sharply different from the French inspired architecture favored by previous Russian royal families. One of the most prominent features of the cathedral is its distinctive bronze gates, which were originally thought to have been made in Magdeburg during the twelfth century C.E. , but have now found to been purchased late into the fifteenth century. [5] A distinctively different architectural style is apparent in the Saviour Cathedral of Kutyn Monastery, which is patterned after the cathedrals in Moscow. This church, along with other churches built during the fifteenth century, is patterned after Muscovite architectural trends.

The Novgorod Kremlin, traditionally known as the Detinets , also contains the oldest palace in Russia (the so-called Chamber of the Facets, 1433), which served as the main meeting hall of the archbishops; the oldest Russian bell tower (mid-fifteenth century), and the oldest Russian clock tower (1673). The Palace of Facets, the bell tower, and the clock tower were originally built on the orders of Archbishop Evfimii II, although the clock tower collapsed in the seventeenth century and had to be rebuilt and much of the palace of Evfimii II is no longer extant. Among later structures, the most remarkable are a royal palace (1771) and a bronze monument to the Millennium of Russia, representing the most important figures from the country's history (unveiled in 1862).

Novgorod's conquest by Ivan III in 1478 decisively changed the character of local architecture. Large commissions were thenceforth executed by Muscovite masters and patterned after cathedrals of Moscow Kremlin: e.g., the Saviour Cathedral of Khutyn Monastery (1515), the Cathedral of the Mother of God of the Sign (1688), and the St. Nicholas Cathedral of Vyaschizhy Monastery (1685). Nevertheless, the styles of some parochial churches were still in keeping with local traditions: e.g., the churches of Myrrh-bearing Women (1510) and of Sts Boris and Gleb (1586).

• ↑ Preliminary results of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census (in Russian) Retrieved February 9, 2012.
• ↑ V. L. (Valentin Lavrent’evich) Ianin and M. Kh. (Mark Khaimovich) Aleshkovskii, “Proskhozhdenie Novgoroda: (k postanovke problemy),” Istoriia SSSR 2, 1971, 32-61.
• ↑ Michael C. Paul, “The Iaroslavichi and the Novgorodian Veche 1230-1270: A Case Study on Princely Relations with the Veche,” Russian History/ Histoire Russe 31, No. 1-2, Spring-Summer 2004, 39-59.
• ↑ Tatiana Tsarevskaia, St. Sophia's Cathedral in Novgorod (Moscow: Severnyi Palomnik, 2005), 3.
• ↑ Irena Daniec Jadwiga, The Message of Faith and Symbol in European Medieval Bronze Church Doors (Danbury, CT: Rutledge Books, 1999), Chapter III "An Enigma: The Medieval Bronze Church Door of Płock in the Cathedral of Novgorod," 67-97; Mikhail Tsapenko, ed., Early Russian Architecture (Moscow: Progress Publisher, 1969), 34-38.

References ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Costantino, Maria. 2001. The Illustrated Flag Handbook . New York: Gramercy Books. ISBN 0-517-21810-0
• DK Publishing. Great Britain (Eyewitness Guide). New York: DK Publishing. ISBN 0756615429
• Lewis, Brenda Ralph. 2002. Great Civilizations . Bath: Paragon Publishing. ISBN 0-75256-141-3

External links

All links retrieved May 3, 2023.

• Novgorod the Great site

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards . This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

• Veliky Novgorod   history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia :

• History of "Veliky Novgorod"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.

• Pages using ISBN magic links

How To Write a Marketing Agency Business Plan + Template

Creating a business plan is essential for any business, but it can be especially helpful for marketing agency businesses that want to improve their strategy and/or raise funding.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company, but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you are going to accomplish it. In order to create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success.

This article provides an overview of the key elements that every marketing agency owner should include in their business plan.

Download the Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan Template

What is a Marketing Agency Business Plan?

A marketing agency business plan is a formal written document that describes your company’s business strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write a Marketing Agency Business Plan?

A marketing agency business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide of your business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

Writing an Effective Marketing Agency Business Plan

The following are the key components of a successful marketing agency business plan:

Executive Summary

The executive summary of a marketing agency business plan is a one to two page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan.

• Start with a one-line description of your marketing agency
• Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast among others.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started, and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your marketing agency , you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your marketing agency, mention this.

You will also include information about your chosen marketing agency business model and how, if applicable, it is different from other companies in your industry.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is an important component of a marketing agency business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market. 

Questions to answer include:

• What part of the marketing agency industry are you targeting?
• How big is the market?
• What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, the customers of a marketing agency may include small businesses, non-profit organizations, or even individuals.

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or marketing agency services with the right marketing.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Below are sample competitive advantages your marketing agency may have:

• Proven track record of success
• Strong client base
• Robust marketing strategy and execution
• Highly qualified and experienced team
• State-of-the-art technology and tools

Marketing Plan

This part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing plan. . Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

• Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
• Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
• Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
• Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, launch a direct mail campaign. Or, you may promote your marketing agency via public relations or word-of-mouth.

Operations Plan

This part of your marketing agency business plan should include the following information:

• How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone only?
• What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for a marketing agency include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include adding X new clients or launching a new website.

Management Team

List your team members here including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific marketing agency industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute on your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix). 

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

• Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
• Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
• Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss.

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Marketing Agency

Balance Sheet

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

• Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
• Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
• Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Marketing Agency

Cash Flow Statement

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

• Cash Flow From Operations
• Cash Flow From Investments
• Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup marketing agency .

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Marketing Agency

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

• Your complete financial projections
• A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
• Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and/or grow your marketing agency . It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it.

If you are seeking funding from investors or lenders, it is especially important to have a well-written business plan that demonstrates the expertise and experience of your management team, as well as your company’s potential for financial success. By taking the time to write a detailed and comprehensive business plan, you will give your marketing agency the best chance for success.  

Finish Your Marketing Agency Business Plan in 1 Day!

Wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your marketing agency business plan?

With our Ultimate Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Other Helpful Articles

How To Write an Advertising Agency Business Plan + Template

How To Write a Creative Agency Business Plan + Template

How To Write a Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan + Template

How To Write a Digital Media Business Plan + Template

How To Write a Public Relations (PR) Agency Business Plan + Template

How To Write a Social Media Marketing Agency Business Plan + Template