Profitability
Agency profitability: what to measure, how contracted revenue and loaded cost produce real margin, and how to act on a client that is losing money.
Guides
Marketing agency KPIs and benchmarks: the 10 numbers that run the business
The marketing agency KPIs that run the business: ten numbers with formulas, healthy ranges, warning thresholds, a worked scorecard and the fix when one slips.
Oct 2, 2026GrowthHow marketing agencies are valued, and how to build one worth buying
Marketing agency valuation explained: SDE vs EBITDA, add-backs, multiples by size, earnouts and the drivers that move the price, with a two-year worked example.
Oct 2, 2026GrowthClient concentration risk: when one client is too much of your agency
Client concentration risk for agencies: measure top client share and a simple index, know the 20% and 50% flags, and dilute a big account over 18 months.
Sep 3, 2026ProfitabilityClient profitability for marketing agencies
How to measure client profitability from contracted revenue and absorbed labor cost, with worked tables, benchmarks and what to do with a loss-making account.
Sep 3, 2026OperationsAgency utilization and capacity planning
How to calculate agency utilization rate, set targets by role, compute team capacity in hours, and decide when to hire or use contractors.
Blog posts
Project accounting for marketing agencies: see margin per client, not per company
Project accounting for marketing agencies: the five numbers to track per client, a worked example, software options and a monthly review routine.
Oct 16, 2026OperationsAgency resource management software: what to look for and 9 tools compared (2027)
Agency resource management software compared: what to look for, 9 tools to trial, and how to pick one without a quarter of demos.
Oct 14, 2026OperationsAgency capacity planning: know who has room before you say yes
How to plan agency capacity by role: the billable capacity formula, a worked 25-person example, utilization targets and the weekly routine.
Oct 9, 2026PricingAgency pricing models: six ways to charge, and what each does to margin
Agency pricing models for 2027: hourly, project, retainer, value-based, performance and hybrid, with the same work priced six ways and the margin on each.
Oct 7, 2026OperationsMarketing agency org chart: the structure to run at 10, 25, 50 and 100 people
Marketing agency org chart examples for 2027 at 10, 25, 50 and 100 people: three structures, the roles to add at each stage and the ratios that protect margin.
Oct 4, 2026OperationsAgency client onboarding: the first 30 days decide the margin
Agency client onboarding in 2027: a 30-day plan, a checklist, a 12-question questionnaire and the month-one hours budget that keeps a new account profitable.
Sep 30, 2026OperationsAgency workflow: fix the handoffs, not the stages
How a marketing agency workflow really works in 2027: the six handoffs where time and margin leak, a one-week mapping exercise and the software that helps.
Sep 25, 2026PricingAgency rate card: how to build one that protects your margin
How to build an agency rate card from cost in 2027, with a worked example, a copyable template and the review habits that stop your rates drifting below cost.
Sep 14, 2026ProfitabilityAgency profitability: hours × rate is lying to you
Hours times rate books free work as revenue and hides idle. How agencies calculate real retainer margin, and what Agency Management Software must show.
Sep 7, 2026OperationsWhat is an agency operating system? (And what AI still gets wrong)
Definition of an agency operating system (agency management software for marketing agencies: CRM, proposals, time, invoicing, and margin on one client record) vs CRM, PSA, and what AI still gets wrong.