There’s a great quote by Zig Ziglar: “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” This perfectly sums up the importance of having a business plan for your agency. Regardless of its size, an agency needs a clear business plan to set itself up for growth. Without one, your business is effectively rudderless, drifting without direction. Worse still, if you haven’t set clear goals, there’s nothing to aim for, and progress becomes almost impossible.
Every agency, no matter how small, needs a management team focused on the growth of the business itself—not just client delivery. It’s easy for senior leaders to become completely caught up in the whirlwind of client work, but that approach guarantees stagnation. Growth only happens when there’s a deliberate focus on it.
However, for a plan to work, everyone on the team must agree on the strategy and actively work towards it. This typically begins with a sales plan, which then informs other areas such as budgets, staffing, and operational costs.
Planning for growth
I recommend that agencies start reviewing their plans for the following year in October. Although this may feel early—since the fourth quarter is still underway—it allows you to hit the ground running in January. Proper preparation ensures your team isn’t left scrambling to make decisions when the new year begins. The planning process should always start with your clients and your sales plan. Assess the projected fee income from your existing clients, then add a growth target that accounts for upselling to current clients and bringing in new business.
The income you’ve planned for will directly dictate your staffing levels. People are the largest cost for any agency, so getting the balance right is critical. If you have too many team members, you’ll incur unnecessary overheads. On the other hand, if you’re understaffed, you risk missing deadlines and losing clients. In my role as Operations Director at my previous agency, I worked closely with the sales team to review staffing needs. I’d take the sales plan for the upcoming year and break it down by client, analysing the resources required to deliver on those commitments.
I developed what I called a "capacity model," essentially a spreadsheet that calculated the number and type of staff needed to deliver on our sales targets. Importantly, I never staffed up to 100% of the target. Instead, I built in a 20% buffer to account for any unexpected delays in winning new business. This approach allowed us to remain agile without overcommitting resources.
Staying on track
It’s also critical to create a financial forecast that projects at least three months ahead. This should be reviewed weekly to track progress against your targets. Breaking down the annual forecast into monthly goals is key, as it helps you identify peak and quiet periods, such as the slower summer months. This level of insight allows you to plan for additional support, such as freelancers, or decide when to hire permanent staff.
Within your overall business plan, don’t forget to include a marketing budget derived from a detailed marketing strategy. Many agencies neglect their own marketing, often falling into the “cobbler’s children” trap—being great at marketing for clients but not for themselves. Allocating time and resources to your own promotion is essential for long-term growth.
Keeping an agency on track requires regular leadership or management meetings. I believe these meetings should happen monthly and need to be structured to be effective. This means assigning a chairperson, setting a clear agenda, reviewing formal reports, and documenting minutes to ensure accountability. While this might sound overly formal, it doesn’t have to be rigid. These meetings can take place in a relaxed environment, but structure is key to making them productive.
Strategic leadership
One of the biggest challenges for agency leaders is avoiding the trap of being entirely consumed by client work. It’s vital for senior leadership to step back and focus on the strategic side of the business. This includes developing plans for new tools or methods, entering new markets, and implementing lessons learned from the previous year. Without this deliberate effort, agencies risk standing still, repeating the same mistakes, and missing opportunities for growth. The ultimate goal is to ensure that by the end of 12 months, your agency is in a stronger position—not simply running on autopilot.
Running a strategic planning workshop can be a great way to create alignment within the team. To make these workshops effective, start by clearly defining the goals and key questions you want to address. A skilled facilitator can keep the discussion focused while ensuring everyone contributes. Once plans are developed, prioritise the initiatives that will have the greatest impact and assign clear ownership for each project. Follow up with regular check-ins throughout the year to track progress and make adjustments as needed.
Conclusion
In summary, agency growth requires intentional planning, consistent review, and regular accountability. Leadership teams must balance client delivery with strategic work, ensuring that 12 months from now, they’ve moved the agency forward. With the right processes in place, your agency can not only meet its goals but exceed them.
Leadership is one of the four key pillars critical for sustainable agency growth, and it’s a core focus of my Growth Audit & Roadmap. If you’re ready to take a deep dive into your agency’s leadership, finances, people, processes, and growth opportunities, click here to learn more and start your journey to a more profitable and scalable agency.
The importance of planning and leadership in agencies
A clear plan ensures agency growth by aligning goals, staffing, and budgets. Prioritise strategic focus over client work, review plans early, and track progress consistently to stay on course.
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