This is the final post in my series on the options available to agency owners. Today’s topic: Selling your agency.
Most agency owners I speak with love what they do. So when the topic of selling comes up, the first thing they focus on is what they might lose:
– Flexibility and autonomy
– Steady income
– Working alongside a team they’ve built
– The potential upside they believe is still ahead
Those are real concerns. But there are also meaningful advantages to selling—especially if the buyer is someone who wants to accelerate your growth, not just transition you out in 3–6 months.
A sale can offer:
- Access to capital, resources, and expertise to pursue growth you couldn’t achieve alone (e.g., investing in AI or building new capabilities)
- The ability to deliver more value to your clients and more career opportunities to your team
- A chance to de-risk by taking some chips off the table—income that, if invested wisely, can more than offset your salary
- The potential for meaningful upside if you structure a deal with a “second bite at the apple”
Thinking about this path? Two things to consider now:
- Get good advice. Unless you have a background in M&A, work with people who do.
- Know your goals. What do you want from a sale? Your priorities will drive the buyer pool, valuation, and structure.