Agency Futures · Exit readiness
Is your business match fit?
A quick, private read on where your agency stands today, across the things buyers and investors actually look at, and the things that make a sale go smoothly when the time comes.
It covers the business a buyer would look at, and the readiness behind it: your numbers, your structure, and you. Both matter, and most owners are stronger on one than the other.
Perfection is the enemy of good here. Almost no business scores top marks on every line, and you do not need to. The point is awareness, so you can put your energy into the few things that move the dial most.
Nothing you enter leaves your browser unless you ask us to email your results. This is a self-assessment, not a valuation or formal advice.
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1. Positioning and reputation0 / 6
It is backed by genuinely outstanding work we are known for
We compete on being the best at what we do, not the cheapest
An outsider could describe what makes us different in a sentence
2. Client portfolio health0 / 6
Average client tenure is comfortably over three years
No single client is more than 15% of gross profit
Our client list would impress a buyer on its own
3. Repeatable revenue0 / 6
A meaningful share of revenue is recurring, retained or repeat, not one-off projects
Something about how we work makes clients sticky and hard to replace
We can point to wins that turn into ongoing, scalable revenue
4. Profitability0 / 6
EBITDA is above 20% of gross profit (25%+ is exceptional)
Staff costs sit at or below roughly 55% of gross profit
Margins have held up or improved over recent years
5. A clean balance sheet0 / 6
The balance sheet is clean, no awkward shareholder loans or other debt to unwind
Ownership and the cap table are clear and tidy
Cash and working capital are healthy and well understood
6. Talent and leadership0 / 6
We have an empowered management team, not just busy staff
The culture is something people would notice and want to keep
The business runs well without the owner in it every day, and there is a credible answer to who steps up
7. Operations0 / 6
Our processes are documented, would survive a key person leaving, and do not live only in our heads
The way we work is efficient and could scale without falling over
We use technology, and increasingly AI, to keep improving
8. Growth and the plan0 / 8
We have a track record of consistent growth
We can show where the next phase of growth could come from
We have a real, working growth plan, not last year's numbers plus a bit
We are open to staying involved through the next chapter if needed
9. New business pipeline0 / 4
We run a proper, formalised business development effort with a tracked pipeline
New business does not depend entirely on the founders' contacts
10. You, the owners0 / 6
We are clear on why we want to sell and what we want from it
All owners are aligned on timing, the number, and the kind of buyer
We have pictured life afterwards, and the business is not so tied to our identity that we could not let go
11. The evidence behind the numbers0 / 6
Management accounts are up to date and produced regularly
Personal and one-off costs are clearly separated from the business
We could explain and evidence our add-backs to a buyer
12. Structure and tax readiness0 / 6
We understand our ownership structure and how it affects a sale
We have taken a view on a share sale versus an asset sale
Tax planning and any pre-sale restructuring have runway, with early advice taken or planned
13. Legal and contract housekeeping0 / 8
Client agreements are documented, current, and could transfer to a buyer
Employment terms and restraints are in place for key people
Contractors have properly assigned their IP to the business
Leases, licences and insurances are current and in order
14. Assets and related parties0 / 4
Related-party arrangements such as rent are documented and at market
We are clear on what is in and what is out of a sale, including any property or assets held alongside the business
42 of 42 still to answer (unanswered count as needs work)
Notes: Add-back: a cost added back to profit to show the true ongoing earnings of the business (part of normalising EBITDA), for example an owner's above-market pay or one-off costs. Share vs asset sale: in a share sale the buyer buys the company with its assets and liabilities; in an asset sale the buyer takes selected assets and usually leaves the liabilities. It affects price, tax and what transfers.
Agency Futures · M&A advisory for owner-led agencies and studios