All businesses / Digital marketing agency

Fingerprint: capital · hours · speed to income · margin · ceiling. The dashed line is mid-scale.

Start a digital marketing agency: the real numbers

Ads and content on retainer. Below is what it actually costs, how long before money arrives, and the part most guides leave out.

Startup capital

€1,500–€12,000

Hours / week

30–55

First income

~10 wks

Net margin

60%

Saturation

high

Realistic ceiling

€1,800–€11,000+

This ceiling is not a wall

The figure above is what this earns in the shape described — you, running it. Past that it keeps going, but by hiring people or adding units, not by you working more hours. That is a different job from the one you would be starting, and worth knowing before you start it.

What nobody usually tells you

One of the few models here that genuinely reaches €10k a month, because retainers stack and delivery can be bought in. It stops being a craft at that point and becomes people management, which is a different job than the one you started.

The route, in five steps

  1. Sell one service to one industry until you are the obvious choice
  2. Retainers of €1000-3000, quarterly minimum, never hourly
  3. Subcontract delivery before hiring anyone
  4. Report results monthly whether they are good or not
  5. Past six clients you are managing people, not campaigns

What you'll need to buy

These are the categories every digital marketing agency pays for in the first month. We break down what each one actually costs at this size on the tools page.

project and reporting toolsad platform accesssubcontractorsprofessional insurance

Does it hold up for you?

These numbers are the average case. Whether this business clears your target depends on your capital, your hours and how long you can wait — put them in and see.

Run my numbers → See the tool stack