Recurring Revenue
Retainers and productised services replace project-by-project unknowns. Steadier cash flow, less founder anxiety, higher multiples when it matters most.
For Agency Owners Doing £20k-200k/Month
Become Exit Ready
Build an agency that runs without you, grows predictably, and becomes an asset you could sell.
{ Creative agency coach + exited founder }
100+ founders coached
13 years running agencies
Multi-million exit
The Problem
Your agency owns you.
You've built something successful. But success has become a trap. Scaling without transferability just builds a bigger job.
01
Owner dependency
Every decision needs you. Clients want the founder. You're the bottleneck in your own business.
02
Revenue volatility
Project-based chaos. One client leaves and you're scrambling. No recurring revenue safety net.
03
Margin pressure
Rates haven't moved in years. Costs keep climbing. The profit you used to make has quietly evaporated into headcount and overhead.
04
Stuck scaling
More revenue means more stress. Growth requires you to work harder, not smarter. No leverage.
The Foundation
Three things make an agency worth running. And worth buying.
Same three pillars whether you're scaling toward £1M, prepping for exit, or both. They drive cash flow, founder freedom, and valuation in equal measure.
Owner Independence
Leadership layer, documented systems, founder out of the bottleneck. The same move that buys you weekends back lifts your number when you sell.
Transferable Value
Document the IP. Build the playbooks. Make sure the agency holds without you in every meeting. Easier to run today. Transferable tomorrow.
Who's behind this
Connor leads. The right specialists join when you need them.
Lead Advisor
Connor McAuley
- Multi-million exit value
- 13 years running agencies
- 100+ founders coached since
13 years building creative agencies, most of them making every mistake. By the time I sold at £2.2M with a team of 40, I'd learned what buyers actually look for and what founders need to build it. Now I help other founders skip the painful parts, and I bring in the right specialist when the work calls for it.
Focus areas
Revenue & Profitability Operational Efficiency Founder Extraction
Specialist
M&A Advisor
Real deal experience for valuation conversations, buyer introductions, and deal negotiation when the time comes.
Specialist
Agency Accountant
Agency-native financial modelling and reporting, not a generic SME accountant. Knows how creative businesses actually run.
Specialist
AI / Automation Consultant
Workflow automation, AI-augmented delivery, and operational tooling. The 2026 leverage every agency needs.
Find Out Where You Stand
Two doors.
Same work behind both.
Two free diagnostics, one per stage. Pick the one that matches where you are right now.
Score your agency in five minutes
Eight pillars. A personalised diagnosis of where your agency is strong, where it's leaking, and the one move that lifts your weakest area most.
Plus, free
Score Your Agency
The Selling Creative Services course. Five hours on the finance, sales, and marketing foundations every healthy agency runs on. £400 value, yours free with the Scorecard.
Know what your agency is worth
Fifteen questions. Get your valuation range, the multiples driving it, and the factors pulling your number up or down.
Used by M&A firms
Get Your Valuation
The same valuation approach M&A advisors and accountants use on creative agencies. Built on EBITDA, recurring revenue mix, founder dependency, and growth trajectory.
Founder feedback
What founders say after working together
"A common concern for every entrepreneur seeking professional advice is 'can this person really understand me and my business?' The answer with Connor is a definite yes. Practical and effective. He doesn't beat around the bush. He gives direct advice without holding back. Something very valuable to a company like ours."
"Since working with Connor, we've seen a 20% increase in sales, but the bigger impact has been on our efficiency. We're getting more done with less stress. Practical and direct, all while being good craic. He focuses on what will actually work for your specific situation rather than generic business coaching."
"Connor came in with a calm, focused energy and immediately helped me bring structure to the chaos. He streamlined key processes and introduced automation that saves me hours each week. The business has become more efficient and we've seen real growth in revenue. He has a brilliant way of cutting through the noise."
"Connor is genuinely brilliant. Every session helps us cut through the chaos and focus on what really matters. He's made such a positive impact on our business, not just in clarity and confidence, but in real, tangible progress. The investment has been more than worth it for the value we've gained."
Programmes
Pick your starting point
Four ways to work together, from a one-day workshop to a full exit. Built around where you are right now.
1 spot left Monthly 1:1
Scale
£1,000-1,500 /month
Monthly 1:1 strategy for £100K+ founders who want structure without a 7-month commitment.
- 2hr monthly strategy call
- Slack / WhatsApp access
- Full frameworks library
1-Day Workshop
Exit Readiness Intensive
£3,950 /one-off
A single-day deep dive on your biggest constraint. Leave with a 90-day roadmap and your next three moves.
- Full-day 1:1 working session
- 90-day roadmap deliverable
- 30-day follow-up call
Next intake: Aug 2026 7-Month Programme
Strategic Growth Programme
£18,000 /programme
The full 7-month programme for £300K+ agencies ready to systemise, reduce founder dependency, and push toward £1M+ run rate.
- Diagnostic month + 6 months execution
- Monthly 1:1 + advisor network
- Frameworks + WhatsApp access
Selective intake 12-Month Advisory
Exit Advisory
£50,000 /year
Hands-on exit support for £1.5M+ founders preparing to sell. Full preparation, buyer introductions, deal negotiation.
- Quarterly strategic + monthly tactical
- Buyer + advisor network
- Deal-room support
Insights
Read it before we work together
Practical writing on scaling, pricing, systems, and the operational levers most agency owners under-use.
How AI Is Killing Creative Agency Margins (And 5 Ways to Stop It)
Margins are being eroded, junior talent is atrophying, client trust is dwindling. Five risks AI is creating for creative agency owners right now, and the operator playbook to flip each one into pricing power.
Agency CRM Setup: The Fields, Stages, and Reports That Actually Matter
The best CRM is the one that gets used. I have watched agencies sign up for the most expensive tools on the market and abandon them in 90 days. Here is the principle-first setup that makes any agency CRM actually work, with Attio as the worked example.
When Is The Right Time To Sell Your Agency? (And How To Get The Most For It)
The right time to sell your agency is when you do not have to. Most owners only think about exit when they are burnt out, and that is the worst possible negotiating position. Here is how to build strategic optionality, the one-page acquirer story, and the 6 discounts that quietly kill your multiple.
Before you book a call
Coaching is a monthly working session focused on the one constraint slowing your agency down right now. Pricing, retainers, leadership, systems, profit. We work the lever, then move on. A curated specialist network (M&A advisor, agency accountant, AI/automation consultant) joins for specialist work so you get a team, not one coach trying to be everything.
You get your eight-pillar score immediately, plus a personalised report on your weakest area and the single move that lifts it most. Over the following five weeks you'll get the Selling Creative Services course (£400 value, yours free with the Scorecard) one module per week covering finance, sales, and marketing foundations. If it's a fit, a discovery call comes after.
Scale is for £100K+ agencies. Strategic Growth Programme is for £300K+ agencies. Exit Advisory is for £1.5M+ agencies preparing to sell. The Exit Readiness Intensive is open to any agency owner ready for a one-day working session. Primary focus is creative, digital, and design agencies.
Recent, real exit experience: Connor sold his £2.2M creative agency in 2020, exited fully in 2022. 270+ founders coached since. Agency-specific, not generic business coaching. A curated specialist network (M&A advisor, agency accountant, AI/automation consultant) joins the work when needed, so you don't have to source and vet them yourself.
Scale is £1,000-1,500/month. Exit Readiness Intensive is £3,950 one-off. Strategic Growth Programme is £18,000 for the 7-month transformation. Exit Advisory is £50,000/year. All paid programmes start with a discovery call to ensure fit.
Yes. The same things that make an agency sellable (recurring revenue, owner independence, documented systems) also make it more profitable, less stressful, and easier to lead day-to-day. You're building options, not obligations. Most clients aren't actively selling.
Most clients see measurable improvements inside 90 days, typically in pricing clarity, pipeline predictability, or delegation. The Strategic Growth Programme runs for 7 months to allow meaningful transformation. Exit preparation typically takes 12-24 months.
Yes. Senior leaders are welcome to join strategy calls. For exit preparation specifically, getting your leadership team aligned and capable is essential for reducing owner dependency and increasing valuation.