How to Start & Scale a Million-Dollar Marketing Agency

In this lesson, I share my journey from growing up in Peru to building a successful agency in the U.S. You'll learn how my early entrepreneurial experiences, overcoming language barriers, and gaining marketing expertise helped me start my own business. I'll highlight the importance of networking, recognizing market opportunities, and having the confidence to take bold steps.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand my entrepreneurial background.

• Learn how I overcame personal challenges.

• Recognize the importance of networking.

• Gain insights into content creation and marketing.

• Identify key steps I took to start my agency.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the multifaceted role of an agency CEO.

• Recognize the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships.

• Learn strategies for generating revenue and ensuring business sustainability.

• Develop a clear vision for the agency's future.

• Implement systems and processes for effective business scaling.

• Gain insights into setting up the agency legally and operationally.

The key steps here in starting the company include:

1. Formation of the LLC and Establishing an Entity

2. Buying a Domain

3. Creating a Logo

4. Making a Website

5. Looking Legit Through Social Media

6. Setting up an Appointments Tool

7. Creating a Business Bank Account

8. Setting up a Bank in the U.S.

For this step, we suggest using Stripe Atlas to register your LLC. The $500 fee is a great investment, considering you get access to expert advice, a wide startup network, and perks worth tens of thousands of dollars. To see all the benefits of Stripe Atlas and our top tool recommendations, please check the Tools & Software Recommendations module.

Some other options include:

• Northwest Registered Agent

• ZenBusiness

• Bizee

• MyCorporation

Regardless of which option you end up choosing, all of them are great. Pick one that fits your budget.

Preferred Registrar: Our top choice for domain registration is GoDaddy. However, you're welcome to choose from other reputable providers based on your preferences:

• For a streamlined design and hosting solution, consider Squarespace Domains (Google Domains is now part of Squarespace Domains)

• For competitive pricing and offers, NameCheap is a great option, especially if you're using Mercury.com as your banking service.

• Network Solutions offers a wide range of domain services for those looking for long-standing expertise.

Steps to Register on GoDaddy:

1. Visit GoDaddy.com and sign up for an account. If you already have one, simply log in.

2. Use the search bar to find a suitable name for your business (e.g., NextSLAMagency.com) and check its availability.

3. If the domain is available, it will display the pricing, typically offering a discount for the first year. Consider your budget and the duration for which you wish to register the domain.

4. GoDaddy will present various bundle options, including email setup. We suggest reviewing these but prefer setting up email services separately for greater control.

Creating a visually appealing logo is crucial for your brand identity, especially as you start your business. However, if you're a designer or already have a logo and brand established, feel free to skip this step and proceed to the next stages of building your business.

For Non-Designers: No design background? No problem. Canva offers a plethora of templates to help you craft a beautiful logo, color palette, and select fonts to embody your brand’s essence.

Steps to Create Your Logo on Canva

1. Sign Up or Log In: Visit Canva and create an account or log in if you already have one.

2. Navigate to Templates: On the homepage, look for the "Templates" section, then select "Logos" to explore the available options.

3. Choose Your Style: Filter through the templates to find one that suits your brand's aesthetic. For instance, if you're aiming for a minimalistic look, refine your search to those designs.

4. Customize Your Template: Click on a template to start customizing. You can change the name to your business's name, adjust the layout to fit your taste, and modify the color scheme if desired.

5. Select Fonts Carefully: Pay attention to the font choice, as it significantly impacts your logo's readability and brand perception. Note down the font name for consistency in your brand's future designs.

6. Export Your Logo: Once satisfied, export your design. Canva allows you to download in various formats, including PNG and JPEG.

Important Logo Design Tips

• Opt for SVG Format: For a logo that scales well across different mediums without losing quality, download your file as an SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics). SVGs are crucial for maintaining the graphic's quality on websites and other digital platforms.

• Canva's Premium Features: Accessing SVG format and other advanced features may require a Canva Pro account. Consider using Canva's free trial to download your logo in SVG format, and you can cancel the subscription afterward if you don't need the premium features long-term.

For Web Designers and Developers: If you're already versed in web design or development, you might not find this video necessary. Feel free to skip ahead.

Choosing a Platform: For those new to website creation, we recommend starting with user-friendly platforms that can help you launch your site quickly and efficiently. Reminder — your first website doesn’t have to be perfect! Your site should grow and evolve alongside your agency.

Consider one of the following based on your needs and preferences:

1. Squarespace — the easiest solution

2. Webflow — No-code and create something custom, but has a higher learning curve

3. Framer — Somewhere in the middle

For Established Brands: If your social media presence is already strong, you may adjust or skip this step as needed.

Why Social Media Matters: Your potential clients will search for your brand across social platforms to gauge your presence and the work you've accomplished. Make sure you look ready and profesh!

Quick Setup Guide:

1. Select Key Platforms: Focus on where your audience is—LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok.

2. Uniform Branding: Use consistent logos, descriptions, and visuals across all platforms. Tools like Canva can help create matching profiles and cover photos.

3. Facebook Optimization: Create a business page, fill in your details, add a logo, and include a direct call-to-action linking to your website. Invite connections to like your page and post introductory content about your services.

Pro Tip:

• Consider Ads for Likes: Running targeted ads on platforms like Facebook can quickly enhance your page's perceived credibility. A strategic approach may involve targeting regions with lower ad costs for initial engagement boosts. We’ll show you how.

With your website, logo, and domain ready, the next step is to streamline your booking process with a scheduling platform. This allows clients to book appointments easily without manual intervention. While Squarespace offers a built-in scheduling tool, other recommended platforms include:

• Calendly — Most popular

• Cal.com — Opensource option

• Notion Calendar — Both a calendar app that syncs with Notion and an appointment scheduler

Setting Up on Calendly

1. Create an Account: Sign up on Calendly and link it to your email.

2. Connect Your Calendar: This step ensures the platform knows your availability by syncing with your personal or business calendar.

3. Customize Availability: Choose the days you're open for meetings. You can start with full availability and adjust as your schedule changes.

4. Set Appointment Types: Calendly’s free plan allows one type of meeting duration. Decide whether you prefer 30-minute slots or another length.

5. Sharing Your Link: Calendly provides various sharing options, including direct links, email integration, and embed codes for your website. Choose the method that best fits your communication style and website design.

Key Considerations

• (IMPORTANT) Ensure the scheduling tool reflects your brand and integrates smoothly with your website for a cohesive user experience.

• The choice of scheduling software should balance flexibility, ease of use, and integration with your existing tools and workflows.

Efficiently managing payments and invoices is crucial for maintaining cash flow and presenting your business professionally. Stripe and QuickBooks are powerful tools that streamline this process, from setting up subscriptions to processing payments. They both allow people to pay you through credit card, ACH, while sending and managing invoices all in one platform. If you’re offering a subscription, Stripe is definitely the way to go. But if you’re just managing retainers and regular invoices, consider going manual or using something simpler like Quickbooks.

Avoiding Fees with Manual Invoices

For businesses looking to avoid transaction fees associated with platforms like Stripe or QuickBooks, utilizing a customizable invoice template can be a cost-effective solution. Slam offers a downloadable invoice template that you can tailor to fit your branding and specific billing needs. All you have to do is swap the name, logo, address, and payment information.

When it's time to manage your earnings and money, selecting the right bank is an imporant step. While traditional banks like Bank of America, Chase, and Wells Fargo are options, they often involve a cumbersome and time-consuming process for startups and small businesses like agencies.

Why Not Traditional Banks?

• In-Person Hassles: Traditional banks typically require in-person visits for many services, from opening an account to managing it.

• Fees: They can have various hidden fees for transactions, wire transfers, and maintenance.

• Less Flexibility: Traditional banks might not offer the digital-first solutions that modern businesses need, making daily financial operations less efficient.

Our Recommendation: Mercury

• Digital-First Approach: Mercury stands out for its online-focused services, allowing you to handle wire transfers, check sending, and card management without extra fees—all from the comfort of your digital device.

• Integration with Stripe Atlas: For those registered through Stripe Atlas, Mercury offers seamless integration and a bonus for new account deposits.

• Startup-Friendly Features: With features tailored to startups, such as creating debit and credit cards for your team easily and no hidden fees, Mercury caters specifically to the needs of new businesses.

• Safety and Security: Funds are FDIC insured, ensuring that your money is safe.

There are 7 ways we think about getting your first clients:

1. Referrals

2. Word of Mouth

3. UpWork

4. Targeted Groups

5. Social Media

6. Cold Email

7. Content & SEO

Tapping into your network is an important step in gaining initial clients for your new agency. Use referrals and word-of-mouth through your existing contacts can significantly boost your client base without the need for extensive marketing budgets.

Feel free to check out GMass, our tool of choice for mail merge within Gmail and Google Workspace.

Upwork is a big platform for freelancers and agencies looking to secure their first clients. In fact, we’ve made 6 figures from Upwork. There are hundreds of job postings there just in the U.S. for different niches. Diver in!

We've successfully used LinkedIn DMs, Instagram Reels, and TikToks to connect with and secure clients, including six-figure engagements. Our approach focuses on understanding and being present where our audience is most active, delivering content that genuinely addresses their interests and challenges. Engaging directly with potential clients through these platforms allows us to start meaningful conversations about their needs and our solutions.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an efficient strategy for driving organic traffic and acquiring new clients through content on your website. At Slam, we've seen significant success, with 50% of our new leads and customers coming from SEO efforts. We've focused on creating content optimized for keywords that are both useful to our clients and that prompts them to reach out and work with us.

This approach requires patience and persistence, as results build over time. Our experience underscores the importance of SEO as a sustainable source of quality leads.

Check out some of the resources for SEO we talk about in the video:

• Ahrefs

• SEM Rush

• Google Keyword Planner

This module is designed to guide you through the crucial process of creating a professional and compelling proposal for your potential clients. A well-crafted proposal can significantly differentiate your services from the competition, showcasing your attention to detail, understanding of client needs, and the professionalism of your approach. In fact, this is the #1 advice many successful agency owners gave me. Through this module, you'll learn how to crush your proposals them!

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Structuring Your Proposal: Learn the essential components of a proposal, including an engaging cover, detailed table of contents, about us section, service overviews, deliverables, project timeline, budget, terms, and unique selling propositions.

• Personalizing Your Proposal: Gain insights on customizing your proposal to reflect your brand through logos, color schemes, fonts, and more, using tools like Google Slides, Canva, and Pitch.

• Detailing Deliverables and Process: Master how to clearly outline what you will deliver and the process you will follow, ensuring clients understand the value and structure of your work.

• Setting Expectations: Understand how to effectively communicate project timelines, budgeting, terms of service, and any additional costs not covered in the initial scope, enhancing transparency and trust with your clients.

• Leveraging Templates and Tools: Explore various platforms and templates that can be utilized to create your proposal, ensuring efficiency and consistency in your presentation.

Ready to set payroll? This module guides new agency owners through selecting and utilizing payroll and compliance management tools like Gusto for domestic employees and Deel for international teams. It covers setting up compliant and efficient payroll systems, managing benefits, and the importance of staying compliant with state and international laws.

• Gusto

• Deel

For agency owners looking to maximize rewards and manage expenses effectively, this module explores various credit card options:

1. American Express Blue Business Cash: Recommended for its 2% cashback on all purchases without an annual fee, making it an uncomplicated choice for consistent cashback earnings. Earn up to $500 in cash with our link.

2. Chase Ink Business Cash: Ideal for those with spending concentrated in specific categories, offering high cashback rates in those areas.

3. Capital One: Similar to American Express, but with a lower credit score requirement and a fee, yet it offers no foreign transaction fees for international purchases.

4. Mercury Credit Card: Offers 1.5% cashback and integrates seamlessly with Mercury banking services, suitable for those already using Mercury.

5. Ramp: Known for its advanced spend controls, though it may not be the first choice for new agencies.

6. Chase Ink Business Preferred: Features an annual fee but compensates with travel benefits and cell phone protection, plus bonus points in certain spending categories. Earn 100,000 bonus points with the Ink Business Preferred® card or up to $1,000 bonus cash back with this link.

Our recommendations are Amex Blue Business Cash and Chase Ink Business Preferred.

Keeping your books and numbers clean is very important. Make sure you work with a CPA and a bookkeeper you trust, so you have a stress-free tax season and long-term financial health.

Our preferred expenses tracker is Quickbooks.

Learn how to write and implement a Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) effectively. By the end of this section, you'll be well-prepared to create contracts and NDAs that safeguard your business while fostering professional trust and clarity in all your business dealings.

At Slam, we’ve created an operating system on Notion that manages all aspects of our agency’s operations and projects.

With a focus on task management, meeting notes, document tracking, time tracking, client dashboards, and more, this template provides a centralized hub for your team's collaboration and organization needs. From setting up team workspaces to utilizing templates for meetings, feedback, and performance reviews, this guide walks you through each step of implementing and customizing it to suit your agency's specific requirements.

Getting ready to onboard your clients? We're here to guide you through setting up our operations, processes, and client onboarding steps to ensure a smooth and impressive experience. Discover how to establish project management systems, create client dashboards, manage timelines effectively, host kickoff meetings, set up group emails, and craft impactful reports showcasing project success. With Slam's helpful templates, you'll be all set to impress your clients.