Business Development

Optimism among marketing agency leaders in these uncertain economic times has cratered since 2023. This was the sobering assessment from research released at the Agency Management Institute’s fifth annual Build A Better Agency (BABA) Summit in Denver on May 19-21, 2025. According to a survey of 788 agency leaders presented by AgencyCore.org, in...

More than 250 agency leaders will gather to focus on innovative growth strategies at the ReINVENT Work Summit from 1 to 5 pm Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at The Cove at UC Irvine’s Beall Applied Innovation. Southern California agency owners have felt the uncertainty of the first five months of 2025. Tariffs, tax code changes and fighting in the...

If you want to be a thought-leader agency, release proprietary research that shows prospects how they compare to their peers. According to research from one agency, U.S. CMOs are rethinking strategy as AI influences 82% of hiring decisions, signaling a shift toward smarter, tech-driven growth. The main message of the findings: “bigger budgets...

In a world where external demands can feel overwhelming, the ability to lead oneself and cultivate mental toughness becomes a cornerstone of enduring success for agency owners. While the focus in leadership often shifts to managing teams, driving results, and influencing stakeholders, the foundation of effective agency leadership begins within....

We all know that the number one way to grow almost any business is by getting referrals. It not only helps grow the business quickly, but it is inexpensive. It’s been said before that a referral from a client is the highest form of compliment. If all this is true about referrals, how can you get more of them as an advisor and business owner? Stop...

Writing a book to find right-fit clients is a team sport. Don’t go it alone. If you are an ad, digital marketing, or PR agency owner who wants to write a book to find right-fit clients, beware trying it by your lonesome. You could try the loner approach by renting a cabin in the mountains and not coming out until you have a manuscript. I call...

Raise your hand if you have ever thought about marketing like a thought leader. Of course, advertising, digital marketing and PR agency owners would never call themselves a thought leader. The same is true for consultants, business coaches, and high-end service business owners. That is a title bestowed on you by others. But to fill your pipeline...

If you know me, you know I am a movie buff. Many of the ad, digital, and PR agency owners I work with are movie buffs too. A favorite film is The Magnificent Seven, a 1960 American western film directed by John Sturges and starring Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, and Horst Buchholz. The motion picture is an Old-West-style remake of Akira...

University of Minnesota Extension Specialist Michael Darger focuses on community economics and business succession. His background with economic development agencies led him to focus on business retention and expansion work, which eventually landed him at the U of M conducting and publishing important research on entrepreneurs and their exit...