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The Art of Agency Acquisition: What Kyle Hunt Looks for in a Buyout

Are you built to scale?

Built for sale?

Or built for fail?

TL;DR: Tune into this episode of OOH Insider with Tim Rowe and Kyle Hunt if you’re thinking about starting your own ad agency, especially if you want to work with D2C and ecom brands.

• Learn the key pitfalls that make an agency unacquirable
• The critical difference between working in your business vs. on your business
• And the seasonal dynamics that impact ad spending

Discover what makes a company an attractive acquisition target and why owning brands could be a strategic move for agencies. Get insights on prioritizing effective merchandising over basic marketing, the risks and rewards of making significant business bets, and the common trap of chasing new ventures at the expense of expanding what already works. This episode is packed with actionable strategies for anyone looking to elevate their agency-operational acumen.

Scaling agencies is hard BUT there are a few common mistakes that can hinder growth and make them less attractive as acquisition targets - how do you know if you’re making them or not?

Thinking about starting an agency? Here’s how to know when it’s the right time.

• 00:03:29-00:03:39 - "I'm making so much money for these guys. I should be doing this on my own and starting something else."

BEWARE The Brilliant Bottleneck - Does this sound like anyone you know?

• 00:06:53-00:07:04 - "The Brilliant Bottleneck is where they are so involved in working in the business and they know where all of the deep tribal knowledge is buried. They know how it should look and feel, (so much so) that they themselves become the thing preventing the agency from actually scaling."

The #1 Shortcut to Building a Better Business

• 00:16:09-00:16:19 - "It's a little bit of good old fashioned roll up your sleeves and figure it out. Talk to humans."

Is the silent killer lurking in your day-to-day?

• 00:24:07-00:24:17 - "I think shiny object syndrome is the number one killer of great entrepreneurs because it pushes your focus to multiple places."

Top 3 Things I Learned From Kyle Hunt:

1. Avoid being the "brilliant bottleneck": Agency owners should learn to delegate and trust their team, rather than being the bottleneck for decision-making and progress. This allows for scalability and growth.
2. Be cautious of shiny object syndrome: Agency owners should resist the temptation to constantly chase new strategies and channels. Instead, focus on doing more of what is already working and optimizing those areas for better results.
3. Plan ahead for peak seasons: Proper planning and preparation are key for successful peak seasons like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Start planning well in advance to ensure smooth operations and avoid last-minute chaos.

📧 Connect with Kyle

Kyle offers a free 21-point agency assessment: If you are an agency owner in the one to five million dollars per year revenue range and looking to exit, you can reach out to Kyle Hunt for a free 21-point agency assessment to explore potential opportunities.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/huntkyle

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