How to Buy an Agency With $0 in the Bank

Most agency owners think you need millions in the bank to acquire a business.

They’re wrong.

You don’t need capital.
You need leverage.

Specifically: deal structure.
The kind that lets you buy profitable agencies using their own cash flow.

Here are 6 ways to do exactly that— even if your bank account says $0:

1. Seller Financing – Use Their Money, Not Yours

This is called the Profit Payback Method.

Over 60% of small business acquisitions use it.

Example:

You buy a $500K agency doing $200K/year in profit.
You agree to pay $4K/month for 10 years.

The agency is already generating ~$16K/month in profit—
So you keep ~$12K/month after paying the seller.

No loans. No VC. No upfront capital.

The business pays for itself.

And sellers love it:

• Clean exit

• Steady monthly 

• Earn interest (like a bank)

• Peace of mind that he business will keep running

And guess what?

Most sellers prefer this setup.

They don’t want a lump sum.
They want certainty.

2. SBA Loans – Let the Government Fund 90% of the Deal

This one surprises most founders.

With the SBA 7(a) loan, the U.S. government will finance up to 90% of your acquisition.

That means:
You could buy a $1M agency with just $100K down.

And that $100K can be:

• Gifted by a partner

• Raised from an investor

• Or included as part of the seller financing

You don’t need to be rich.

You just need a plan—and a track record of execution.

3. Earnouts – Pay Based on Performance

This is where you only pay if the business performs.

The seller agrees to defer part of their payout until post-sale performance milestones are hit.

Low risk for you.

High incentive for them.

It’s one of the cleanest ways to acquire an agency without betting the farm.

4. Revenue Share – Share Profits, Not Equity

Don’t want to take on debt?

Structure a rev share deal:

“I’ll give you 20% of profits for the next 36 months instead of $400K upfront.”

The seller gets passive income.
You get to keep full control.
No capital required.

5. Acqui-Hire – Pay Salaries, Not a Sale Price

Sometimes, the value isn’t in the revenue—it’s in the people.

In an acqui-hire, you absorb a small agency team…

Pay them salaries and performance bonuses…

And skip the whole “buy the business” thing altogether.

You get talent.

They get stable income.

Everyone wins.

6. Rollover Equity – Let the Seller Stay In

Here’s the power play:

Let the seller keep 10–30% of the business post-acquisition.

They become your partner, not your opponent.

You get a smaller upfront payment.

They stay motivated to help you grow.

And you both benefit from the upside.

Bottom line?

You don’t need millions to buy a business.

You just need 3 things:

• Find a profitable agency

• Craft a smart deal structure

• Negotiate with a seller ready for a clean exit

This is the exact system we implement inside The Strategic Agency Blueprint.

In 6 months, I’ll help you: 

• Buy your first (or next) agency

• Turn it into a sellable, cashflow-rich asset

• Build systems, scale, and create true leverage

This isn’t theory. We implement everything together.

Reply to this email with “BLUEPRINT” and I’ll walk you through how to get started.

Even if you don’t have $1 in the bank.

Stefan