Want to scale your agency to $10M? Start here

Everyone wants to scale their agency to 7, 8, even 9 figures.

But most founders get stuck chasing shiny objects.

Hopping on new business trends

Hiring expensive agencies for quick fixes

Building features that look good but don’t move the needle

Copy-pasting what bigger agencies are doing without context

The result?

They burn out. They stall.

And they wonder:

“Why does growth feel so hard?”

See, here’s the thing…

Year 1 SHOULD NOT be about scaling.

It’s about creating the foundation for a launchpad that will let you scale faster than anyone in your industry.

If you skip this work, you’re just setting yourself up to hustle harder — and burn out faster.

I’ve seen it firsthand…

Agencies doing $1-3M+ in revenue — but behind the scenes?

Chaos, churn, and founders who can’t sleep at night.

If you’re serious about hitting 3X growth in the next 3 years, you’ve got to nail these 4 goals in Year 1:

1. Revenue Growth Goals

This isn’t “get more clients.”

It’s:

→ Compound monthly growth (3%+)

→ Predictable acquisition by channel

→ Sales systems with ownership

Revenue is the fuel. No fuel = no scale.

Here’s how to structure it:

→ Break revenue targets down by month, quarter, and source

→ Set KPIs for sales and marketing with assigned owners

→ Do weekly pipeline reviews—not monthly retros

→ Optimize fast when off track

Speed beats perfection.

2. Process Efficiency Goals

Scaling a broken process doesn’t 3x results, it 3x's chaos.

In Year 1, you must clean up delivery systems.

You’re not optimizing for “working”. You’re building for systemization and repeatability.

Do this:

→ Audit your top 3 delivery workflows

→ Build SOPs (if it’s done 3+ times, systemize it)

→ Track turnaround time, margin per unit, or satisfaction

→ Use automation + PM tools to reduce bloat

Efficient ops = margin + stability

3. Staff Development Goals

Most founders wait too long to upgrade their team.

In Year 1, your job is to build the bench that can carry you into Year 2 and beyond.

No A-players = no leverage.

How to do it:

→ Create job scorecards for every key role

→ Launch quarterly learning plans

→ Identify high-potentials and put them on cross-functional growth projects

→ Set retention + engagement targets

If they can't grow with you, they’ll outgrow you (or hold you back)

4. Market Differentiation Goals

Year 1 is when you sharpen your edge.

You need to stand out before you try to scale up.

The goal: pricing power, lower churn, and increased referrals.

To stand out:

→ Define a customer-first USP

→ Improve your brand, messaging, and delivery experience

→ Track win rate vs competitors + NPS

→ Test positioning and refine through feedback loops

Brand isn’t fluff. It’s margin protection.

Here’s the bottom line:

Year 1 isn’t about hustle.

It’s about setting up a machine that triples your growth without tripling your workload.

I’ve helped founders do exactly that — and I can help you too.

Want a custom Year 1 roadmap?

Reply with “2Y3X” and I’ll show you how to build the foundation that makes your agency acquisition-ready.

All the best,

Stefan