Digital Agency

18 Tips For Starting A Successful Digital Agency (2024)

Pat Walls

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Updated: January 19th, 2023

Want to start your own digital agency? Here are some tips you should know:

Learn more about starting a digital agency:

Where to start?

-> How much does it cost to start a digital agency?
-> Pros and cons of a digital agency

Need inspiration?

-> Other digital agency success stories
-> Marketing ideas for a digital agency
-> Digital agency slogans
-> Digital agency names

Other resources

-> Profitability of a digital agency

We've interviewed thousands of successful founders at Starter Story and asked what advice they would give to entrepreneurs who are just getting started.

Here's the best advice we discovered for starting a digital agency:

#1: Kaila Piepkow, founder of Dox Design:

We chatted with with Kaila, founder of Dox Design ($20K/month). In our interview, Kaila says:

When you’re first starting out, try a few platforms, and spend your time and energy on the one that’s gaining the most traction and, more importantly, helping you land the most leads.

Read the full interview ➜

#2: Ilija Brajkovic, founder of Kontra agency:

We chatted with with Ilija, founder of Kontra agency ($80K/month). In our interview, Ilija says:

Since we spent a lot of our time studying, we selected inbound marketing as our market approach. Which we still use today, with over 200 blog posts, eight ebooks, and several other pieces of content filled with first-hand knowledge and experience.

Read the full interview ➜

#3: Hailey Brooke McFadden , founder of Power Move Marketing:

We chatted with with Hailey, founder of Power Move Marketing ($22K/month). In our interview, Hailey says:

Give people recognition and praise for a job well done, even if your co-founder or employee is a friend or spouse… don’t forget they need a little love too!

Additionally:

No job is beneath me and I am not too good for any job.

Read the full interview ➜

#4: Billy Ash, founder of Todays Business:

We chatted with with Billy, founder of Todays Business ($500K/month). In our interview, Billy says:

Most things you want to learn or need to know you can find in a Google search. You just need to take the time to do that search and have the focus to figure it out.

Additionally:

Every time we have tried to do too much we’ve failed. There is only so much one person can manage at a time.

Read the full interview ➜

#5: Keith Lynch, founder of QWANTIFY:

We chatted with with Keith, founder of QWANTIFY ($600K/month). In our interview, Keith says:

Immerse yourself in whatever your niche is!

Read the full interview ➜

#6: Kaila Piepkow, founder of Dox Design:

We chatted with with Kaila, founder of Dox Design ($20K/month). In our interview, Kaila says:

Focus on YOU: what you’re doing now, what you want to be doing, and why you want to be doing it. Is it because it truly aligns with you, or is it because of what others are doing?

Read the full interview ➜

#7: Peter Mikhael, founder of Green Mind Agency:

We chatted with with Peter, founder of Green Mind Agency ($0/month). In our interview, Peter says:

As an individual, you need to continue improving yourself beyond university and beyond work.

Read the full interview ➜

#8: Sorav jain, founder of Digital Scholar:

We chatted with with Sorav, founder of Digital Scholar ($40K/month). In our interview, Sorav says:

Be ready for contingencies and have a Plan B and even a Plan C. Over the years, I have seen many things that needed last-minute brilliancies for them to work.

Additionally:

Always be on the lookout for something new. If you don't, there is always someone to one-up you and replace you at the throne.

Read the full interview ➜

#9: Kaila Piepkow, founder of Dox Design:

We chatted with with Kaila, founder of Dox Design ($20K/month). In our interview, Kaila says:

Identify where your sales are coming from and put your focus there. In today’s world, it’s really easy to fall into the comparison game and feel like everyone else has it figured out—when in reality, that is far from the truth. Stick to what works for you and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing!

Additionally:

My biggest advice is to focus on yourself and your business only—don’t compare yourself to your competition. Social media makes it ridiculously easy to fall into the trap of imposter syndrome and think you need to live up to what everyone else is doing

Read the full interview ➜

#10: Pat Ahern, founder of Intergrowth:

We chatted with with Pat, founder of Intergrowth ($85K/month). In our interview, Pat says:

Don’t put up with customers who talk down to you or your team. They’ll create a toxic work environment that harms the business far more than the revenue gain is worth. Give them one warning before firing them as a client or preventing them from purchasing a product from you in the future.

Read the full interview ➜

#11: Marie Poulin, founder of Oki Doki Digital Inc:

We chatted with with Marie, founder of Oki Doki Digital Inc ($40K/month). In our interview, Marie says:

If you can view your potential “competitors” as simply possible future collaborators, everything changes and possibilities open.

Read the full interview ➜

#12: Tony Hardy, founder of Canny Creative:

We chatted with with Tony, founder of Canny Creative ($50K/month). In our interview, Tony says:

Life isn’t easy. Building a growing company isn’t easy. But I’d rather do this 365 days a year than go and do something else!

Read the full interview ➜

#13: Ilija Brajkovic, founder of Kontra agency:

We chatted with with Ilija, founder of Kontra agency ($80K/month). In our interview, Ilija says:

Not all deals will be closed right away, and that's okay. Sometimes you introduce yourself to a potential client who does not need your services right now, but it may change in a year or two.