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Industry · Agencies & services
How agencies & services businesses make money
The 1M.chat dataset has 461 agencies & services businesses. 381 of them have a revenue figure the founder reported in an interview. Their median is $48K a month, and 35% were at $1M a year or more when interviewed, with a median team of 5 employees. The growth channels founders credited most often were organic social media (61%), SEO & organic search (51%), word of mouth & referrals (51%).
Revenue at interview
| Under $1K/mo | 4 | |
| $1K–$10K/mo | 52 | |
| $10K–$50K/mo | 135 | |
| $50K–$83K/mo | 55 | |
| $1M+ a year | 115 | |
| $1M+ a month | 20 |
Growth channels credited
| Organic social media | 61% | |
| SEO & organic search | 51% | |
| Word of mouth & referrals | 51% | |
| Paid ads | 28% | |
| Email & newsletters | 25% |
Share of 272 businesses with channel information; founders often name several.
Business models in this group
| Services, agency & consulting | 404 | |
| Subscriptions (SaaS & memberships) | 51 | |
| Ads, sponsorships & affiliate | 3 | |
| Usage-based fees | 2 | |
| Selling physical products | 1 |
Tools named most: Twitter (30%), Instagram (30%), Google Drive (20%), YouTube (15%), Google Analytics (13%) — of 76 that listed tools.
Case studies
Read how they did it
- Hennessey Digital: an SEO agency for law firms that grew from one client to $20M a yearProvides SEO and digital marketing services for law firms$20M/yrfounder-reported 2024
- SMB Law Group: a boutique firm for small business acquisitions at $267K a monthBoutique law firm providing M&A and legal services to small and medium-sized business buyers and owners.$267K/mofounder-reported 2024
- HMW Law: a criminal defense and injury firm started in an apartment, at $250K a monthA Cleveland law firm providing criminal defense and personal injury representation to individuals across Ohio.$250K/mofounder-reported 2023
- Fullfunnel: B2B demand generation consulting and training at $50K a monthFullFunnel.io trains and consults B2B revenue teams on account-based marketing and demand generation.$50K/mofounder-reported 2022
- Blue Surge Marketing Agency: a small marketing and web design firm at $14K a monthFull-service AI-powered marketing and website design firm helping businesses across the U.S. grow.$14K/mofounder-reported 2023
- Topnotch SEO: an SEO service for New Zealand local businesses at $7K a monthTopnotch SEO helps local business owners in New Zealand create an online presence to increase sales and leads.$7K/mofounder-reported 2022
Examples
Highest founder-reported revenues in this group
| Business | What it sells | Revenue / month | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| ShipMonkAgencies & services | Ecommerce order fulfillment and logistics services | $62.5Mfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| Boundless LabsAgencies & services | Ecommerce email and paid social marketing | $8.3Mfounder interview | United States |
| MonetizeMoreAgencies & services | ad revenue optimization for publishers | $8Mfounder interview 2019 | Canada |
| MadrivoAgencies & services | Performance marketing and customer acquisition agency | $3.7Mfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| UPQODEAgencies & services | Website design and development services and WordPress themes | $3Mfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| Rankings.ioAgencies & services | SEO services for personal injury law firms | $2.5Mfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| Honest FulPhilmentAgencies & services | Sourcing, branding and fulfillment services from China | $2Mfounder interview 2021 | China |
| GR0Agencies & services | SEO and organic growth marketing | $1.8Mfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| VirtudeskAgencies & services | Virtual assistants and business automation services | $1.8Mfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| Hennessey DigitalAgencies & services | SEO and digital marketing services for law firms | $20M/yrfounder interview 2024 | United States |
| LemonlightAgencies & services | on-demand video production services | $1.5Mfounder interview | United States |
| SEO HackerAgencies & services | SEO and digital marketing services | $1.5Mfounder interview 2022 | Philippines |
| The Pedowitz GroupAgencies & services | Sales and marketing consulting agency | $1.5Mfounder interview 2022 | United States |
| Scribe MediaAgencies & services | Book writing and publishing services | $1.3Mfounder interview | United States |
| Salt Water DigitalAgencies & services | Digital marketing agency services including SEO, PPC, web development | $1.2Mfounder interview 2022 | Canada |
| BlitzenX | Guidew...Agencies & services | Guidewire system integration for insurance companies | $1.1Mfounder interview 2026 | United States |
| DocShipperAgencies & services | sourcing, international transport and distribution services | $1.1Mfounder interview 2022 | Hong Kong |
| Busch GlobalAgencies & services | franchise development and consulting services | $1Mfounder interview | United States |
| GrowthinkAgencies & services | business plans, templates, capital raising services | $1Mfounder interview 2024 | United States |
| ImpressionAgencies & services | Digital marketing agency services | $1Mfounder interview 2022 | United Kingdom |
Revenue as the founder reported it in a Starter Story interview, at the interview date; not current revenue. “What it sells” is a 1M.chat summary. How this data is built
Questions
How much do agencies & services businesses typically make?
Among 381 agencies & services businesses with founder-reported revenue, the median was $48K a month at the time of the interview. The sample is founders who chose to be interviewed, so it leans toward businesses that were already working; treat it as a range of real outcomes, not an average for everyone who tries.
How many agencies & services businesses reached $1M a year?
135 of 381 (35%) reported at least $83K a month, the run-rate for $1M a year.
How did agencies & services businesses find customers?
Of 272 with growth-channel information, founders most often credited organic social media (61%), SEO & organic search (51%), word of mouth & referrals (51%), paid ads (28%), email & newsletters (25%). Channels are grouped by 1M.chat from what founders said worked.
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