Advertising agency business plan with calculations - how to open an advertising agency. Opening an advertising agency from scratch: cost, documents and requirements

It often happens that a person stands in front of a certain stone, as in a good Russian fairy tale about the hero Ilyusha Muromets. But in the modern version, he does not offer us to go in different directions and lose something. Today the question is different: where to go to buy?

Many people stood in front of this stone and made their choice. Either go to work for your uncle and try on the strap of a barge hauler, or build your own barge in the future, that others will drag it.

And we all take a step in the direction we need, with dreams of a brighter future. Let's say you decide to build your own barge. You can already see how its snow-white sides shine, luring not only passengers, that is, customers, but also those barge haulers who will heap this burden on their shoulders and will drag it with a grateful smile.

Represented? Now forget. After your dreams are shattered and you look around you, you will understand one truth: there is no barge, and there is no one to build it.

There is only you and your dreams, which, by the way, can become a reality. Provided that you are not afraid and start working tirelessly on your brainchild.

To begin with, you should choose where this barge will sail? If you have good communication skills, get people to trust you easily, and are full of creative ideas, then you should head into the ocean of advertising. That's where it all comes in handy.

It is there that you will feel like a fish in water and a captain on a ship. But where to start? After all, now wherever you spit, you will end up in an advertising agency. But you should not worry about this because they are the same market players as you are. They have the same problems and similar concerns.

Well, except that they have more experience, and they have already become familiar in the market. But this is a gainful business, the main thing is to start, and then everything will go as planned. After all, there will be enough small fish for everyone, and you will learn to catch a whale with time.

For many, it will be a discovery that 98% of the companies on the market are buyers. That is, they, like you, have nothing of their own. They take their place between the customer and the owner company. Simply put, they are banal intermediaries. But why doesn't the client go direct, you ask?

The whole secret is that a discount of 20-25% of the cost of the service has been prepared for buyers. It is for this difference that your barge will exist.

Where do you need to start

By far the fastest way to get your advertising agency up and running is to start selling Big Boards. Advertisers call them planes.

The standard size of such a plane is 3 * 6 meters. These are the ones you see when you go to work or just walk down the street. It is with these structures that all the cities of our beautiful country are plugged.

So that you do not doubt my words, I can give an example. Even in an urban-type settlement in the Kherson region, with a population of 12,000 people, there are 4 planes.

Who needs them there? Yes, to everyone who wants to place their advertisement, from a small shop with clothes to a banal cheburek. After all, the cost of this plane is 120 USD. per month and for a medium-sized business this is not a large amount.

But do not think that all planes cost such a penny. In regional centers, their cost can reach 300 cu. and in the capital all 600.

It all depends on the city and the place where this plane stands. The price for this plane is set by the owner himself and can freely regulate it.

But there is an unspoken rule, prices for planes change once every six months, if such a need arises, and they change evenly at once by all operators. But you will understand this over time, when you yourself are faced with this situation.

You can dig through the entire Internet looking for operators of this market, but it will be much more reliable to drive around the city and look at these boards. Each of them will contain contact information with the name of the owner's company.

Your task is to collect this information and get in touch with the owners of the planes. And you should know the difference between cheburashka and prism. Doesn't that tell you anything? Then take your time and look at the terminology and variety of planes.

Schedule meetings with each of them at their office. You have to make a positive impression and try to get the best conditions out of them. After all, it will depend on this how much, a good price you will offer your customers.

You can write on the go about your far-reaching plans and the fact that you already have a couple of fat clients who are interested in placing exactly on their planes. The main thing is to involve "in yourself", and then you can already get out of any situation.

You have already collected a base of operators and are ready to go into battle. But that was not the case, because most clients ask for the development of a board layout.

For you, this will not be a problem if you have the skill of a designer and have experience in this matter. But I don't believe in it, and that's why you need a designer who will develop printable board layouts.

This does not mean that you should hire him, it is enough to agree with a freelancer on piecework wages. The cost that operators declare for a layout is on average from 100 USD. A freelancer takes $60 for his work. Here you have 40 USD. earning on the layout.

But if you find a freelancer from remote regions of our country, then the cost of work will reach 30 USD. The farther it goes, the cheaper it gets. After all, people in those parts of the world are not spoiled for work, and this is to our advantage.

And so you have operators, and you have a designer. Everything seems to be ready to make money. But even here, not everything is so smooth. Who are you that you would immediately rush to you so?

Now your main task is to attract as many customers as possible and this is the most difficult thing in this business.

Customer acquisition

But I will tell you several ways to promote without investing.

word of mouth

Your task is to notify all your friends and acquaintances-acquaintances, and those, in turn, their acquaintances. Simply put, everyone should talk about you, but this does not mean that they should run around the city like crazy with fire in their eyes and “bawl”.

No, very often an innocent conversation between two friends can end up with a recommendation from your agency. But do not expect the result to come instantly, it is a long and tedious process.

To begin with, you look for the contact details of all furniture stores and salons in your city. This is a tedious and lengthy task, but it must be done. You write down their name, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail. After that, you should think in detail about what and how to offer them.

It is best to make a colorful presentation in Word and then convert it to PDF. It weighs less and looks better. Your presentation should not be very large and not dry, dilute it with bright images and a juicy background.

You can place a couple of photos of successful planes with colorful advertising. I don't care that it's not yours, who will understand it? And remember that in 500 emails you can only get one backlash. So don't be too disappointed.

Notice boards

Your task is to select 70-80 free ad boards. Develop 4-5 variations of your advertising text and post at least once a week. The text should be changed every week. Your ads should always be in the top, and flash before your eyes.

Again, this should be done weekly. For 3-4 months, after the expiration of this period, you can place it once every 2 weeks. If you work on this scrupulously and constantly, then you will receive the first cream in 3 months. That's when the calls will start pouring in. But as soon as you stop, your incoming calls will decline until they die altogether.

By following these three points, you will not go hungry. And you will always come a couple of three new customers.

Do not forget that advertisers are not fed up with boards alone, connect advertising and souvenir products to your business, create and optimize Internet sites. All this will bring you your income, the main thing is to put it all on your feet.

And after the expiration of time, your company will already be recognized and accepted as a serious player in the advertising market. After all, the whole point is not in luck, but in desire and calculation. How pleasant it will be to work with you, and not with your competitors.

In the modern world, it is difficult to imagine how a business could work without advertising. There is a constant demand for the services of advertisers. The competition in this type of activity is high, but a wide range of services offered and a creative approach will help to stay afloat.

full cycle agencies;
niche agencies.

Naturally, the easiest way to compete in the market is for those who provide the full range of services, but you will also have to spend more money to open such a business.

Business plan

The initial investment in this type of business is small and largely depends on the scope of the future agency. We will draw up a business plan for an advertising agency. Let's calculate the cost:

repairs in the future office from 15 thousand rubles;
furniture from 15 thousand rubles;
equipment from 40 thousand rubles;
rent from 20 thousand rubles. per month;
communication services and the Internet from 2.5 thousand rubles. per month;
salary for staff from 80 thousand rubles. per month;
consumables from 5 thousand rubles. per month.

In total, the costs will amount to 70 thousand rubles. at the beginning and from 107.5 thousand rubles. monthly. Plus, of course, taxes.

Profitability will depend on the prices for services. As a rule, they amount to 35% of the order value. If in 1–2 months you manage to reach an average number of orders from two per week, then you will calmly receive a profit of 160 thousand rubles a month.

As can be seen from the calculations, the payback will come very quickly. In principle, you can recoup the initial investment in 2-3 months.

Documentation

For the proper registration of your business under the banner of an advertising agency, you need to correctly draw up all the necessary documents. To do this, first, you need to register with the federal tax service and register the right of ownership. For an advertising agency, opening an IP is quite suitable. To register an individual entrepreneur, we select the following code from the all-Russian classifier of types of economic activity - 74.40. Advertising activity.

You need to know that the following activities are not subject to this code:

marketing research;
polygraphic execution of advertising;
photography for advertising;
preparation of advertising messages for television and radio;
public relations activities.

room

Now we can start selecting the premises we need. In principle, there should not be any difficulties with the selection of premises, everything is quite simple. We choose a room in the center, with an area of 10 sq. meters. The specifics of such a business involves meeting with clients on a neutral territory or at the client's office. But the office is necessary for staff and those clients who want to meet on your territory. Therefore, you need to try to make the office look presentable.

Opening an advertising agency is a difficult task, as this area is highly competitive. How to create a company and not burn out in the early stages? What action algorithm should be followed when opening an advertising agency?

Before opening an advertising agency, you should think about the type and size of the company being created. Statistics show that companies with a small number of employees and carrying out intermediary services: printing orders, advertising in magazines and newspapers, the so-called media agencies, as a rule, "do not live long". Larger "sharks" absorb similar "plankton".

From this we can conclude that it is better to create a creative agency with a total number of employees from 5 people in order to produce an intellectual product(event marketing, branding and BTL). Only then there is a chance to survive and, moreover, to recoup the money invested in a few months, as well as to acquire a good customer base. So, what does it take to open an advertising agency?

Types of advertising agencies

There are two main types of agencies listed above, one of which is not very profitable (media) and highly competitive, and the other (creative) deserves attention. In addition, such a business is divided according to the types of advertising provided:

Outdoor, placed in an open area on any structures (example: banners, posters, signs).
Presentations, exhibitions. Such the tool allows the client to personally manage the advertised product. It includes graphics, sound and video accompaniment.
TV commercial.
Creation, promotion of sites.
Postal mailings.
Promotions and PR.
Souvenir products.

At first, it is practically impossible to provide services for all types of advertising, only if you increase the initial investment to several million rubles, and sometimes even dollars. But, accordingly, the risk of bankruptcy will increase significantly.

The procedure for creating an agency

The choice of the type of activity - individual entrepreneur or LLC with registration of the selected option.
Market analysis.
Recruitment of staff and rental of premises.
Conclusion of contracts with printing houses, workshops, etc.

Premises and staff

Location, appearance are not very important, since most often employees go to clients, but you should not be dishonored by the sudden arrival of a customer. Therefore, it is recommended rent a room, make a decent repair in it. The office is necessary only for storing documentation, receiving calls and discussing any working nuances.

It must have the following equipment:

computers. It is impossible to save on software for designers. Therefore, for these employees Requires professional equipment and software. Research data must also be present on the PC;
MFP - printer, copier, scanner;
multichannel telephone connection, Internet.

To minimize the risks, people who already have experience in this area should be hired, and as a result, the client base. Naturally, communication skills are required from managers, and creativity and talent from designers.

So, the state should include:

creative director who develops ideas. If you keep one person on staff, then he can quickly “run out of steam”, so it is recommended to have several freelancers “in reserve”;
two managers who will have to pay, in addition to the official salary, interest on transactions;
two designers, one of whom creates the product, the other is engaged in layout;
director.

It is better to entrust accounting to an outsourcing company, and as orders grow, sometimes take freelancers for a part-time job.

Conclusion of contracts and investments

The second most important step after the selection of employees. The efficiency of order fulfillment, as well as the cost of services, will depend on partners. Therefore, you should not take on the first offer that comes up, especially at first: carefully study all the parties to a possible contract.

Below are approximate minimum prices for opening your own advertising agency. The total amount in the aggregate is over 200,000 rubles:

Rent of premises 60 thousand rubles.
Acquisition of telephone numbers 12-15 thousand rubles.
Purchase of office furniture 22 thousand rubles.
Purchase of professional office equipment 125 thousand rubles.
Repair of the premises 25 thousand rubles.
Internet installation 5 thousand rubles.

This is an initial investment. Salaries of employees will be added to them a month later:

Director: 30-35 thousand rubles.
Manager: 8-12 thousand rubles + interest for orders.
Accounting: from 5 thousand rubles.
Designer: 15-25 thousand rubles.
Employee bonuses: 10-15 thousand rubles.

Profitability

Development and creation of a logo: 30 thousand rubles.
Shield layout: 9 thousand rubles.
Issue of a layout for a magazine: 13 thousand rubles.
Scenario: 13 thousand rubles.
Corporate identity: 70-75 thousand rubles.

Solving possible problems

Statistics show that over 60% of newly opened firms “burn out” and close in the first year. How to open your own advertising agency, survive and not drown among the fierce competition of agencies? Start by advertising yourself.

come up with original, easy-to-remember company name. Remember that once heard it should remain in the client's head for a long time.

Do not work with large enterprises at first, because there is no portfolio (it takes at least a year). Look for clients among medium or small businesses.

Advertise your "brainchild" in city directories. It is even possible that this procedure can be carried out free of charge on barter terms with media agencies. This method of advertising is often used by small companies that need a business partner.

Before calling people to attract clients, think and create a unique product that will set you apart from competing firms. Otherwise, this step is useless.

And, finally, I would like to note that a myth has been created in society that in order to get an extraordinary profit from advertising, you only need to register an enterprise, recruit staff and start working as usual. This is wrong. At first, the creator of such a business needs activity: it is necessary to motivate staff to create new ideas and products, analyze the consumer market, and conclude contracts.

Aspiring entrepreneurs who dream of independence and making a profit on their own often consider starting their own advertising business. Where to start and how difficult is it? Advertising is a very promising direction, but at the same time it requires specific knowledge, the ability to combine a creative and pragmatic approach. How to put it into practice?

Advertising business - promising, but dangerous

Any modern business uses advertising to promote the market, increase the number of customers and eliminate competitors. Both small private firms and huge industrial giants need such services (remember, even Gazprom advertises itself, although this company is essentially a monopolist).

On the other hand, competition in the advertising business is very high, and it will always be difficult for a start-up company to compete with large agencies offering a wide range of turnkey services. We tell you how to create a successful advertising company, even without an impressive initial capital, and find your niche in the market.

What are the types of advertising agencies

Creative agencies or design studios - specialize in developing ideas for marketing campaigns, logos and brand names, slogans. In general, they create the basis for further promotion of the client's business.
Internet agencies are engaged in advertising in the virtual space (contextual, targeting, any other varieties), as well as creating websites and maintaining accounts in social networks.
Firms specializing in outdoor advertising - produce posters, banners, banners. They can only deal with printing and installation, but sometimes they rent out advertising structures to place ads and develop their own sketches.
Media buying companies in the course of their work promote clients through the media. They organize advertising campaigns on television, radio, print and online publications.
PR agencies are essentially similar to media buying companies, but they work more comprehensively and create a positive image for the client among potential buyers (both in general and in a particular category).
BTL agencies conduct promotions, special events, organize holidays and events that help increase the number of potential buyers and form a positive image of the company in them.
Specialized advertising agencies - such companies are distinguished by specialization in any industry of the market. For example, a firm may specialize in advertising clothing, mobile or household appliances, and so on. They are not so common on the market, as they lose in the competition due to a reduced customer base.
Marketing research companies. They are not advertising agencies in the usual sense of the word, since they do not advertise the client, but study the state of the market in his industry and the marketing campaigns of competitors (price levels, potential audience, slogans and logos). In fact, like design studios, market research companies prepare the basis for the further work of advertisers and marketers.
Advertising agencies of a full cycle or "universal" - provide the entire list of the above services. They provide comprehensive customer service: from the development of a brand name to a large-scale advertising campaign in the media space and placement on outdoor structures.

It is virtually impossible to build a full cycle advertising agency from scratch: it requires impressive funds, a large team of professionals, experience and connections in this area. Therefore, you need to start with one industry, and if successful, develop and expand.

Also, all agencies can be conditionally divided into local and federal- that is, depending on the scale of the work. Most advertising agencies operate only at the local, regional level. It is quite difficult to reach the scale of the whole country, but you can earn good money locally.

What direction of work in the field of advertising is more promising

All the types of advertising agencies listed above are widely represented on the market, they work successfully and bring stable profits to their owners. It is impossible to name any direction more promising., all types of advertising are equally in demand among customers. Therefore, you need to stop your choice in the direction that is closer and more understandable to the entrepreneur.

You need to stop your choice in the direction that is closer and more understandable to the entrepreneur.

Who do advertising companies work with and why is it important to know

The services of advertising firms are most often needed by businesses: to promote your products and increase profits. This largely explains the specifics of the work: you need to speak with entrepreneurs in the language of profit, the “wow effect” does not matter to them.

Which advertising agency to open for a beginner

If an aspiring entrepreneur is wondering how to open an advertising agency from scratch, it is better to opt for one of the non-universal, specialized varieties - for example, an Internet agency or an outdoor advertising firm.

This option will help you spend less money on opening, quickly select employees and pay off in a short time. In case of success, it will be possible to expand up to a full cycle or representative offices in other regions, and in case of failure, the losses incurred will not be so great.

Features of the work of certain types of advertising agencies

Many details of the work are revealed to entrepreneurs only after the start of the activity. To help form a more comprehensive understanding of the pros and cons of each type of advertising agency in advance, let's take a closer look at some of them.

Why working in the field of outdoor advertising is quite difficult

Outdoor advertising, that is, the placement of posters and banners on special structures installed on the streets or buildings of the city, is a consistently demanded service. The fact is that any such poster is seen by thousands of people in just a day. Such advertising is remembered, slogans and pictures are eaten into memory, and the number of potential buyers or clients of the company is increasing daily.

However, before you enter the field of outdoor advertising, you need to know the following facts. Firstly, all advertising structures belong to the local authorities. City administrations raffle the right to use them between advertising agencies about once every 5 years on the basis of an auction. That is, the construction is used by the one who paid more for it. Did not have time for the auction - wait for the next few years.

Secondly, the price of one design at the auction can exceed a million rubles.. The fact is that in a few years, investing in rent in a busy place will pay for itself 2-3 times. Starting businessmen, as a rule, do not have impressive capital, and therefore they cannot fight for constructions.

Thirdly, printing and making large posters, banners and banners also require specialized equipment, which is very difficult to buy for less than 800 thousand - 1 million rubles. Outdoor advertising is not only made of paper, but may include metal, plastic and LED elements. For the creation of high-quality all this requires special equipment. Fourthly, to place banners and streamers, you will need a car, preferably with a crane.

Thus, work in the field of outdoor advertising is complicated by the need to spend significant funds on the initial organization of the business.

Internet advertising: what are the prospects and difficulties

Advertising on the Internet is also in demand among customers, because the audience in the virtual space is constantly growing. If a person knows how to set up contextual advertising and ads on social networks, he can work as an individual entrepreneur for some time. Then the earned funds can be invested in staff expansion and office rent.

Online advertising can bring in good profits, but the situation is complicated by the fact that most companies prefer to find freelancers to set up contextual and targeted ads or train existing employees to do this.

Therefore, an Internet agency should offer a wider range of services: make turnkey websites, maintain groups on social networks, and create unique content. In this case, it will be much easier to attract customers.

What kind of employees does an advertising agency need

managers (search for clients, take orders, communicate with clients);
designers (design banners, posters, signs, logos);
marketers (create a full-fledged advertising campaign for customers);
specialists in contextual and targeting advertising;
clerk or accountant (these functions can be assumed by the entrepreneur himself);
employees for the manufacture and installation of outdoor advertising (if the company works with outdoor structures).

Minimum costs: is it possible to open without money

To open any business, you need capital, and an advertising company is no exception in this case. It is clear that the more money, the more confident the entrepreneur will feel. But is there a minimum threshold for the amount required to open your own company?

Much depends on the type of company that the entrepreneur plans to develop. It will not be possible to work in the field of outdoor advertising without any costs: even if you have your own premises and a car, you need to purchase equipment for printing and making banners. You can reduce costs if you take an advance payment from customers for consumables. In any case, it is almost impossible to do without 500-800 thousand rubles.

Internet agencies and creative design studios are less expensive. To get started, you only need a sufficiently powerful computer (or laptop), as well as knowledge in the relevant field. Experience shows that some contextual and targeted ad customizers manage to earn initial capital for the business with their own hands (without loans and employees).

Internet agencies and creative design studios are less expensive.

When will the business investment pay off?

The answer to the question about the payback of advertising agencies depends on the amount of initial investment. All in all, this is a fast-growing business.- Most successful owners of advertising agencies return all funds spent in 8-12 months.

The main factor in such a quick payback is the high prices for any services. The production and placement of large banners usually include an extra charge for clients of over 50% of their actual cost. And such "intangible" services as the development of slogans or logos - and does more than 100%.

Why an advertising firm doesn't need a business plan

In theory, any enterprise needs a business plan: it helps to assess the available prospects and resources, plan expenses and income. But advertising is a special business, which in many respects develops irrationally. It is more suitable for those who do not like planning and are able to act quickly in an unfamiliar position.

Of course, you need to plan all the expenses and outline the payback periods, understand what services you will provide in the first months of work, and which ones you want to grow to. But it’s not worth describing all the actions in detail: in many ways you still have to improvise.

An advertising agency also needs to advertise or where to find the first clients

Placement on outdoor structures should be immediately excluded from the list- it's too expensive. Online ads, your own website and active groups in social networks will be a good business card and attract customers.

But it is more likely that in order to attract the first customers, you will need to contact companies directly: call and send e-mails, offer your services, and convince them of the benefits of working with you.

Advertising is such an area where reputation decides a lot. Most businessmen will not want to work with an advertising firm that has just entered the market and does not have an impressive portfolio. Therefore, getting the first customers is the most difficult task. Take the initiative, act through acquaintances, but find the first customers and do the job perfectly for them.

Summary: is it worth opening your own advertising agency

Opening an advertising agency is not an easy task. A quick payback is also in question, especially if the entrepreneur has contacted advertising structures. Therefore, when drawing up a business plan (or even before that), it is worthwhile to thoroughly analyze all the advantages and disadvantages of working in the field of advertising.

Benefits of Starting an Advertising Firm

Stable and high demand for the services of advertisers. The modern market is developing largely due to advertising, so a professional firm will always be in demand among customers.
Possibility of creative and entrepreneurial self-realization.
Pretty fast return on investment (up to 1 year, with a competent start - in 4-5 months).

Risks and dangers of the advertising business

High competition, including with advanced and large full-cycle companies. Many potential clients do not risk contacting newcomers. In addition, it is more convenient to receive all services at once (advertising on the Internet, in the media, on outdoor structures) in one company than to apply to several. Therefore, it is difficult for highly specialized start-up companies to compete with the “full cycle”.
reputation dependency. First, the reputation of the newcomer will interfere with the company, and then the reviews of dissatisfied customers. In the course of work, advertisers have to deal with a variety of businessmen who have their own opinion on every issue.

Advertisers must skillfully combine customer satisfaction (some of which may be extraordinary) with professional standards. In fact, one dissatisfied customer review will outweigh all previous merits, which means that you need to strictly monitor your own image.