Getting Back to Growth in 2026: A Data-Driven Roadmap
For the last three years, the BenchPress reports from The Wow Company have shown a consistent trend: the top headache for agency owners is winning new clients. However, growth in 2026 won't come from simply "trying harder" at sales. According to Rory Spence, Commercial Director at Wow, it comes from connecting your profit goals, cost base, and pipeline into a single, visible system.
1. Start with Profit, Not Pipeline
Most agencies set targets based on "last year plus 10%," but this is often disconnected from reality. Instead, start with the Net Profit you actually need (for dividends, investment, and tax).
The Calculation: Add your overheads to your desired net profit to find your required Gross Profit.
The Gap: Subtract your secured retainers from your total revenue goal to find your true "new business gap."
2. Control the Controllables
You cannot force a client to sign a contract, but you can control your Leading Indicators. These are the weekly activities—like LinkedIn interactions, referrals, or content publishing—that eventually lead to revenue. Treat these actions like a science experiment: track them, review them, and refine them.
3. Look Around Corners
Numbers allow you to see problems months before they hit your P&L. Use Scenario Planning to ask: "If we stay flat for the next three months, what is the impact on our cash flow?" Having a contingency plan in place while your head is clear prevents emotional, reactive decision-making later.
4. Build Accountability
New business shouldn't be a lonely pursuit for the founder. Share the vision with your team so they understand whygrowth matters. Most importantly, find an advisor or a peer group to hold you accountable to your weekly activity targets.
Get Ready for the 2026 Agency Growth Book
We are currently preparing the 2026 Edition of The Agency Growth Book, featuring all-new strategies for the year ahead. Please download our existing versions and follow us or register for our newsletter to get updates first.
