FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Thanks for considering working with me! Here are answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that I have heard as an agency consultant and coach.

Got a question we haven’t answered here? Contact us and we’ll be glad to help! Anything you share is confidential.

What does Sakas & Company do for agencies?

I help agency owners make better decisions for smoother growth. I do this via custom advice and support for agency owners, and training programs and products to help agency owners and their teams “level up” at their agency. 

My work tends to involve agency strategy, operations, and leadership. This includes advice about agency strategy, client service, project management, recruiting, time management, team management, marketing, sales, and new business development.

I work remotely with clients anywhere in the world—36 countries so far, on every inhabited continent.

What's your prior agency background?

I’ve been in digital marketing since 1997, originally as a freelance web designer. More recently, I ran the business operations side of two digital marketing agencies. My titles included Project Manager, Operations Manager, Director of Client Services, and Director of Operations.

In those roles, I oversaw PM, AM, recruiting, accounting, and the agencies’ own self-marketing. See my LinkedIn profile for more on my background.

As an agency consultant and executive coach, I’ve advised more than 600 agencies on six continents. They’ve ranged from startup agencies to 700 employees; most have had fewer than 100 employees.

My colleague Diane Stadlen has served in leadership roles at both independent and holding company agencies, including serving as COO and partner at an independent agency.

What are the options to get help at my agency?

The right option depends on your desired scope and your budget.

1) Want quick and comprehensive, to grow your agency? You should start with a Phase 1 project. I conduct a thorough analysis of where you’ve been, where you are, and where you want to go. You’ll get my comprehensive insights and advice—what to change now for quick results, validation on existing plans, and priorities for long-term strategy, with the option of ongoing support beyond the initial phase. 

2) Want a mix of “DIY plus ongoing structure? Do an Executive Coaching program. I’ve designed the process to help you make faster and smoother progress than on your own. You get a mix of phone and email support, plus proprietary tools to help you stay on track. Coaching is month-to-month; I recommend planning on 6-18 months to start.

3) Want quick advice? Do a Bite-Sized Consulting call. You still have to implement the advice, but it’s often what you need to move forward to do it yourself (DIY).

If you’re considering consulting or coaching, I can confirm whether it makes sense to speak further. Contact us for help.

Are you available for speaking engagements?

Yes, I speak 10-20 times a year at industry conferences, marketing associations, and universities—including INBOUND, Traffic & Conversion, the Bureau of Digital, AAF, and AMA. Here’s more about my upcoming and past events, including in-person and virtual events.

Working with Sakas & Company

Do we work directly with you?

Yes, you work directly with me on executive coaching and strategy consulting projects. This ensures you get great advice while also getting attentive client service.

Prospective clients often speak with my colleagues Diane Stadlen or Kate St. Cyr, as we sort out your agency would benefit from my help.

Kate leads the client onboarding process, and Diane contributes to some consulting engagements from her experience as an agency COO.

Why do you focus 100% on agencies?

Earlier in my career, I helped save an agency from bankruptcy—they did great creative work, but the business fundamentals weren’t there.

Since then, I’ve vowed to help agency owners make better decisions about their agency—typically their biggest financial asset—and to help agency owners thrive rather than merely survive.

And I really like my clients—agency owners tend to be fun, thoughtful, interesting people. When it’s your own business, you should really like your clients—and if you don’t, let’s fix that.

How much do you charge?

For comprehensive support, most clients typically invest at least $30,000 USD annually. Engagements fit into two categories, focused on solving your six- and seven-figure problems:

  • Phase 1: $8,000 to $17,000 (one-time fee) depending on the number of stakeholders. 
  • Executive Coaching: $4,500 per month (6-18 months), plus an additional $3,000 in the first month

Most clients pay via ACH bank debit. I also accept PayPal, U.S. checks, and (sometimes) credit cards. There’s a deposit and then ongoing installment payments.

Not in your budget, or trying to solve a smaller problem? Schedule permitting, we can do a one-off call for $1,200 via Calendly. And my Agency Profitability Toolkit —50+ tools and templates designed to save you 50-200 hours of work—starts at $997. There’s also Free Digital Agency Coaching, as a 90-day email program.

What forms of payment do you take?

Most clients pay via ACH bank debit (aka “eCheck”). I also accept PayPal, U.S. checks, and sometimes credit cards (including Amex). I don’t charge extra if you use a credit card or PayPal.

Can I pay online?

Yes! My team will send you an invoice email from Intuit and you can click to securely pay online via ACH bank debit.

If you’re outside the U.S., I’ll send an invoice via PayPal, to pay in U.S. dollars. They’ll automatically handle the currency conversion for you.

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Can I pay over time?

Yes. For new clients, the initial payment is due prior to scheduling kickoff (e.g., you’ll pre-pay for the first month of coaching, or pay the one-time fee for Phase 1 projects).

After that, you’ll pay on a milestone basis (projects) or before each month starts (coaching).

Doing a Bite-Sized Call? When you book through Calendly, you’ll be directed to a PayPal checkout. You’ll get a calendar invite with the Zoom video link we’ll use (and reminders via email and text).

Do you guarantee the results I'll get?

No consultant or coach can guarantee specific results—so much depends on implementation, luck, and other factors beyond my control.

That said, you’ll always get the best advice I can give you. My approach focuses on sharing the advice I’d give myself if I were in your situation, with your values, goals, and resources (VGR).

Are we a match?

How long have you been helping agencies?

I’ve been in digital marketing for 20+ years—since 1997. My first freelance web design client was a small agency in the Washington, D.C., area.

I’ve focused 100% on agencies since 2010, and I launched Sakas & Company (previously known as Agency Firebox) in 2013.

How soon can we start?

Due to current client commitments, I’m often running a backlog—but I seek to start helping you as soon as I can.

Bite-Sized Call: If you need quick answers ASAP, request a Bite-Sized call. There are usually options within the next 30 days.

Phase 1 projects: The goal is to begin kickoff ASAP, to get your quick and comprehensive advice within 1-2 months. You’d pay the one-time fee to reserve the next availability on the calendar.

Coaching: I can share an estimate during our exploratory call. When spots are open, we can usually start the onboarding process within a month, including your access to “emergency support” calls.

How long do things take?

I work quickly—growing up as the oldest of five kids in a military family, I have a high sense of urgency. My clients like that.

Phase 1 projects are typically 1-2 months long. A key driver is how fast you can share the data I’ll analyze. Agency owners see faster results when they delegate data-sharing to team members; my team will help you divide the workload.

Executive Coaching runs for at least six months, although you’ll see the best results over 12-18 months. (Indeed, the clients in my https://sakasandcompany.com/case-studies/ typically did at least a year of coaching to get the big results.) Some of clients are several years into coaching—but it’s all month-to-month, so you can stop any time.

Bite-Sized Consulting calls run 55 minutes. The key driver is how much you’d like to cover, but I always focus on answering your top-priority questions first.

My free agency coaching program (via email) runs 90 days, and you can repeat it as many times as you like.

Do you work remotely or onsite at my office?

I work with most clients on a remote basis—by phone, email, G Suite, Zoom, and other remote collaboration tools.

I do some on-site work as a part of large consulting projects, which will be a mix of remote and on-site. If this makes sense for you, I’m glad to share an estimate on both approaches (including additional travel expenses) so you can choose.

What times can we do calls?

I typically do calls between 10:00am and 6:00pm Eastern Time (the same time zone as New York City), Monday though Friday.

For clients outside the U.S., I’ll typically adjust to do the call during your business hours (your morning or late afternoon).

If you’re already a client and you’re having an emergency, I’ll make time to help you ASAP. I’ve occasionally done emergency calls on weekends or at 11pm—that’s not the norm, but if it’s critical and you need me, I will be there for you.

Can I text you?

Yes, once you become a coaching client—it’s part of your boutique client experience. All of my clients get my mobile number (which also allows iMessage texting from your Apple devices).

Texting isn’t the right method for ongoing advice, but it helps if you need to get my attention in an emergency, or if you need to let me know you’re running a few minutes late for a call. I’ll do the same for you.

Can I speak with client references?

Most clients hire me without doing reference checks, because they’ve followed my advice for months or years or because they’ve reviewed my case studies.

If we’re a good match but you’re still on the fence, I’m glad to share references once we get to end of the sales process. Typically, this is once I’m the single finalist in your decision process, and you want to go from “95% sure” to “99% sure.”

Once we get to that point, let me know what info you’re seeking and I can connect you to references who’d be a good match to answer your questions. It’s important for me to respect my clients’ time.

I don’t share references for one-off calls, but you’re welcome to check out client results in my case studies.

Can you recommend other consultants?

Yes, I’m glad to recommend other agency consultants and coaches—including specialists on M&A, legal services, fractional CFO services, business development, and more.

If you reach out and someone else would be a better match for you, I’ll point you to them quickly. It’s a small industry, and fit is important—I want you to find the right person to help you.

Outside the US

Do you work with clients outside the US?

Yes, absolutely. I’ve helped clients in 36 countries so far, on every inhabited continent. (Sorry, Antarctica!) Here’s a preview map from a couple years ago.

Agency consultant Karl Sakas has advised clients in 30 countries on 6 of 7 continents.

How would we do calls if I’m outside the U.S.?

We can talk via Zoom or FaceTime, or by phone if you’re in Canada. I’m in the same time zone as New York City.

For clients in the Asia-Pacific region, I’m glad to schedule morning calls your time (my late-afternoon or early evening).

For clients in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), I’m glad to schedule afternoon calls your time (my morning).

Is all of your work in English?

Yes. I’ve worked with clients who are native English speakers as well as people for whom English is their second (or third) language. Unfortunately, my former German and Italian skills have faded.

Confidentiality

How do you maintain confidentiality?

I’m glad to sign your NDA—or use mine—but my approach to confidentiality goes beyond any paperwork. How so? We’re in a small industry—I’d go out of business if I developed a reputation as someone who shared confidential information with other people.

Have you worked with any of my competitors?

Perhaps. That’s where my confidentiality policy comes in—you and they wouldn’t know it.

How do you handle conflicts of interest?

Since 2013, I’ve run into only two direct conflicts of interest.

  • In one case, Agency B reached out for help, and I knew they were Agency A’s biggest whitelabel client. I referred the new agency owners to one of my competitors.
  • In the other case, Agency C recommended me to Agency D, which did subcontracting for Agency C—so they both knew we were working together. But I didn’t share anything the other told me, and vice versa.

If I receive a referral fee, I disclose this when I make the recommendation.

Have a different Question?

Contact us! We’ll get back to you within 2 business days.

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We look forward to helping you take control of your agency!