Buying a marketing agency in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida

• A large share of revenue from retainers, with clients who have stayed several years.
• A niche: a clear type of client or service that brings referrals and work the team can repeat.
• Margins measured without media spend, so you can see what the agency actually earns.
• Account managers, not just the owner, who have their own relationships with clients.
• Written processes, and reports that clients actually read.
• Client ad accounts, websites and domains set up in the client's name, with access given to the agency, which avoids fights later.
• No single client making up a large share of revenue, and top clients who came from different sources.
• Prices that have gone up over time, with the scope of work written down so extra requests get billed.

• Revenue by client for three years: how much comes from the biggest clients, and how long clients stay.
• Media spend separated from agency fees, and how markups are disclosed to clients.
• Client agreements: notice periods, who owns the creative work, and whether the agreements can be assigned to a new owner.
• Who does the work. Leaning on freelancers is flexible, but it raises questions about whether they should be employees and who owns what they create.
• The owner's role in selling and in client relationships, and how long a handover you'll need.
• Any disputes over results, billing or ownership of work.
• Dependence on one advertising platform's rules or partner status, which can change overnight.
• Software subscriptions and tools in the owner's personal name that need to move to the business.

• Which clients would leave if you left?
• How much of your revenue comes from retainers, and how long do retainer clients usually stay?
• How do new clients find you?
• Does the agency make calls or send texts for clients, and how do you get consent?
• Who owns the ad accounts, websites and domains you manage?
• Which clients did you lose last year, and why?
• What work goes to freelancers, and do they sign agreements handing their work over to you?

This region covers Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Baker and Putnam counties: Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach, Orange Park, Fleming Island, Green Cove Springs, Fernandina Beach, Yulee, Macclenny and Palatka. Jacksonville merged with most of Duval County in 1968, which makes it the largest city by land area in the lower 48 states.

The economy leans on logistics, the Navy and financial services. Logistics runs through JAXPORT, major rail lines and the meeting of Interstates 95 and 10. The Navy has Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport. Insurance and health care matter too. St. Augustine, founded by the Spanish in 1565, and Amelia Island draw steady tourism. Trucking and logistics firms, the building trades, medical practices and home services all fit this market.

Northeast Florida is less seasonal than South or Southwest Florida, with fewer winter residents and more year-round employers. Direct hurricane landfalls have been less common here than on other parts of the coast, but storms still bring flooding along the St. Johns River and the beaches, so check insurance costs and flood zones.

Military families bring skilled workers and working spouses into the labor pool, though they also move on when orders change. St. Johns, Clay and Nassau have added the most new homes, and companies serving those suburbs have grown with them. Georgia is close, and some companies here serve customers across the state line. Work in Georgia may need Georgia licenses, so ask how much revenue comes from there and who holds those licenses.