If you need a digital marketing agency business plan template for your own plan, start it in the Toolkit.
Executive Summary
Ars Super Omnia is a Manchester-based digital marketing agency. We’re in the business of bringing creative and effective digital marketing to the world.
Jude Abrahams and Mena Peterson are the co-founders of Ars Super Omnia. Their extensive experience in marketing for high-profile clients makes them the perfect people to run a company like ours. They each carry out two executive management roles. This will change as the company scales.
The purpose of this business plan is to secure growth funding to remain competitive with larger agencies.
Our long-term sales goal is to generate £588,830 in annual sales revenue by Year 3.
Why us?
Manchester is home to world-class talent. Our clients get premium work for a fraction of the cost of a London agency.
Ars Super Omnia is seeking £45,000 in start-up or growth capital to fund operations, marketing, and staffing in the first 12 months.
Financial highlights:
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | £348,460 | £469,720 | £588,830 |
| Gross margin | 64% | 57% | 56% |
| Net profit / (loss) | (£1,786) | £14,715 | £43,414 |
Company Overview
Ars Super Omnia is a remote digital marketing agency based in Manchester, England. Despite being based in Manchester, our target market is businesses worldwide, primarily in the United States of America.
As a remote business, our staff is also spread across the world. This offers our clients a unique perspective from different countries that will add a unique flair to their marketing.
The company was founded in 2022. The Latin phrase “Ars Super Omnia” translates to “Art Above All” in English. Our vision is to treat marketing as the art form it is while simultaneously generating leads and conversions for your business.
We started on a freelancing platform to gain a diverse customer base. Many of those initial clients are still with us today, which means we can create marketing campaigns across a number of industries.
Ars Super Omnia is registered as a private limited company with Companies House. Jude Abrahams and Mena Peterson are the co-founders.
Legal structure: Private Limited Company (Ltd)
Mission: To deliver exceptional digital marketing agency services to clients in the UK and internationally, building long-term relationships through quality, reliability, and deep expertise.
Objectives:
- Year 1: Establish operations, reach revenue of £348,460, and widen the client base
- Year 2: Expand service capacity, grow revenue to £469,720, and hire additional staff
- Year 3: Grow profitability, strengthen market position, and evaluate expansion opportunities
Market & Customer Analysis
Digital marketing uses digital channels to promote your business and its products or services. Digital marketing agencies are companies that perform that function for businesses.
The industry is large and expected to grow strongly over the next five years.
The move to the digital world is a major driving factor for this market. As businesses prioritize digital channels for operations, their marketing is expected to follow suit. Digital marketing broadens an audience and increases a business's potential sales revenue.
This industry has medium barriers to entry, which means it is competitive. Companies are choosing to work with agencies based outside the most expensive cities to save on costs.
Ars Super Omnia has two categories of competition. The first category is other digital marketing agencies based in Manchester and the wider North West. As a remote company, we lose some of the business that comes from being stationed around other businesses (in the event of a physical office).
The second category is digital marketing agencies across the world. The cost of using us is attractive to businesses in higher-cost markets such as London and the United States. However, we lose some of that advantage with businesses that want a digital marketing agency that understands their culture from a native perspective.
Our indirect competition is in-house marketing departments and freelancers who can offer a better rate.
Customer analysis:
We are a B2B business, which means our customer segments look slightly different than businesses that sell to individual consumers.
Business Size
- Small and medium-sized businesses
- Startup companies
- Large corporations
Industry
- E-commerce
- Tech
- Tourism and hospitality
- Education
- Healthcare
Location
- United Kingdom
- International
Our customers need a digital marketing agency to create and implement marketing campaigns that target the right people and increase conversions. Marketing is an art form, and creativity is high on our clients’ priority lists.
Globalization has given way to the possibility to find more competitive rates than what is offered in the largest agency hubs. Many of our customers are driven by that.
Competitor analysis:
| Competitor | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Large network agency (Manchester office) | Established brand, wide reach | Higher price point, less personalised |
| Established North West independent agency | Strong marketing, national presence | Generic offering, less specialist focus |
| Low-cost freelance-led studio | Competitive pricing | Standardised, less tailored service |
Ars Super Omnia's competitive edge: Specialist expertise, personalised service, and a clear focus on the underserved segment of the market set us apart from the established players listed above.
SWOT analysis:
| Positive | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | Strengths: Experienced co-founders (15 years in marketing); client base built since 2022, many still with us; remote team across several countries; lower cost base than London agencies | Weaknesses: Smaller brand than large network agencies; no physical office for local business; co-founders each cover two executive roles until the business scales |
| External | Opportunities: Growing demand for digital marketing; US and London clients seeking lower-cost agencies; referrals from long-standing clients | Threats: Larger agencies with greater resources; freelancers and in-house teams competing on price; economic downturn reducing marketing spend |
Sales & Marketing Plan
Ars Super Omnia has sales goals set over the short, medium and long term.
Our first short-term goal is to gain 10 more clients in diverse international markets. We also aim to maintain an average monthly revenue of £25,700.
The medium-term period for our next set of sales goals is 6-12 months. By the end of these twelve months, we want to have increased our monthly sales revenue to £34,300. We aim for 80% of our clients to be returning customers with long-term agreements.
Our long-term goal (3 years) is to reach an annual sales revenue of about £590,000.
Pricing strategy: Pricing is set to be competitive within the Manchester, England, UK market while reflecting the quality and specialist nature of the services delivered. All pricing is reviewed annually against market benchmarks.
Marketing channels:
- Digital presence (website + SEO) — professional website with content marketing to attract organic search traffic from clients searching for digital marketing agency services in Manchester and across Greater Manchester
- Social media — active presence on relevant platforms to build brand awareness and engage prospective clients
- Referral programme — incentivised referral programme for existing clients; target 30% of new clients via referral by end of Year 2
- Local networking and partnerships — attendance at industry events and partnerships with complementary businesses in Manchester, Salford and Trafford
- Google Ads — targeted paid search campaigns for high-intent keywords during launch phase
Marketing budget Year 1: £31,350 (9% of projected revenue)
Additional marketing notes:
Our vision is to use the creativity of marketing to impact our clients’ businesses. Marketing has become generic, and many of our clients know this. Offering a Manchester perspective inspired by marketing giants will breathe fresh air into international markets.
Our values are creativity, innovation, and integrity.
Our annual marketing budget is £31,350. We split the funds between a few marketing activities across four marketing categories.
The first marketing category used is digital marketing. 40% of our marketing budget goes towards digital marketing and is split in the following way:
- Website: £1,254 (4%)
- SEO: £1,881 (6%)
- Pay Per Click Advertising: £3,135 (10%)
- Social Media Advertising: £3,762 (12%)
- Email Marketing: £1,254 (4%)
- Content Creation: £1,254 (4%)
20% of our marketing budget goes toward traditional marketing and is allocated as follows:
- Print advertising: £1,881 (6%)
- Business cards and flyers: £1,254 (4%)
- Trade shows and industry exhibitions: £3,135 (10%)
10% of our marketing budget goes toward public relations and is allocated as follows:
- Charity and donations: £1,254 (4%)
- Blog and influencer partnerships: £1,881 (6%)
20% of our marketing budget is allocated to client engagement and sales promotions and is allocated as follows:
- Client referral rewards: £1,254 (4%)
- Discounts: £1,881 (6%)
- Gift vouchers: £3,135 (10%)
The remaining 10% of the marketing budget is allocated for miscellaneous costs.
Operating Plan
Organizational Goal/Objective Department Activity Timeline Generate £348,460 in sales revenue. Sales Design and implement a sales plan. 12 months.
Staffing plan:
| Role | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jude Abrahams (Owner / Director) | Full-time | Full-time | Full-time |
| Mena Peterson (Co-founder / CMO) | Full-time | Full-time | Full-time |
| Operations / Senior Staff | Part-time | Full-time | Full-time |
| Support / Junior Staff | — | Part-time | Full-time |
Legal & compliance:
- All required licences and permits for digital marketing agency operations in Manchester, England, UK
- Professional liability and general liability insurance
- Data protection compliance in accordance with applicable laws
- Health & safety policies and risk assessments in place before trading begins
Management Team
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO), Jude Abrahams.
Jude is a co-founder of Ars Super Omnia. She performs the functions of CEO and COO. These roles will be split when the business is large enough. Jude holds a bachelor's degree with honours in marketing from the University of Manchester and an MBA from the same institution. With 15 years of experience in marketing, 7 of which honed in on digital marketing, she is well-equipped for her role in Ars Super Omnia.
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Mena Peterson.
Mena is a co-founder of Ars Super Omnia. She is responsible for marketing the business and provides input to the sales team. She also holds a bachelor’s degree with honours in marketing from the University of Manchester. Mena performs the functions of the Chief Sales Officer and will continue to do so until the business scales.
We use consultants to fulfill the requirements of a Chief Financial Officer, Head of Data and Analytics, and Head of Human Resources.
Jude Abrahams — Founder & Director
Advisory support: The business will engage an experienced accountant and a business mentor through the local enterprise support network to provide financial oversight and strategic guidance during the first three years of trading.
Financial Plan
Projected Profit or Loss Statement (in GBP):
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | £348,460 | £469,720 | £588,830 |
| Direct Cost of Sales | £98,740 | £139,860 | £172,270 |
| Production Payroll | £19,300 | £54,780 | £74,160 |
| Other Cost of Sales | £7,110 | £9,140 | £11,440 |
| Total Cost of Sales | £125,150 | £203,780 | £257,870 |
| Gross Margin | £223,310 | £265,940 | £330,960 |
| Gross Margin % | 64.1% | 56.6% | 56.2% |
| Operating Expenses | |||
| Sales and Marketing Expenses | |||
| Sales and Marketing Payroll | £52,800 | £55,200 | £57,600 |
| Advertising/Promotion | £28,215 | £38,016 | £47,664 |
| Travel | £4,860 | £5,940 | £7,020 |
| Other Sales and Marketing Expenses | £3,135 | £4,224 | £5,296 |
| Total Sales and Marketing Expenses | £89,010 | £103,380 | £117,580 |
| General and Administrative Expenses | |||
| General and Administrative Payroll | £52,800 | £55,200 | £57,600 |
| Depreciation | £5,880 | £5,200 | £6,193 |
| Dues and Subscriptions | £1,380 | £1,520 | £1,660 |
| Professional Fees | £10,260 | £6,120 | £6,660 |
| Rent | £7,560 | £8,160 | £8,760 |
| Software Purchases | £17,180 | £18,940 | £21,060 |
| Insurance | £2,460 | £2,710 | £2,980 |
| Telephone and Internet Access | £2,340 | £2,580 | £2,820 |
| Miscellaneous | £2,190 | £2,460 | £2,730 |
| Payroll Taxes | £17,236 | £22,795 | £26,132 |
| Total General and Administrative Expenses | £119,286 | £125,685 | £136,595 |
| Other Expenses | |||
| Consultants | £16,800 | £17,850 | £18,900 |
| Total Other Expenses | £16,800 | £17,850 | £18,900 |
| Total Operating Expenses | £225,096 | £246,915 | £273,075 |
| Profit Before Interest and Taxes | (£1,786) | £19,025 | £57,885 |
| EBITDA | £4,094 | £24,225 | £64,078 |
| Taxes Incurred | £0 | £4,310 | £14,471 |
| Net Profit | (£1,786) | £14,715 | £43,414 |
| Net Profit/Sales | (0.5%) | 3.1% | 7.4% |
Projected Cash Flow Statement (in GBP):
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Received | |||
| Cash from Operations | |||
| Cash Sales | £52,269 | £70,458 | £88,324 |
| Cash from Receivables | £285,645 | £387,136 | £488,595 |
| Subtotal Cash from Operations | £337,914 | £457,594 | £576,919 |
| Additional Cash Received | |||
| New Investment Received | £45,000 | £0 | £0 |
| Subtotal Cash Received | £382,914 | £457,594 | £576,919 |
| Expenditures | |||
| Expenditures from Operations | |||
| Cash Spending | £142,136 | £187,975 | £215,492 |
| Bill Payments | £193,996 | £258,513 | £320,626 |
| Subtotal Spent on Operations | £336,132 | £446,488 | £536,118 |
| Additional Cash Spent | |||
| Purchase Long-term Assets | £9,840 | £3,960 | £4,780 |
| Subtotal Cash Spent | £345,972 | £450,448 | £540,898 |
| Net Cash Flow | £36,942 | £7,146 | £36,021 |
| Cash Balance | £51,542 | £58,688 | £94,709 |
Projected Balance Sheet (in GBP):
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assets | |||
| Current Assets | |||
| Cash | £51,542 | £58,688 | £94,709 |
| Accounts Receivable | £34,846 | £46,972 | £58,883 |
| Total Current Assets | £86,388 | £105,660 | £153,592 |
| Long-term Assets | |||
| Long-term Assets | £17,640 | £21,600 | £26,380 |
| Accumulated Depreciation | (£10,480) | (£15,680) | (£21,873) |
| Total Long-term Assets | £7,160 | £5,920 | £4,507 |
| Total Assets | £93,548 | £111,580 | £158,099 |
| Liabilities and Capital | |||
| Current Liabilities | |||
| Accounts Payable | £12,134 | £15,451 | £18,556 |
| Subtotal Current Liabilities | £12,134 | £15,451 | £18,556 |
| Total Liabilities | £12,134 | £15,451 | £18,556 |
| Paid-in Capital | £47,000 | £47,000 | £47,000 |
| Retained Earnings | £36,200 | £34,414 | £49,129 |
| Earnings | (£1,786) | £14,715 | £43,414 |
| Total Capital | £81,414 | £96,129 | £139,543 |
| Total Liabilities and Capital | £93,548 | £111,580 | £158,099 |
| Net Worth | £81,414 | £96,129 | £139,543 |
3-year profit & loss projection:
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | £348,460 | £469,720 | £588,830 |
| Direct labour and contractor costs | £125,150 | £203,780 | £257,870 |
| Gross profit | £223,310 | £265,940 | £330,960 |
| Gross margin | 64% | 57% | 56% |
| Salaries and wages | £122,836 | £133,195 | £141,332 |
| Marketing, advertising and sales travel | £36,210 | £48,180 | £59,980 |
| Rent and utilities | £7,560 | £8,160 | £8,760 |
| Other operating costs, depreciation and tax | £58,490 | £61,690 | £77,474 |
| Total operating expenses and tax | £225,096 | £251,225 | £287,546 |
| Net profit / (loss) | (£1,786) | £14,715 | £43,414 |
Break-even analysis:
- Estimated fixed monthly costs: £18,800
- To cover fixed costs, Ars Super Omnia needs to generate approximately £29,300 in monthly revenue
- Break-even is projected to be reached in Year 2 of trading
Key financial assumptions:
- Revenue growth of 35% in Year 2 and 25% in Year 3 based on planned capacity expansion and marketing investment
- Direct labour and contractor costs estimated at 36% of revenue in Year 1, rising to 44% by Year 3 as in-house staff are added
- Staffing costs (founder salaries and employer NI) at about 35% of revenue in Year 1, falling to about 24% by Year 3 as revenue grows faster than headcount
- Marketing budget set at about 9% of revenue; reviewed quarterly and adjusted based on channel performance
- No bad debt assumed; payment terms enforced from day one
Funding requirements:
Ars Super Omnia is seeking £45,000 to fund the following:
| Use of funds | Amount |
|---|---|
| Equipment and fit-out | £9,840 |
| Working capital (6 months) | £19,460 |
| Marketing launch | £10,200 |
| Legal, licences, and professional fees | £5,500 |
| Total | £45,000 |
That is the example. For your own business, the digital marketing agency business plan template walks you through each section.