The celebratory dinner was a blast. The tapas were a joy to behold and the Merlot was ever so zesty. But now that the party is over, the real work of creative services transactions begins. The new teams have to commit to working together for what can often be a six-month transition process. It’s probably…
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Category: Profitability
Millennial PR Firm Owners Destined to Shake Up Industry
(This article originally ran on odwyerpr.com.) Millennial communicators can’t catch a break. As they occupy a growing part of the PR field, this demographic bears the brunt of withering criticism from some of their elders regarding their work ethic and general attitude. We frequently hear from older PR firm owners about the challenges of both…
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VIDEO: The ‘Build to Sell’ Mindset
Clients are satisfied with your firm’s work. You’re on the short list to land a new (and prestigious) account. The staff is growing nicely. They’re all positive indices for creative services firm owners. But, in order to maximize the profitability and overall value of their firm, owners need to adopt a ‘Build to Sell‘ mentality….
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The PR Trifecta: Growth, Profitability and Billing Rates Stalling
In light of this solar eclipse this week, the constellations have started to align for the PR industry. But it’s not a pretty picture, with all the major financial indices down and little sign that the industry has started to make headways in order to reverse the declines. Just check out the tale of the…
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Gould+Partners Billing Rates/Utilization Report Cause for Concern
NEW YORK, NY, July 6, 2017—North American PR agencies and firms did not increase their hourly rates in 2016, according to a new report released by Gould+Partners, the management consulting firm specializing in PR and PR M&A. The outlook for hourly rates should be cause for concern among PR firm owners grappling with boosting profitability and increasing valuation,…
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How Should PR Firms Plan for the End Game?
(This article originally appeared in the June issue of O’Dwyer’s) The PR M&A process is seldom easy. But as the public relations industry has evolved and become more complex, so too has the PR M&A process. When sellers sit down with buyers these days there are sharper and more difficult questions coming from both sides of…
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Agency M&A: Big Decision, Vital Questions
I had the privilege of speaking at the Public Relations Global Network‘s (PRGN) annual conference, which took place in Dallas, in late April. The presentation, titled “Agency Mergers and Acquisitions: What Works, What Doesn’t,” was well-received among the PR firm owners and C-level communications executives attending. During my presentation and afterward—when I had the opportunity…
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Valuing Your PR Firm ‘As If’ It Were Your Home
Your home has been good to you. You have invested a chunk of money into sprucing it up throughout the years and the work has paid off nicely. You are ready to sell. As you brace for a sale you remember that tiny crack in the wall near your bedroom and some chips scattering the…
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Making Sense of Your Balance Sheet
For many PR firm owners and C-suite executives it’s often considered the management equivalent of getting root canal: Reading their balance sheet. While a growing number of PR firm owners have gotten more comfortable with reading their balance sheet, there’s still a lot to be desired in terms of owners having a solid grasp for…
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PR Predictions for 2017
We were having drinks with a PR firm owner when we started talking about long-term planning. “It’s an oxymoron,” said the owner, stressing that the marketplace is so fluid these days that if PR firms get too far ahead of themselves planning-wise it could be downright counterproductive. The point is well taken. We can’t recall…
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G+P Part-Time CFO Division Looks to Fill Void in PR
The positive reaction in the marketplace to our new Part Time CFO division has exceeded our expectations—and it’s little wonder. Gould+Partners launched the division because we see a huge void in the marketplace among PR firm owners to hire a CFO and get a better grip on their financial operations. Checklist for CFO Effectiveness and…
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PR in the Not-Too-Distant Future
For agency owners and C-suite executives for creative services firms, it’s the best of times and the worst of times (apologies to Mr. Dickens). PR executives from both the agency and client sides are optimistic about the industry’s future and believe that within the next five years they’ll be expected to deliver more strategic communications,…
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