1. Pick one agency type and one size
Choose a lane like 10 to 40 person paid media agencies, or design studios doing $1M to $5M in revenue. Each type has its own money problems. Retainer agencies fight scope creep, project shops fight lumpy cash flow. A narrow lane lets you speak their language in every message.
2. Name the trigger moments
Write down the situations that make an owner need you now: a first big hire, a client representing 40 percent of revenue, a partner buyout, a bank asking for financials, or a bookkeeper who quit. Your outreach should open with one of these moments, not with your service. These triggers are also what you will search for in the next steps.
3. Find owners showing triggers on LinkedIn
Search LinkedIn for titles like Founder, Managing Director or CEO with keywords like "agency" and your niche. Then look for posts about hiring, rapid growth or losing a big client. A post saying "We're hiring our 15th person" is a reason to reach out today.
4. Send short, specific messages
Send 10 personal messages a day, each tied to something real about that agency. Example: "Saw you're hiring two account managers. When agencies cross 15 people, margins often slip because utilization is not tracked per client. Want me to show you a one-page way to check yours? No pitch." Offer something small and useful, not a call about your services.
5. Be useful where agency owners already talk
Join communities like r/agency, the Agency Hackers community, and Facebook groups for agency owners in your niche. Answer questions about pricing retainers, cash flow, profit per client and when to hire. Give full, generous answers and only mention what you do if someone asks.
6. Partner with people who already serve agencies
Bookkeepers, agency coaches and agency-focused accountants see owners stuck on finance problems they cannot solve. Offer to handle the strategic side they do not cover and send work back their way. Example: "Your clients probably ask you about pricing and cash planning. I only do that, for agencies. Open to referring each other?"
7. Turn every first conversation into a small paid project
Do not lead with a monthly retainer. Offer a fixed-price project like a profit-per-client review or a 13-week cash forecast. It is easy to say yes to, proves your value fast, and often turns into ongoing work.
8. Track it daily and keep the volume steady
Keep a simple sheet: who you contacted, which trigger, reply, next step. Follow up once after five days with something new, like a short note on their pricing. Hulby, an AI cofounder, can run this daily loop for you by finding owners in trigger moments and drafting the messages.
Mistakes to skip
- Targeting all small businesses instead of one agency type, so your message fits no one.
- Opening with your credentials instead of the agency's specific money problem.
- Pitching a monthly retainer in the first message instead of a small fixed project.
- Posting generic finance tips on LinkedIn and waiting, instead of reaching out directly.
Want this done for your fractional CFO service for agencies, every day?
Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.
Find my first customersQuestions
How many messages should I send per day?
About 10 personal ones. Steady volume plus specific messages beats occasional bursts.
Do I need a website before reaching out?
No. A clear LinkedIn profile that says who you help and with what is enough to start.
What should I charge for a first project?
Pick a fixed price that a small agency owner can approve without a long debate. Keep the scope tight and the deliverable clear.
How do I stand out from bookkeepers?
Bookkeepers record the past. You help owners decide what to do next on pricing, hiring and cash. Say that plainly.