Dealmakers Podcast

Buy and Scale a Digital Agency Through Acquisition

Richard Bundock explains how he moved from 12 years of organic growth to buying digital agency assets, completing a share purchase, building deal flow, and planning a UK agency group through acquisition.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 142  |  Runtime: 24:29  |  Audio Episode

Listen to the Episode

Hear Richard Bundock explain how a digital agency owner used acquisitions to expand capability, generate deal credibility, and build toward a larger agency group.

Episode 142
Runtime 24:29
Topic Digital agency acquisitions
Format Founder interview

Key Takeaways

Three acquisition lessons from a digital agency owner who shifted from organic growth to buying businesses.

Acquisition Can Replace Years of Organic Slog

Richard spent 12 years building from scratch before seeing how buying established businesses could add customers, specialist capability, brand value, and strategic momentum faster.

The First Deal Builds Credibility

A small asset purchase gave Richard a completed transaction, market proof, and stronger seller conversations for the next opportunities in his pipeline.

Bolt-On Deals Can Create Group Value

By combining a strategic agency with specialist platform businesses, Richard saw cross-selling potential where one plus one can produce more than two in revenue and capability.

Episode Breakdown

In this episode, Jonathan Jay speaks with Richard Bundock, a digital agency owner who had spent more than a decade building organically before deciding there was a faster route. After changes in his shareholder structure, Richard was left with a group company and began exploring whether acquisitions could help him expand beyond the limits of one operating business.

Richard explains how his first deal was a small asset purchase rather than a full share purchase. The target agency had no staff left, but it still had a brand, website, case studies, inbound enquiries, and market presence. By acquiring those assets for a modest amount and routing enquiries into his existing business, Richard gained both commercial upside and the credibility of having completed his first acquisition.

The conversation then moves into his second acquisition, a trading specialist software platform agency with around six people and roughly 800,000 in turnover. Richard discusses remote team integration, keeping operational capability inside the group, using an existing team member to support the acquired business, building a target pipeline, and his ambition to become one of the top five independent agency groups in the UK through around 20 acquisitions.

Best For

  • Digital agency owners considering growth through acquisition.
  • Entrepreneurs comparing organic growth with buying established businesses.
  • Buyers evaluating small asset purchases and bolt-on opportunities.
  • Operators planning share purchases, remote integration, and team transfer.
  • Acquisition entrepreneurs building a multi-company group strategy.

Questions Answered In This Episode

Download the Free Business Buying Toolkit

Discover how to acquire your first business in 100 days without risking your own money. Complete the form to receive your toolkit immediately.

  • Step-by-step acquisition roadmap
  • Financing templates and lender contacts
  • Due diligence checklists
  • Deal closing procedures