Start with your current baseline
Use a representative period and record receipts after platform deductions, refunds, operating costs, and hours worked. Note one-off promotions and unusual costs. Keep personal taxes separate from the operating comparison unless an adviser has helped you model them consistently.
Then write down the bottleneck. Is demand exceeding the time you have to answer messages? Is marketing taking time without a clear plan? Do you need help organizing content rather than running the whole account? Match the service to that constraint before comparing prices.
An illustrative break-even calculation
The following numbers are hypothetical. They are not agency pricing, a forecast, or a client result.
Suppose you currently keep $2,000 per month after platform deductions and operating costs, before personal taxes. An imagined agency agreement charges 30% of eligible receipts after platform deductions, and you expect another $200 in monthly operating costs. To retain $2,000 on the same basis:
Required eligible receipts = ($2,000 + $200) ÷ (1 − 0.30) = $3,142.86.
| Eligible receipts after platform deductions | Illustrative 30% fee | Other costs | Amount left before personal taxes |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500.00 | $750.00 | $200.00 | $1,550.00 |
| $3,142.86 | $942.86 | $200.00 | $2,000.00 |
| $4,000.00 | $1,200.00 | $200.00 | $2,600.00 |
This model assumes a single fee basis and no additional adjustments. Your agreement may calculate costs differently. Add refunds, ad spending, minimum fees, and any other deductions in the correct order. Never use a percentage without checking the revenue definition.
Put time in the comparison
A partnership may reduce your workload even if income stays similar, or increase income while requiring more production time. Record both. Ask which hours actually disappear from your week and which new tasks you must take on: approvals, filming, review calls, or responding to escalations.
Give your own time an explicit value for comparison if that helps you decide, but keep that estimate separate from cash costs. A personal value judgment is not a guaranteed financial return. Also consider whether the arrangement leaves you with a schedule you can maintain.
Compare narrower options
| Option | When to investigate it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Self-management | You have capacity and want direct control | Your process, workload, and opportunity cost |
| Defined planning project | The immediate need is a clearer plan | Deliverables, ownership of work, fixed scope |
| Chatting support | Messages consume too much time | Coverage, boundaries, access, fee basis |
| Marketing support | You need a compliant acquisition plan | Budget, attribution, channel rules |
| Full management | Several connected operations need coordination | Total cost, responsibilities, reports, exit |
Use a review date, not an income promise
Agree the starting baseline, work to be delivered, and review period. At review, compare equivalent periods and account for price changes, seasonal demand, promotions, and additional spending. Without a controlled comparison, you cannot attribute every change to the agency.
Decide in advance what would lead you to continue, change scope, or stop. Include boundary violations and inaccessible records as decision criteria, not only revenue. Make sure the notice terms allow you to act on the review.
When the numbers do not justify the proposal
Ask for a smaller scope, a clearer report, or more time to decide. You do not need to sign because someone has offered a strategy call. An agency should be able to explain the proposed work without promising an outcome.
Read our commission disclosures, explore management support, and use the contract checklist. If you want to discuss a defined need, apply without commitment.