Agency Red Flags Checklist

This checklist helps you review any agency proposal for:

• Ambiguous or undefined scope

• Assumptions that may not hold internally

• Misalignment between activity and outcome claims

• Front-loaded financial exposure

• Incentive structures that shift risk disproportionately

• Asset and data ownership ambiguity

• Exit conditions that are unclear or restrictive

• Missing governance and reporting safeguards

Each section prompts you to assess structure — not storytelling.

The checklist is designed to be used alongside a proposal.

• Print it or use it digitally.

• Mark areas of clarity.

• Flag areas requiring clarification.

• Identify risk concentration before signing.

It can be used:

• When reviewing a single proposal

• When comparing multiple agencies

• As a final review before contract execution

It is structured to reduce emotional bias and increase visibility of risk.

This checklist is appropriate for:

• Founders hiring creative, digital, branding, PR, or advisory agencies

• Teams reviewing high-value proposals without in-house expertise

• Organisations committing meaningful budget to external partners

• Decision-makers who want structured clarity before signing

If you are unsure whether a proposal is structurally sound, this tool provides a disciplined starting point.

• Not legal advice

• Not negotiation representation

• Not a guarantee of agency performance

• Not a substitute for full structural review

It is a structured clarity tool.

Secure checkout • Instant digital delivery