What’s so special about starting a marketing company? Well, everyone’s doing it, and we all know it’s one of the most exciting industries today.
Marketing agencies are now popping up worldwide and growing daily as businesses. While determining the number of marketing agencies worldwide is almost impossible, there are an estimated 120,000 in the US alone.
Globally, there are over 446,974 advertising agencies businesses, the IBIS World reports.
To put it into perspective, as of 2022, there are only 4,305 cosmetic and beauty brands in the US — the world leader in cosmetic brands and home to well-loved beauty brands such as Maybelline, Tarte, and Fenty Beauty. But for marketing agencies to take over in number? It speaks volumes about how big marketing is becoming.
Advertising and marketing spending worldwide is forecasted to grow by 7.7% in 2024, from US$1.63 trillion in 2023 to US$1.76 trillion, according to Statista.
Denstu, one of the largest global marketing and advertising agencies, found that 2024 will end with a total of US$772.4 billion spent on global advertising and marketing — and it’s to grow 6.8% year-over-year.
The US Bureau of Labour Statistics reported that from 2023 to 2033, the overall employment of advertising, promotion, and marketing managers is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations.
While there is little data on the number of marketing jobs in APAC, the region accounts for the world’s second-highest advertising spending at US$200 billion in 2021, J. G. Navarro reports on Statista.
If that number sounds exciting and not daunting, and you’ve thought about how to start a marketing company, Laksmee Suon has the answers for you.
The co-founder of Mainichi Digital, an end-to-end digital agency that helps businesses grow through design, development, and marketing, says that starting a marketing agency takes more than standing out in the crowd; it begins with years of planning.
For Laskmee, it goes all the way back to the time she had to choose a degree for university.
“Back then, there was a trend for Cambodian students to apply for scholarships for degrees in international relations,” she says. “So I jumped on it.”
One year into her Bachelor’s in International Relations at the Institute of Foreign Languages in Cambodia, Laskmee realised that the degree was not for her. She had no interest in politics, and she found the subjects too complicated.
While she was in the process of leaving, Laskmee heard from a high school senior about his business studies at a Japanese university. Intrigued, she applied for a business degree programme at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University and got in.
For the first year, she took different sub-topics of business, such as economics and marketing.
That was when Laskmee fell in love with marketing. It was the creativity and understanding what customers and clients want — it’s forever changing. The shifts in their behaviours were interesting, and she wanted to know more about them.
Her love for the subject grew, and she dreamt of starting her own agency, which came to fruition after she met her fiancé, Belgian national Furkan Dönmez, while working with other agencies in Cambodia.
Together, they founded Mainichi Digital and have worked with clients in Europe and Cambodia.
Marketing agencies would often offer packages based on projects or would require clients to sign a year-long contract, binding them for an extended period of time. Unlike other agencies, Mainichi Digital offers monthly subscriptions.
“This concept in Cambodia is new and has never been done before, making it hard to sell our services here, and that’s why our main focus is on Europe as our payment style is compatible with clients there,” Laskmee shares.
The concept works, and it has led to Mainichi Digital’s success. The companies they’re working with are looking for short-term contracts rather than long-term ones.
The best part about co-founding an agency is that she does not need to work under someone else. “This is something that I strive for: independence and having the ability to choose where I work from. I can be in Asia, Europe, or any part of the world like a digital nomad,” she says.
Laskmee’s time in Japan and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University are reasons why she planned to create an environment that would allow her to work remotely in different countries.
“When I first moved to a new country, it was an amazing experience. I love Japan. I fell in love with the food, culture, and people,” says Laskmee. “Studying in Japan and at Ritsumeikan influenced how we run our marketing agency. In Japan, people are very determined to get things done and are extremely strict about timing. So, that’s what we offer our clients in our business.”
We spoke with Laskmee about the best ways to start a marketing company and how her time in Japan shaped her views on running a business.
Don’t know how to start a marketing company? Look to Laskmee (left), who co-founded Mainichi Digital alongside her fiancé, Furkan Dönmez (right), a webmaster and Belgium national. Source: Laksmee Suon
What does it take to become a co-founder of a digital marketing agency?
It takes commitment and time.
Before becoming a co-founder of Mainichi Digital, I was in the process of co-founding another business. It was a scented candle business; however, it fell through before it was launched.
If I were to compare the two companies I co-founded, I would say that I spent more time planning and building Mainichi Digital. For the scented candle business, I did not put enough time into it, and it was rushed.
Many will say that starting a business is easy and that you can begin any company you want as long as you have resources and money, but for it to last, you need to put in the time and a lot of commitment.
Starting a marketing company also requires finding a business partner with whom you get along and who matches your goals.
My other co-founder, who’s also my fiancé, is a good example. While working with a fiancé is hard, our qualities are different, making us compatible in a business sense.
He’s a webmaster and is well-versed in 3D design, web, and app development, while I’m into content creation, so we thought we could complement each other well.

Laskmee received two scholarships while studying at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University — one from the university and another from the Japanese government. Source: Lakshmi Suon.
What were the hardships you faced when starting your agency?
I’m not outgoing or outspoken, and starting a marketing company requires networking and starting conversations. I’m very awkward in those situations, so it takes a lot of courage for me to talk to others or introduce myself.
That’s one of the hardships I have faced and am still facing.
Another challenge is knowing how to pitch your business. It may sound easy, like you’re doing a presentation, but it’s more than that.
You’re not just pitching your business idea; you’re also pitching your entire team. You need to know how to make potential clients understand what your business can do for them or at least get their attention for a minute.
It could be a two to five-minute pitch, but it’s complicated.

Before figuring out how to start a marketing company, Laskmee graduated from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in 2021 with a Bachelor’s in Marketing. Source: Laskmee Suon
How did your time in Japan shape your career?
Until today, I’ve been influenced by Japanese culture, even in how we run our marketing agency.
In Japan, people are very determined to get things done and are extremely strict about timing. So, that’s what we offer our clients in our business.
We also choose clients like how they choose us. We want to ensure our work for them is long-term, not for a month, and they disappear. This is how the Japanese culture influenced me as well. They’re very committed to what they do.
For example, if they mention that they’ll complete the project by 8 p.m., they’ll finish it by then or maybe even 7:30 p.m.
Being committed to whatever we do naturally leads to honesty and transparency. We included our pricing on our website, which not all marketing agency does. We state the monthly price the clients must pay, including tax, and what services they’ll get.
We want our clients to know we treat them equally. That’s how my time abroad in Japan has shaped my career and company.

Laskmee (left) believes that being outgoing while studying is essential. It’s a way for international students to make friends and create memories. Source: Laksmee Suon
Do you have any advice for students looking to study abroad?
Doing your research months before applications start is crucial; otherwise, you won’t have enough time to dive deep into the universities you’re applying for.
The research will allow you to find available scholarships or learn about what the country you plan on moving to has to offer.
Another piece of advice is not to be afraid; when I first moved to Japan, I was scared to put myself out there.
I thought no one would want to talk to me because of my skin colour or where I’m from. I wasn’t fluent in English either. I was just afraid to get closer to people. But, I later found out that no one thought ill of me. They just thought I was shy.
So, be as outgoing as possible. Try to do as many things as you like while studying abroad. You can work and study simultaneously or join clubs and make as many friends as possible.
Don’t just sit in your room and be on your own. After you graduate, you will regret not taking the leap and missing out on making as many memories as possible.