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5 Steps To Scaling Your Agency

5 handy steps to scale your operations without falling behind

With great expansion comes great responsibility.

Making new connections and supplying top-of-the-range services are key targets for agencies. It feels affirming to win new business, but while your company grows, your internal and external operations need to keep up.

It can be challenging to scale operations with a myriad of technologies and partner services to choose from.

Fear not, as here are five key ways to grow and stay ahead of the pack.

  1. Identify your niche…

…and stick to it!

One pitfall that agencies face when starting out is being ‘people pleasers’ – trying to adapt operations to suit every single need. This will stretch your business capabilities into areas that aren’t necessary and hinder your growth.

Instead, identify exactly what your most successful services are with current clients, define your unique selling points, and run with them. That way, you can focus your attention on what really matters and deliver the best experiences to those that you work with.

  1. Get your data right!

Data still remains ‘the new oil’, offering invaluable insight into your employees, leads and clients alike. Analysing data can help to best understand how you can tailor your product or services better to suit their needs.

However, data (whether customer-focused, financial or employee information) is often stored across multiple systems for differing parts of the business. Sales teams use one lead generation tool, the hiring team uses another recruitment platform, and marketers favour content management systems. Where do you start to collate this information?

Begin with an internal audit – how many systems do you use, and which are efficient in holding the correct data? You should limit the number of systems you use to be able to pinpoint useful data quickly and easily. This planning will also identify any gaps in where you need to hire to adapt to scale.

  1. Hire across the business

When you know exactly where you need extra hands, get hiring!

A growing business not only needs new entry level candidates to handle the bread-and-butter services that define you, but also more experienced leaders with topic expertise that can take your renown to new levels. Particularly when it comes to content marketing for lead generation. Many tend to outsource creative roles such as this in B2B –

84% of companies that outsource talent see content creation as the most useful marketing tool. So long as the data and processes outlined above can work for freelancers or outsourced workers.

Recruitment can either take place internally or through partnering with third-party hiring agencies; whatever is the most flexible and scalable solution to attract the right people for your business.

  1. Integrate helpful tools

We get it, marketing or sales stacks can consist of many useful technologies to benefit your operations. But these internal tools can be siloed. Instead, it is best to limit the number of platforms you use and integrate them so that data is cross-referenced.

There are useful CRMs such as HubSpot or Salesforce to serve as databases for client and employee information, as well as handling and tracking marketing distribution and activity with great integrations available.

Communication is key not just for your third-party vendors, clients and outsourced workers, but also internally. Messaging platforms including Slack can integrate with other web services with ease so that everyone is on the same page.

  1. Document everything

Multiple platforms, new employees, and growing leads add up to a lot of moving parts. But when scaling, you should not forget what your company stands for.

Defining your purpose and internal company culture is incredibly important. Be transparent about your core values and expectations – the easiest way is through simple documentation that can be stored as a resource for current employees and new hires. All communication can also be handled through project management tools to bring everyone under one umbrella or via a complete agency management tool.

Employees will appreciate a company that is not only ambitious in scale, but one that values all those that work hard to get them to loftier heights.

Start scaling today

Scaling a business can be tricky, but help is at hand. For practical insights on how to grow, fill out your details onthe form below.

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Agency Management Tools: Is It Time For An Upgrade?

 

Here’s a question: how has the pandemic shaped the way your employees prefer to work today?

I bet they’ve all embraced remote working, and the better work-life balance it gives them.

Here’s another question: how has the pandemic changed the way your agency manages its work?

You’ve probably adopted a messaging platform like Slack or Teams, maybe got more rigorous with scheduling and project management. Not to mention document sharing and version control upgrades.

And here’s my last question: how many new pieces of technology have you introduced, and are they all siloed, or have you managed to integrate them?

We’ve been posting a series of articles for agency leaders, and this month we’re looking at the technology that enables greater efficiency and visibility across the agency.

Investigating the best agency management tools

Change is never easy – and people generally don’t like changing up their tech – but taking the time to think holistically about the technology your agency uses can make a huge difference.

Here are some of the technology most agencies have in place:

  • Sales, marketing and pipeline management
  • Resource management
  • Project management
  • Collaboration and teamwork
  • Document and file sharing
  • Proofing and approvals processes
  • Finance and accounting

Assuming your agency has all of these tools, you’re managing (and paying for) at least eight different pieces of software. That’s a lot of technology to keep track of!

Considering end-to-end agency management tools

Keeping everything together and creating process workflows that run from the very start of a relationship with a new client and throughout their lifecycle could be a game changer for your agency. In fact, many agencies “upgrade” their technology when they get serious about growth.

Did you know there’s a category of software especially designed to help agency owners and managers run their companies more efficiently? They include modules for everything from proposal-stage, to project management and time-tracking, and all the way to reporting and invoicing. They connect everything, ensure nothing falls through the cracks, and provide total visibility into every sale, project and process.

Not sure which agency management tools are best for you?

If you’re ready to conduct an audit of your agency’s technology and want to introduce the best tech, then you might find our buyer’s guide useful.

It’ll help you work out what your agency needs and how to compare vendors.

 

 

Fill out the form below to view the infographic

Learn more about Silversoft’s agency management software

Our agency management software is trusted by growing agencies around the world. You can learn more about them here: https://silversoft.co.uk/solutions/

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4 Keys to Agency Growth

Running an agency is all about change and growth. No matter what, the one thing you can never afford to do is to stop growing. It’s the nature of a professional services business. You need a constant flow of new clients, new employees, new processes and new technology.

In this article, we have rounded up some interesting and clever marketing agency growth tips. Give them a try and let us know which ones had the biggest impact on your business.

Ensure your pitches capture your true value

Marketers are usually great at identifying the unique selling points of their clients, but when it comes to selling their own services, they easily undersell their value.

This is partly because it’s tricky to dedicate time to your proposals and pitches when most of your people are busy with billable client work. And then there’s the fact that things move at such a fast pace in the agency world.

When last did you update your proposal documents? If you haven’t refreshed them in the last six months, then chances are that you’re missing the opportunity to include some excellent projects and new clients.

To ensure that your proposals capture your true value:

  • Show that you understand your prospective clients’ business challenges
  • Show how your agency is the best one to help overcome these specific challenges
  • Include relevant example projects and customer testimonials
  • Explain your processes and what they can expect when they start working with you
  • Keep your pricing clear and simple

Need to update your proposal template? We’ve created one for you.

Get your proposal template here

Nurture existing client relationships

Networking and referrals are probably your biggest source of new business, but don’t forget that your existing customer base is a great source of new business. Think about how you can expand your services within key accounts, for example by adding new services such as video editing, podcast creation, etc.

Monthly or quarterly newsletters are a great way to share new client, service and project highlights with your existing customers.

Take your own advice 

Agencies often suffer from a case of “the cobbler’s shoes”, talking to clients on a daily basis about the importance of building a compelling website, and investing in digital marketing, advertising, SEO and social media, without taking their own advice.

If team capacity is a problem, consider creating a “moonlight marketplace” where you can post “jobs” that employees can bid on and complete in their own time for extra income.

Ensure your processes are scalable

Prepare your agency for growth by setting up processes that can scale with the agency. Poor process and unfit technology are a common challenge for marketing agencies that suddenly experience fast growth.

To learn more about the processes that are central to agency growth, and how Silversoft can help you set them up, please visit: https://silversoft.co.za/industries/advertising-marcoms/

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Silversoft Podcast Series | Growing Up – Where are you in your Agency journey?

Silversoft is proud to release its first Podcast. ( we aim to improve as this was our first attempt at this)

Our podcasts will be structured to be an open forum to discuss key trends in the Agency sector.

At Silversoft we have had the privilege of working with many of the leading agencies in the UK and surrounds and we have observed some very specific thinking in how agencies are framing their businesses for success.

Our First podcast will be a series of 3 titled “this is Growing Up”. This first episode is titled “Platform for scale and growth” and discusses the journey an agency goes on and why an agency should look at what solution and platform they put down to ensure that they lay the right foundation to assist them to scale and grow during their journey.

We hope you enjoy it.

https://youtu.be/y3kHVV-OlLk

 

 

 

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Agency Management Tools: Is It Time For An Upgrade?

 

Here’s a question: how has the pandemic shaped the way your employees prefer to work today?

I bet they’ve all embraced remote working, and the better work-life balance it gives them.

Here’s another question: how has the pandemic changed the way your agency manages its work?

You’ve probably adopted a messaging platform like Slack or Teams, maybe got more rigorous with scheduling and project management. Not to mention document sharing and version control upgrades.

And here’s my last question: how many new pieces of technology have you introduced, and are they all siloed, or have you managed to integrate them?

We’ve been posting a series of articles for agency leaders, and this month we’re looking at the technology that enables greater efficiency and visibility across the agency.

Investigating the best agency management tools

Change is never easy – and people generally don’t like changing up their tech – but taking the time to think holistically about the technology your agency uses can make a huge difference.

Here are some of the technology most agencies have in place:

  • Sales, marketing and pipeline management
  • Resource management
  • Project management
  • Collaboration and teamwork
  • Document and file sharing
  • Proofing and approvals processes
  • Finance and accounting

Assuming your agency has all of these tools, you’re managing (and paying for) at least eight different pieces of software. That’s a lot of technology to keep track of!

Considering end-to-end agency management tools

Keeping everything together and creating process workflows that run from the very start of a relationship with a new client and throughout their lifecycle could be a game changer for your agency. In fact, many agencies “upgrade” their technology when they get serious about growth.

Did you know there’s a category of software especially designed to help agency owners and managers run their companies more efficiently? They include modules for everything from proposal-stage, to project management and time-tracking, and all the way to reporting and invoicing. They connect everything, ensure nothing falls through the cracks, and provide total visibility into every sale, project and process.

Not sure which agency management tools are best for you?

If you’re ready to conduct an audit of your agency’s technology and want to introduce the best tech, then you might find our buyer’s guide useful.

It’ll help you work out what your agency needs and how to compare vendors.

 

 

Fill out the form below to view the infographic

Learn more about Silversoft’s agency management software

Our agency management software is trusted by growing agencies around the world. You can learn more about them here: https://silversoft.co.uk/solutions/

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Agency cash flow: How to become cash flow positive

Running a business is tough. Running a business that primarily sells people’s time and skills is also tough. Put the two together, and you might be wondering why you decided to start an agency in the first place! But then you remember that you are fortunate to get a unique opportunity to create fantastic work, spend time with amazing people, and have a real impact on your clients’ businesses.

Your biggest challenge is probably cash flow, and if it is, it might give you some comfort to know that you aren’t alone. 

According to research, the reason most small businesses fail is cash flow management. This includes poor cash flow management, starting out with too little money, and lack of a developed business plan.

And it’s not only small businesses that suffer. Many established businesses have crumbled under the weight of cash flow problems. 

Of course, “selling more” is the obvious answer but it isn’t usually as simple as that, because selling more also means investing more. 

Fortunately, there are a few quick wins that your agency can implement today to regain control and get yourself into a cash flow positive situation.

Learn more in our new Guide to Agency Cash Flow Zen – you can get a copy here.

Cash flow vs revenue, which is more important?

Many agencies seem to focus on annual revenue or the value of their “book”, and understandably so, especially when acquisition is the goal. But, as some experts point out, the problem with using revenue as a measure of value is that it doesn’t take into account the cost of generating income. Cash flow is a much better indicator of the quality of an agency’s earning power which, at the end of the day, is what owners and potential buyers are really interested in.

How can you increase cash flow?

You can learn more by downloading our guide, but here are some of the key factors to consider:

  • Try to work on retainers, to ensure a steady stream of income each month
  • Review your pricing
  • Micromanage your spending
  • Learn how to forecast accurately
  • Ask for 50% deposits on big projects
  • Streamline credit control

Don’t let cash flow challenges strangle your agency

With the right understanding, guidance, tools and processes, you can take control of your agency’s cash flow challenges and build a bright future.

Get started with these practical tips – download the PDF below.

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5 reasons you need a specialised CRM for total agency management

5 reasons you need specialised CRM for total agency management

If your agency is anything like most, a lot of the goals you’ve set out to achieve in the year ahead hinge on being able to spend more time on the things that really matter. Less admin time, fewer manual tasks; greater focus on creative strategy, more time on new business, right?

While your agency might already be using a CRM tool, helping you manage contact data, here’s a look at what an end-to-end agency management solution can help you do:

1. Boost collaboration for better communication and creativity

With so many people working remotely nowadays, easy collaboration is key to efficiency. That said, even if all of your team members are back in the same building, nobody wants to waste time searching through all kinds of files or endless email threads to find what they’re looking for.

An advanced solution enables you to save and maintain useful data in a shared location. It streamlines your communication between departments and offices by centralising file sharing and reducing the need for email and chat tools. Built-in collaboration features also ramp up the creative process among teams and improve communication with clients by allowing more transparency and making the review and approval process far easier.

2.Make project and resource management a breeze

In the agency world, efficiency and productivity are the cornerstones of profitability. Without visibility into project progress, costs and your team’s capacity, you’re unable to make informed decisions or take corrective action to avoid your bottom line being impacted.

Great agency management tools give you a holistic view of your agency’s performance. You’ll be able to understand where there are inefficiencies in your processes and prevent potential issues; you’ll be equipped to plan effectively, keep clients abreast of task progress and see where expenses need to be reduced. With the right tool, you’ll also be able to help your team members avoid burnout by forecasting their capacity and knowing when it’s time to get extra hands on deck.

3.Manage your pipeline for smart business decisions

In the agency world, managing your pipeline is fundamental to preventing opportunities from being missed and, when they do arise, ensuring that you have the bandwidth to take on new business. To do that effectively, you need a tool that does more than collecting and organising contact information.

A sophisticated agency management solution will enable you   to gauge your resource capacity, as well as build accurate estimates and insightful forecasts so that you’re able to plan if you should be taking on more projects, and then to schedule them accordingly.

4. Take the pain out of financial management

Managing your agency’s finances can become admin intensive and time consuming, not to mention a somewhat stressful task. It doesn’t have to be that way, though.

Using the right tool enables you to take full control of your costs and to forecast your cashflow. With visibility into your financial data, you’re equipped to make smart business decisions and to plan well for the future. Integrating your agency processes into the same tool simplifies month-end closing and reporting, and saves you precious time.

5. Get deeper insight into your agency’s performance with easy reporting

At the end of the day, you need to know that your strategy is on point and that your outputs are impactful and profitable. And you need the data to prove it.

Agency management software enables you to view your analytics and generate reports that showcase your successes and empower your decision making going forward. These insights will help you to allocate your time, resources and budget in the most profitable way.

Now that we have that covered, you might be wondering which solution would be best suited to your agency. Download our handy mini-guide , Why agencies need specialist CRM Systems, to help you decide.

 

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What Your Agency May Look Like in 2022

(and How to Get Your Team Prepared)

Research from Gartner estimates that at the start of 2022, 32% of all employees worldwide will be working remotely. Remote work was slowly becoming more popular in some industries pre-pandemic, but when the world was forced into a work-from-home situation in 2020, it forced many agencies to take a look at what the office of the future looks like.

Here’s our take on what your agency can expect in 2022:

#1 Embrace a hybrid workforce

With many CEOs not believing that a fully remote workforce is a viable option, but many workers (57% in the UK) wanting to have the option of working from home, a compromise has to be made. In corporate America, the “hybrid workforce” is becoming an emerging trend that might define the agency of tomorrow. Senior research director at Gartner, Ranjit Atwal, believes that the hybrid office is the “future of work”.

Essentially this means that employees will divide their time between working from home and working at the office. As a result, the office of next year will likely be downsized; have shared workspaces with other businesses; and create more flexible work schedules.

#2 Move from the office into an agile hub

The move to a hybrid workplace will mean that single-location offices could become a thing of the past, and a hub that supports “flexibility, functionality and employee wellbeing” could be the future, according to predictions from the global real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. Think co-working spaces, cafes, multiple offices, and mass hotdesking. Agencies should start considering how they could operate in a space like this, as it will likely be a more financially viable option.

 #3 Switch up the benefits your company offers 

Gone are the days of agencies thinking that ping pong tables and an open bar are the top perks employees desire. Because your team will be spending less time in the office, having quirky “office perks” doesn’t make sense anymore. In fact, 74% of employees surveyed by Perkbox would prefer an increase in pay as a result of the company saving on office perk costs.

#4 Place a greater focus on employee wellbeing

The mental health of employees has been a hot topic amongst many businesses, including agencies, for a long time. And with the stress brought on by the pandemic, this is the time to increase your focus on the wellbeing of your team when they’re in the office or working from home. CIPD’s Health and Wellbeing at Work 2021: Survey Report found that 74% of organisations offer access to counselling services and employee assistance programmes. Does your agency fall into that category? If not, then in 2022 your workplace should become synonymous with caring for your team, and prioritising their mental health.

#5 Say hello to virtual assistants

Along with a remote or hybrid workplace, comes the need for a more affordable and time-saving way to get specific work done – from administration to writing social media copy – on an hourly or project basis, using a virtual assistant. This will be a great investment for both a smaller agency who wants to scale up but can’t afford too many new hires, or a larger agency wanting to scale down.

#6 Say goodbye to having a boss

The office of the future may not have managers walking around, which makes sense, since many team members may not even be operating from the office. According to Gartner, by 2024, 30% of corporate teams will be without a boss due to the agile and hybrid nature of work. This means agencies may have to abandon traditional hierarchies in favour of more agility within the organisation.

How to prepare your team for the hybrid workplace of the future

Communication will be key. Remember that not all of your employees will necessarily want to work remotely and may prefer to be in the office permanently. To determine exactly how your hybrid workplace will function, you’ll need to conduct a survey with your team to find out what their specific needs are, and how they work best.

 

Download this free survey that you can implement with your team today, so you can best prepare for the agency of 2022.

 

Make sure your agency can operate at its best in an agile environment

Built by agency veterans, Deltek WorkBook is a total agency management system that provides best practice solutions to help your agency grow. WorkBook makes it easier to focus on your clients and make strategic decisions for the future by streamlining projects, people and finance from end to end, giving you better control, insight and visibility at any time.

Interested in finding out more? Get in touch with us.

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[eGuide] How to pivot your agency in a post-pandemic world

“Pivot, pivooooot, pivooooot!”

If you haven’t seen Ross Gellar shouting this out in the television series, Friends, whilst trying to navigate carrying a massive couch up a spiral staircase, then firstly, you need to go watch Friends, but secondly, it’s okay, because you can probably relate to the feeling regardless.

For many agencies and other small businesses, the arrival of Covid-19 was much like carrying a massive couch up a spiral staircase.

This mini downloadable guide will provide some insight and input into how your agency can ensure they’ll be able to pivot within, and re-adjust to, a new normal in a world after Covid-19.

In this guide you will learn about:

  • why digital transformation is crucial for agility
  • ways you could restructure your agency
  • how to foster a culture of innovation
  • the importance of integrative systems.

 

 

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4 Ways to Avoid the Pitfalls of Over-Servicing

Increase your agency’s profit margins with accurate scoping, resourcing and job delivery.

Over-servicing or “scope creep” is a real issue faced by many agencies, but how can it be avoided in this fast-paced industry to ensure that businesses are billing clients accurately?

Download this whitepaper for some practical tips on how to:

  • Track your agency’s KPIs accurately
  • Create clear SLAs and SOWs
  • Re-evaluate your business model
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