Should you fire one of your marketing agency’s clients? That’s the question I’ll be answering today. I’m Karl Sakas, creative agency business consultant at AgencyFirebox.com.
So the question is—you’ve got a client who’s annoying or unprofitable (or both). Maybe things aren’t working, or maybe you’re not a good match for them any more. And now you’re wondering—should you fire them? [Read more…]
What’s your #1 job as the owner of a marketing, web, or creative agency? Don’t go out of business. Your job as president, CEO, or partner isn’t about keeping clients happy—agency client service is about keeping clients profitable (happy, if possible, but profitable first).
One of the fastest ways to make your agency go out of business is to say “yes” to every client request—or to let client-mandated timelines drive everything you do—at the cost of agency profitability.
Think about the last time you saw unpaid scope creep at the end of a project. When you calculated hours vs. collections and saw how low your effective hourly rate really was—that hurt, right?
So how do you actually do it? No one likes hearing “no,” so we dread doing it, and put it off, or never do it at all. How do you say “no” (or say “yes” on your own terms) without burning bridges?
My solution? Have phrases in your toolbox to deal with the most common issues. And make sure your agency client service team has the tools, too, so they don’t give away the store. [Read more…]
Are you running in a million directions, getting interrupted all day with employees who need answers, and wondering how to find more free time while running your marketing agency?
It doesn’t have to be that way. I recently shared the solution as I led a lunch seminar for agency owners and executives at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham, NC, for the Triangle Interactive Marketing Association (TIMA), a marketing trade association in the Raleigh area.
From my experience as a business consultant to creative agency owners, I’ve identified three “low hanging fruit” ways to create more free time for the founder, CEO, or COO:
You’ve got a team. Put them to work. Here’s how. [Read more…]
For cars and for marketing agencies, temporary fixes don’t work forever. If you want a temporary fix, there’s always some quick way to tape things together. That’s true for both car repairs and running the business side of a creative agency.
When you need to make the issue go away permanently—like the business problems you keep struggling with while running your marketing agency—it’s time to get help so you can get on with your life.
Because, be honest—your car and your business can’t survive on duct tape alone.
Question: What quick-and-dirty fixes do you see happening at marketing and other creative agencies? Share your comment by clicking here.
Image: I took this in the Cameron Village Harris Teeter supermarket parking lot.
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