From Designer to Agency Owner

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Have you clearly defined your service offering to the extent that you can productize it? Or do you prefer to customize your approach for each client’s needs? Which strategy aligns better with your agency's objectives and overall success? Today's featured guest transitioned from providing highly customized services, which impacted his team's ability to meet deadlines and adhere to budgets. He has since adopted a productized model and is currently exploring how to effectively present differentiated pricing tiers. Join us as we delve into invaluable insights on launching and scaling a creative agency, optimizing your service offerings, and gracefully managing a co-founder's exit.

Matthew McIver is the founder and CEO of Commence Studio, a B2B brand and e-commerce agency with a proven track record for helping purpose-driven companies build widely-known brands. He shares his journey from graphic designer to agency owner and offers insights for those considering buying or selling a business.

In this episode, we’ll discuss:

• The hidden costs of customization.

• Learning the value of processes and standardization.

• Two paths to agency growth

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Sponsors and Resources

E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service.

Navigating an Agency Partner’s Exit

Ever since high school, Matt envisioned a future where he would own an agency—an aspiration he regarded as the pinnacle of success for a graphic designer. After honing his skills in design and photography at art school, he made the transition into the agency world, where he worked as a freelance designer and web developer at several firms.

Eventually, Matt partnered with a like-minded individual to embark on the ambitious venture of starting their own business, pooling together just $500 to kickstart their dream. Matt quickly learned that building a successful business requires immense perseverance—navigating through growth, setbacks, and the resilience to rise again.

After years of building the agency together, Matt's partner experienced burnout and lost his passion for entrepreneurship. The split was amicable, characterized by mutual respect and a buyout agreement that allowed both parties to prioritize their respective futures without ego interference.

Reflecting on this pivotal period, Matt notes the buyout agreement they drafted through LegalZoom served its purpose in outlining the terms of their separation. However, he recognizes that a more tailored agreement crafted by a legal professional would have provided additional benefits and advises having a comprehensive and detailed agreement in place when entering a partnership.

The Hidden Cost of Customization and Not Having SOPs

Looking back at his experience building the agency with his partner, Matt reflects on how the agency saw rapid and significant growth. However, he recognizes their journey was largely improvised, resulting in various shortcomings, the most notable being the lack of processes. As they scaled, they inadvertently constructed a business model centered around their craft and talent, leading to a portfolio that lacked distinction among brands.

The agency found itself specializing in a singular type of design, which necessitated training every new hire—both designers and developers—in the same approach. No documented SOPs were in place, as each product was custom-built for new clients. This absence of structured processes led to several oversights, not necessarily diminishing quality, but causing them to miss deadlines and exceed budgets. Matt realized he was essentially forfeiting potential revenue by not understanding the value of the ideas they were providing for free.

More recently, they moved into a productized format that helped take their sales cycle from 88 days to just 8 days. They have packaged their services into standardized offerings that can be easily replicated and sold to multiple clients by creating a catalog of three tiers of services.

The Power of Standardization & Learning the Value of Processes

Moving into a more productized format poses the question of how much to charge for each of their service’s tiers and whether or not they should make those prices public on their website. On one hand, having value-based advisory emphasizes the importance of providing personalized, strategic advice to clients. Rather than treating clients like a commodity, their approach is based on the individual needs and goals of each client. On the other hand, research indicates that clients like to know the options available to them.

After refining their sales process, Matt is now able to ask the right questions to find out what kind of business the leads are in, and their size, and position their product catalog quickly accordingly. He then presents all three options in their catalog and highlights the one he recommends for that specific client. However, this has sometimes created confusion among clients who feel overwhelmed by the options.

Ultimately, clients seek to engage with an industry expert they can trust to provide effective solutions to their challenges. They don’t want to make decisions but rather have someone take care of the problem and present solutions that make it a no-brainer. It’s important to position yourself as a trusted advisor to clients, which is why presenting the right price offering based on the client’s needs and budget after the initial meeting might be the best option.

High-Touch vs. High-Efficiency: Two Paths to Agency Growth

The key to value-based advisory is the ability to guide clients through complex decision-making processes and offer expert recommendations based on their unique needs. It’s an approach that involves actively listening to clients, understanding their pain points, and presenting solutions that align with their goals. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to scaling an agency and while some entrepreneurs may choose to focus on offering high-end, personalized services at premium prices, others may find success by adopting a more streamlined and cost-effective approach.

For instance, some agency owners have found success in "creating a factory", a powerful and thought-provoking idea that challenges traditional notions of pricing and service delivery. This is the case of David, who built a successful agency by offering low-priced services in a streamlined and efficient manner.

By focusing on efficiency, simplicity, and scalability, David was able to attract a large number of clients and ultimately sell his agency for a substantial sum. His approach of offering standardized services at a low price point may seem counterintuitive to some, especially in an industry where high prices are often equated with quality. Ultimately, the key is to understand your target market, identify their needs and preferences, and tailor your business model accordingly.

Building a Strong Culture that Prioritizes Flexibility and Growth Opportunities

Matt is very conscious of the fact that his team is his greatest asset and is committed to treating them with respect while providing compelling reasons for them to remain with his agency. He feels a profound sense of gratitude for the loyalty shown by some employees who have been with the agency since its inception, even amidst various challenges and transitions. His vision has always been to cultivate a close-knit team of around fifteen members, and although recent difficulties necessitated a downsizing, he is now focused on rebuilding.

He takes pride in building a strong culture that values time and freedom, especially as a new father. He also recognizes the importance of offering flexibility and a supportive culture for their team. By focusing on transparency, open communication, and providing tools for retention, he has been able to create a positive work environment where employees feel valued and supported.

In addition to offering competitive benefits such as health and wellness benefits, gym benefits, and paid time off, Matt goes above and beyond to support his team through personal challenges and difficult times. His dedication to prioritizing employee well-being reflects a genuine commitment to investing in his team members, recognizing that they are more than just assets or sources of income.

Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset?

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