EP 480: What I’d do differently as an agency owner if I started over in 2025 with Drew McLellan
whatshot 40 snips
Dec 16, 2024
Reflecting on agency ownership as the new year approaches, the discussion dives into niche selection and the ideal size of agencies for profitability. Learn about effective hybrid work models and the necessity for dedicated in-house account services. The speaker emphasizes fostering a culture of continuous growth within teams and how to adapt services for long-term success. By exploring these strategies, listeners are encouraged to envision how to differentiate their agencies and teams in 2025.
29:34
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Ideal Agency Size
Aim for an agency size between 15 and 26 people.
This size often yields the highest profitability due to manageable size and specialized roles.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Hybrid Work Model
Adopt a hybrid work model with at least three in-office days per week.
Face-to-face time fosters stronger team connections and increases dedication, productivity, and billability.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Team Structure
Keep account service and strategic thinkers in-house.
Build a smaller in-house production team and utilize freelancers for flexible support.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
As we round the bend into the new year, I’m reflecting on the lessons learned from my time as an agency owner and the insights I've gained from working with hundreds of agencies.
While there are too many to count, I’m going to try to boil down my experiences into a few points that I hope you can take into 2025 as you start to think about what you want the next year to look like for your agency. This episode is packed with actionable advice on things like niche selection, service offerings, operational efficiencies, and how to foster a culture of continuous growth and dedication among your staff.
As you go into the new year, ask yourself, How do you want your agency to look different? How do you want your team to look different? How do you want to look different to the world? And how do you want the clients you serve to be different?
With those questions in mind, join me as I walk through what my dream agency would look like today and how you can implement these strategies to align your agency for success in 2025.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode:
The most profitable size of an agency
Dividing in-office work and at-home work for a hybrid agency
The importance of having in-house accounts service people who are dedicated to growing the agency
Using freelancers and contractors to support a smaller team of in-house creatives
The continued importance of running the agency by the numbers for maximum profitability
Having one-on-ones to check in with agency employees and clients
Narrowing down your niche to get to that 20% profitability
Building a recession-proof agency
Getting more thoughtful about what the agency owner role looks like and hiring roles to support it
Getting smart about paying yourself
Team off-sites and investing in professional development
Build a Better Agency Podcast