Our industry (and our world) has never seen anything like COVID-19 and our #1 job as agency owners is to survive it so we can get our agencies through this storm and back to calm waters.
At Agency Management Institute (AMI) we are committed to helping independently owned agencies through this crisis and back to solid ground. We’re creating and collecting agency-specific resources and provide them to you (no firewall) to any agency who can benefit from them.
We are also doing live webinars every other week, to update participates on how other agencies are handling elements of the COVID-19 reality and answer any specific questions you might have.
To be notified of those webinars (if you don’t attend live — you will get the replay later that day) sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
At AMI — we know that most agency owners are accidental business owners. You were an amazing AE or creative (or whatever you did) and somehow you ended up owning an agency! I get it — 25 years ago, that was me when I hung up my shingle (knock on wood — we’re celebrating our 25th anniversary).
Our purpose is to help small to mid-sized agencies run the business of their business better, so it is more scalable, sustainable and down the road, if you want, sellable. And we will get back to that work when this crisis is over. But for now, our sole focus is helping you weather this storm.
Here are the resources (most current on top) that we’ve created and curated for you.
AMI created and AMI member/partner vetted resources:
Week of May 25, 2020
- AMI podcast with CPA on the latest PPP revisions and developments
- Drew’s video how C19 is forcing us to do the big picture business planning we should be doing anyway
- Tom Peter’s musings on leadership and excellence in the face of C19
- CDC guidelines for going back to work
- Business/office specific guidelines from the CDC
- Part 5 of RSW/US’ look at case studies — what if you don’t have results?
Week of May 18, 2020
- AMI podcast on leveraging an agency owner’s strengths in biz dev
- Drew’s video — who do you see in your agency’s future?
- Updating Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
- RSW/US’s survey (spoke to both agencies and brands) re: their response to C19
- Part 4 of RSW/US’ look at case study best practices
Week of May 11, 2020
- AMI podcast on the 5 mini plans you need to create for your agency to get past C19
- Drew’s video on how to handle it if your agency is actually doing well right now
- A document that outlines the latest PPP forgiveness criteria
- The official PPP loan forgiveness application (From SBA)
- Check in with employee tips and guide
- HR questions regarding going back to work
Week of May 4, 2020
- AMI podcast on a new sales tool to help you break loose from covid paralysis
- Drew’s video on making sure you are selling what they’re ready to buy
- RSW’s samples and best practices for case studies ebook
- Some resources as you think about bringing your team back to the office
Week of April 27, 2020
- AMI podcast on connecting with agency prospects through virtual events
- Drew’s video on how to get your arms wrapped around the uncertainty
- Podcast: Bank CEO James Nesci explains the process from the inside on how banks are processing loans. Jim provides tips ; if you haven’t received your loan, what to do to make sure you’re in line and have the best chance to receive it. If you already have received your loan, ways to think about managing funds.
- A guide to help agencies drive new business through case studies (Thanks to RSW/US)
- C19 back to work checklist
Week of April 20, 2020
- AMI podcast with SBA expert/attorney re: CARES Act loans
- Drew’s video on giving your team something to look forward to
- AMI article on the control we do have in this situation
- 26 ways your agency can get ready for new normal (and tools you can use to help your clients get ready) (Thanks Andy Crestodina)
Week of April 13, 2020
- AMI podcast on holding your team as capable & accountable in a WFH environment
- Drew’s video on taking care of yourself during this crisis (put your mask on first!)
- Harvard Business Review: How are small businesses adjusting to covid
- PPP accounting tips to help with justifying forgiveness
- Content Marketing Institute’s resource page
- Content Marketing World’s top rated 2019 sessions (full video)
Week of April 6, 2020
- AMI podcast on giving yourself room to grieve as a leader
- Agency/Marketer Response to COVID-19 Survey Report (thanks to RSW/US)
- Nielsen’s tracking of key consumer behavior thresholds
- Edelman’s Trust Barometer & the coronavirus report
- Request form for leave related to the Family First Act
- Free resources from agency specialist attorney Sharon Toerek
- The 10 new benefits/emergency relief programs
- Family First Cornonavirus Response Act
- EIDL guide
Week of March 30, 2020
- SBA documents re: Paycheck Protection Program — including the application
- Overview of program
- Lenders instructions for the program
- Borrowers instructions for the program
- Application for the loan program (final version here)
- Excel doc for pulling all the info your bank will need to process the loan app
- Our podcast with Hong Kong based agency owner Kiri Sinclair about how her agency survived covid-19
- Our video on the Paycheck Protection Program
- Family First poster (which is supposed to hang in your break room)
- The document titled Loan Checklist makes understanding the loan pretty simple. Look at it first.
- The document titled Senate Guide outlines all of the loans available via the CARE Act
- The document called PIS (I have no idea why) provides a summary of federal tax and accounting activity relating to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), including legislation such as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. It was prepared by Bloomberg Tax & Accounting staff and was last updated on March 27, 2020
- The recovery plan that Sinclair wrote for themselves and their clients
- What you need to prepare if you’re going to apply for the paycheck protection program
- Small business guide to the CARE Act
- Kabbage is (Thanks Stephen Woessner from Predictive ROI) the first banking institution that has put together alerts related to the Paycheck Protection Program. You can get their alerts here.
- Google is granting $340 million in Google Ad credits(part of their $800M in grants) for active advertisers. Details here. (Thanks Ginna Royce of Blaine Turner)
Week of March 23, 2020
- Don’t stop advertising during a recession (thanks to Leslie Osborne from Watauga Group)
- Crisis Management Tips to Navigate covid-19 (thanks to Linda Welter at Caliber Group)
- How to effectively lead your business when the future is uncertain (thanks to Linda Welter of Caliber Group)
- Video on an alternative to layoffs in the US
- Ogilvy on managed remote working PDF
- Rent reduction tactics and examples PDF
- Summary one of the CARE act (before the House)
- Summary two of the CARE act (before the house)
- Entire CARE bill (as approved by the Senate and what was sent to the House)
- DOL poster on sick leave and expanded FMLA
- Video on how agencies can appropriately prospect during this time (Thanks RSW-US)
Week of March 16, 2020
- Podcast on best practices for how agencies can survive COVID-19
- Video on best practices for how agencies can survive COVID-19
- Here’s the link to the Work Share Program page (possible option instead of laying people off)
- You all need to be familiar with the new Family First Act that was just passed. Talk to your attorney or Sharon (AMI’s favorite attorney Sharon Toerek) about how it will impact you. Here’s an explanation of the Family First legislation. And another.
- Here’s a link to the blog posts about language in your contract re: client cancellations or dormant.
- Here’s the link to the webinar from 3/20/2020 (it’s unlisted so I can’t embed it here) It really starts around the 10 minute mark.
Other helpful resources:
Week of April 13, 2020
- McKinsey report on covid reality, reaction and opportunities
- Resources on marketing during a downturn
Week of April 6, 2020
- Play the game of constraints (thanks to Blair Enns)
Week of March 30, 2020
- Is it ethical to sell in these times (thanks to Blair Enns)
- Fast Company article on building trust in remote teams
- SoDA study on agency operational readiness amid covid-19
- Collecting, communicating and closing in a time of crisis (thanks to Blair Enns)
Week of March 23, 2020
- Webinar on staff reductions (thanks to David C. Baker)
Week of March 16, 2020
- Preparing your firm for the coronavirus (thanks to David C. Baker)
- Three steps to surviving a crisis (thanks to Blair Enns)
- Covid-19 resource center (Thanks to Karl Sakas)
