First, let's dismiss the idea that timesheets are somehow unnecessary.  It doesn't matter how you bill, from time and materials to value pricing -- you still need accurate, daily timesheets. Timesheets actually have very little to do with billing.  They're really all about effectiveness and efficiency. Let's say your agency is dropping 20% to the bottom line.  Some would suggest that as long as your agency is profitable, there's no need for timesheets.  But without those little buggers, how will you know which projects were contributing to the profitability?  How will you know if your estimates are spot on or a huge miss? How will you know which employees are super stars and which ones are spending twice as much time on a job as they should be? What if your profit could be 28% and you're settling for 20%?  Worse...what if you profitability could be 15% and you're settling for 3%? No one likes them but everyone likes the data and insights they provide.  But how do you get your team to actually do them.  Here's a foolproof system that has brought dozens of agencies from 23-45% daily compliance to 95-100% daily compliance. Step one:  Review your timesheet tools (software, job numbering/naming convention, and task codes.  If you have more than 10-12 billable tasks and/or more than 8-10 non-billable tasks, then you need to trim it down.  Let them use the comments section to be more specific. You need to make doing timesheets easy and convenient. Step two: Hold an all staff meeting and explain that daily timesheets (weekly timesheets are 67% less accurate) are required for every employee, including you the owner and that you will be implementing a new program to encourage/reinforce [...]

As an owner, business development should be priority No. 1. However, it’s easy to neglect development if you’re jumping from task to task, constantly managing client crises. By identifying one or two leaders who can help you focus on the bigger picture, you’ll be able to build a stronger, more successful agency. To identify your future Second-In-Command, follow these tips: Don’t look for someone identical to yourself, embrace the person who has hard conversations with you, set clear expectations, and establish accountability through quarterly projects. Take some worries off your plate by identifying a second-in-command who you can trust to improve operations and help your agency grow. You’ll be doing them a favor by helping them move forward in their career, and they’ll be strengthening your agency on all fronts. Everyone wins! The full article was originally published on Forbes.com

Your best brand advocates are your employees. A recent study showed that half of workers share employer-related content on social media, and one-third of them did so without being asked. It might be time that companies create employee advocacy programs that are a win for all involved. The first step of an effective internal advocacy campaign is to identify a goal. For example, this might be lead generation or increased website traffic. Next, create content designed to bridge the gap between your audience and your goal. Finally, you need some way to measure engagement related to your internal advocacy efforts. Remember, the main goal of an employee advocacy campaign is to humanize digital marketing, which builds trust and credibility among your consumers. Your employees benefit from sharing branded content too; by providing the tools to have genuine, authentic conversations with their networks, they can foster digital relationships that eventually become business partnerships. Your goals will be reached in due time. Your program will grow over time, especially as you finesse it according to the data you receive about how and why employees participate. Your brand gets earned media and positive recognition, and your employees position themselves as knowledgeable thought leaders. Your employees are already your biggest asset. Why not let them tell their own stories? The full article was originally featured on Cision

Accountability failure is chronic in our industry; it’s a tricky culture issue that causes us to lose our best employees and revenue opportunities. As agency owners, we must implement internal systems that help us keep our promises. Trust is at the core of my agency’s culture; we’ve all learned to honestly assess our capabilities and set deadlines based in reality, not optimism. To cultivate this accountability culture, you need to give your calendar breathing room, create and maintain accurate timesheets, measure on-time and on-budget delivery for client and internal work, and  implement a traffic system for your internal team.  Make accountability one of your core values — you need to live it, recognize it, reward it and measure it. By implementing these internal processes, your agency will become a place where everyone keeps their promises and delivers excellent work on time and on budget. The full article was originally published on Forbes.com

Owning or leading an agency can feel like a never-ending high-stakes poker game. There’s always something to worry about. Too often, we’re so focused on what could go wrong that we don’t truly appreciate the things that go right.  Of course, I’m not saying agency owners should stop looking at the numbers or worrying about new business, nor am I suggesting we don rose-colored glasses and ignore the hard realities of owning an agency. I’m merely challenging us to stop and appreciate the good, too. The steps I’ve taken to overcome the constant anxiety are simple but powerful. I challenge you to slow down and be grateful for how much fun you’re having. Acknowledge the wonderful wins that occur in the midst of the daily grind. Let’s not wait until our careers are over to notice the good stuff. The full article was originally published on Forbes.com

Every time you use a digital assistant, receive a recommendation from Amazon or use an app to find the fastest route, you’re using artificial intelligence. AI has changed our lives in countless ways, but I’ve noticed most agencies still struggle to harness its power to improve their business. In truth, AI is already a part of agency life — and its influence will only become more profound. According to a recent report, AI in marketing is predicted to be a $21 billion market by 2023. Clearly, this growth means agencies may want to get on board. They also may need to grapple with determining what data to collect, how to analyze it, which tasks to automate and how AI can help clients. In my agency, we typically use AI to analyze the content, context and outcomes of client calls. Our findings, ideally, lead to higher profitability and retention rates. If you feel behind when it comes to AI, don’t stress — there’s still plenty of time to integrate the tools to optimize your agency operations and strategy. With that said, choosing not to use AI may not be the best option. It doesn't seem to be a fad, and the future of your agency may depend on it. The full article was originally published on Forbes.com