Every agency is going to have a vaccine policy. You have three choices – you can mandate the covid 19 vaccine, you can encourage it or you can take a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and in essence, ignore it. But each of those choices is in essence a declaration of how you’re going to handle the question of vaccine in your shop. It will become your policy. […]
Details. It always boils down to getting them right. It's one of the toughest concepts for young AEs to grasp, but from the client's perspective, it's the difference between getting a raise or losing their job. We have to show clients we are always paying attention to the details. Here's a simple way...that we often get wrong.
Sooner or later, most agency owners want to retire. You think about it in the abstract, but very few owners actually get down to the nitty gritty and put a plan in place soon enough. There's plenty you can do 5-10 years out to make sure you keep all your options open. Don't wait too long!
Life happens and sometimes, it isn't good. Our employees have lives outside of our office and every once in a while, their lives get disrupted with a disaster or crisis. What policies and programs do you have in place to support them through a tough time? At my agency, we'd always reacted on a "as needed" basis but a book I recently read got me thinking about creating a broader policy so my team would know they could count on me if something hit the fan. I'll be curious what you think of this idea.
I believe no matter how smart or experienced -- we have to keep learning. For me, reading has always been fundamental. I am often asked about current books but when asked for the best business books I've ever read...here's what I said.
Do you want to require your employees be vaccinated? Is this a new interview question? How will you respond when a client asks if everyone you're sending to the meeting has been vaccinated?
It’s lonely at the top. While that’s a cliché, as agency owners we all know it to be very true. On those days when you’d sell your agency for a nickel, who do you have to confide in? On the flip side – when you land the biggest account in your agency’s history, who can you call who will be as excited as you are? Surrounding yourself with people who care about your success as much as you do is critical. No one gets owning an agency more than another agency owner. And no one gets owning a business more than another business owner. How do you surround yourself with people who genuinely understand your world and are in your corner? […]
Those two data points, how many hours of your staff is spent on billable tasks, and how many of those hours are you able to actually apply to an invoice, have nothing to do with billing. They have everything to do with whether or not you have the right number of resources on your team to efficiently and profitably get your work done.
One of the biggest losses we experienced when everyone was working from home was the lack of what I call fringe conversations. Passing in the hallway, overhearing a conversation and having something to add, etc. Agencies who are back in the office are sighing with relief to have these critical conversations back. Agencies who decide to stay virtual will need to find a way to replace this vital tool. Have you missed them?
If you don't have the signed scope of work or the master services agreement or money in your hand, you're absolutely putting yourself in a position of weakness and you are likely to get taken advantage of.
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