One of the most frequent questions that Gini and Chip receive from agency clients is "how do I prepare for the recession?" In this two-part episode, they explore the question of whether/when we should expect an economic downturn and what agencies can do to prepare themselves for it. As important, they also discuss how to help their team prepares for any challenges that lie ahead. This week's first part examines the economic outlook, including signs that Chip and Gini are seeing in their work, along with some relevant industry research.

In this episode, Rachel Jacobs explains why case studies are critical to the scale and growth of agencies. Rachel, founder of Ecommerce Partnerships, reminds agency owners that their number one client is their own agency. Step by step, you'll learn how to integrate a case study opportunity before a client even signs the contract, who the audience should be, and the six key elements that make up a basic case study.

Guest Justin Hibbard

In this episode, we go Down Under for a deep dive into the business of WebSavvy, a Melbourne-based digital marketing agency founded by Mike Rhodes. He explains why he chose agency life over being a helicopter pilot, advice for fellow agency owners, effective team training, and much more. Mike is also the founder of AgencySavvy, focused on education and training for agency owners. He is the co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords with Perry Marshall and Bryan Todd. One of the most striking parts of this conversation is just how much Mike is focused on improving his team and sharing knowledge throughout the agency community. He talks about an innovative professional development program he has for his own employees, as well as the work he is doing to help make other agency owners more successful.

Guest Lydia Sugarman

Guest Tatsuya Nakagawa

Agency owners want clients to be happy with the results they provide - that's one of the reasons they are in the business. A recent research project about the RFP process shows that one out of three clients are dissatisfied with their agencies. In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss why a third of your clients may be unhappy, and what you can do about it. They tackle the topics of RFPs, communication, and managing expectations.

Send comments to [email protected] Attach up to a 3-minute audio comment. Or leave an audio comment from the FIR Podcast Network website. Join the FIR Community on Facebook.

Guest: Brad Friedman