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Are you often dreaming of being the proud owner of a $3 million dollar agency? Today's Agency Master Class guest is Julian Stubbs, Co-Founder and CEO of Up There, Everywhere. He and his partner are the innovators that dreamt up the concept of a global, cloud-based agency and made it a reality.
Wait, There Aren't Any Employees?
That's right. Instead of employees, Up There, Everywhere has 160 MEMBERS in 20 countries. Members are freelance contractors who go through a series of interviews and if accepted, sign a confidentiality agreement. They are compensated by project value and have the benefit of flexibility to help balance work and life. The screening process is important because this work style is not for everyone.
Members work remotely and all work is backed up in the cloud. There are no offices, but recently Up There, Everywhere has opened creative space in both New York and Stockholm with a third opening later this year in Amsterdam. This space is available for members to meet with clients as well as for internal collaboration as needed.
How Was This Business Model Born?Walking through Central Park, Julian was inspired by seeing so many professionals working remotely... He thought about his 90-minute round-trip commute to the office everyday and calculated that his commute was taking the equivalent of 2 ½ weeks of his time every year. Together, Julian in Stockholm and his partner in New York created Up There, Everywhere in 2010.
As new business was won and help was required they were faced with the challenges of bringing on new hires, such as: "How can we do more with less?"... "Would the work always be there?"... Their solution was to bring our cloud-based society to the professional world. They started talking to highly qualified professionals and developed a system for collaborating on work anytime, anywhere.
Don't Clients Balk At This Arrangement?Not at all. In fact, most clients are extremely receptive to it. Typically, new clients just need to understand how their work is backed up and that it's accessible to other members if necessary. There's also a structured account team for each client, so there's built-in reliability and accountability that clients have come to expect from a more traditional agency. And Julian stresses the importance of the legally binding confidentiality agreement as well. Once clients understand the systems in place, the vast majority are open to this work style.
Take a step back and evaluate your business. Run the numbers to see what's working and what's not. Figure out how can you accomplish the same work in a different way. Don't be afraid to turn things upside down and see where it takes you. If you're inspired by Julian's story, check out his books E-Ployment and Wish You Were Here. You can also check Amazon for his new book, Wish You Were Here 2, coming in March 2015.
What to Remember When Building Your Million Dollar AgencySo what should you take with you from today's class and apply to your own agency?
If you are in the very early stages of building your team, don't be afraid of investing in a team that work remotely and on a freelance basis. Collaborative work with your team can keep the creativity high and encourage a higher standard of work.
For established agencies, then it's time to take a step back and evaluate your agency as a whole. You won't achieve the dream of growing into a multi-million dollar agency if your goals and strategies aren't clear and consistently kept in check.
Want Help Finding New Efficiencies In Your Business Model?I've set aside some time to talk to you, personally. And during that time, I'll evaluate your business and work with you collaboratively to create an immediately actionable plan to increase your sales and profits. Click here to get my help.
Do you have a hard time with your productivity within your agency? No matter what level you are on, it is easy to get distracted from the tasks you should be focusing on. This is why a productivity funnel can be really beneficial to your agency.
Q: How Do I Find Time to Focus On Running My Business vs. Being In The Business?
Finding time to focus on running your business while getting bogged down by the business can be rough. And distractions are so easily found especially when you feel under pressure.
We are typically so busy being reactive that we get derailed by smaller tasks and lose sight of our goals.
What does that mean? If you're spending time on low impact, low priority tasks you are unable to focus on your biggest and best opportunities for growth.
So here's what you should be doing... Decide what gets you closer to your goals then backfill with the lower impact activities.
Let Me HelpIf you have more questions about how you can get through hard times in your agency, I can help. Through my many years of experience, I can share advice on topics including how to start an agency from scratch to getting through any economic recession.
You can check out all my tips, tricks and everything you need to know in my blogs. I have covered a wide variety of topics as well as answering your questions in more from my Ask Swenk series.
Are videos more your thing? I've got what you need. You can check out my AskSwenk series where I take questions from you and more of my videos over on my YouTube channel for advice from myself and other agency experts.
In this session of The Smart Agency Master Class I talk with Jack Mize, host of Influencers Radio and cofounder of Authority Alchemy. Jack is the authority on how to build authority, and we're going to show you how to build yours so people are banging down the door to work with you.
The first page of Google is not important...
It may sound like blasphemy, but it's true. Most people think "I need more traffic," but when you really look at the numbers it's probably not that you don't have enough traffic. It's that the traffic doesn't have a compelling reason to pick you.
Spending money on pay-per-click and SEO is okay, but you need to start focusing more on building your authority and less on getting to Google's front page.
Stop calling yourself an expert.You do not need to try and convince people you are an expert. Because, all that convincing makes the conversation about you when it should be about the client. So, stop thinking of yourself as needing to be an expert and start thinking of yourself as an educator and advocate.
See, educators and advocates have a much better position. They help their clients learn, as well as propel them toward success. Speaking to prospects from this stance allows other people to call you the expert and spread the word on your behalf.
You don't need to reinvent the wheel.Quit trying to come up with something brand new! You don't have to create something from scratch. Find something to do in a new way, or put your personal spin on it. This niche helps you build authority.
Pro Tip: be sure you're giving the customer what they want, not what you want them to want.
Trying to convince someone that they want what you have is hard. Instead, you need to convince them that you have what they want. Get inside their mind by asking questions and really finding out their problems.
Try thinking of yourself as a doctor. Doctors don't list all of their services to their patients and ask them to pick one. No, doctors have the authority. Be like a doctor: listen to their problems, diagnose the issue, and prescribe a solution.
Being the authority: 4 Issue FormulaOnce you've reframed yourself as an educator and an advocate, you need to create an event around your authority. Write a book, do a podcast, whatever you want. Use that platform to educate your prospects and build your authority.
Jack suggests using the 4 Issues Formula. If you can address the following questions from the prospect, then you'll be way ahead of the competition:
These are the questions prospects are bringing to you. If you can answer them before they're even asked, you will be building authority.
Pro Tip: stay away from saying "consultation." It turns people off. Instead, call it an evaluation or an assessment. Personally, I charge for the assessment because it helps me pre-qualify serious prospects.
And remember - you need to be making the conversation about them, not you.
What you need to do right now.What's the one thing you can do right now to start building authority? Microspecialization.
Too many people try to cast too wide of a net in order to ensure they aren't missing any opportunities. What you should really be doing is less, because it actually gets you more in the long run. Take a look at your menu and trim it down!
Build Authority and Improve Your AgencyNow you have an idea of how to build authority for your agency, what's next on your list?
If you want to know how to prepare for potential failing economies and recessions or grow your prospects through speaking opportunities, I can help. Maybe you want to know the four phases of growth within your agency and want extra help in taking your agency to the next level and selling your agency for a larger profit. I have all the information you need to help you through it.
Learn more about me and my experience and find lots of tips, tricks, and insights by reading our blogs that cover a wide variety of topics.
If videos are more your thing, don't worry, I've got you covered! You can check out more from my Ask Swenk series and more of my videos on my YouTube channel. There you will find advice from me and other agency experts.
In this session of The Smart Agency Master Class I chat with Clay Collins, cofounder of LeadPages, a lead generation platform. Clay is going to help explain why relying on word of mouth isn't a scalable way to generate leads, as well describing some other ways you should be generating leads.
How should you be generating leads?
In as many ways as possible! Clay says LeadPages put lead generation opportunities at every turn, and that's what you should be doing too. And the very first thing you need to do is get your damn opt-in box up.
Too many agencies get hung up on what kind of stuff they should be giving away for the opt-in, or what the content of the emails and newsletters will be. In fact, they get so hemmed up on these details they don't even start with the first basic step to generate leads - the opt-in box!
You need to stop putting the cart before the horse and put opt-in opportunities on your site, on your blog, in your podcast, everywhere! Put it on your homepage, opt-in for webinars, for demos, the list goes on and on.
Not everyone will opt-in, but for sure no one will if they aren't given the chance.
But I don't want to be annoying.Good, then don't be annoying. We've all seen that website with the pop-up when you first get there, the one that ambushes you whilst scrolling, the one that slides up from the bottom, and another one when you're trying to leave. Don't be that guy.
But if you're providing something of value for the consumer, you're not going to be annoying by giving them the opportunity to get more value from you. Say you have a podcast - give the opt-in to get a transcript of the podcast. Or your blog post is about an industry trend - make the opt-in a downloadable white paper. This way the consumer gets something of value for opting-in.
Overwhelmed by keeping the leads straight.It can be a lot of work to put opt-ins all over, but never fear because LeadPages has you covered with LeadBoxes. They help keep everything neat and organized for you.
And even if you decide to do all the opt-ins yourself, it still pays off in the long run. According to Clay, the 10% of opt-ins they've received from their blog alone has led to millions of dollars in business. Millions of dollars is worth the work, right?
"Word of mouth probably isn't working as well as you think." - Clay CollinsSure, you can get business this way but you can get a lot more business by branching out as well. Don't fall victim to thinking you're just a Google search away from the big client.
It rarely happens that someone happens upon your website, fills out your 12-part form, and heads directly into a conversation with you. What more often happens is that they find your website, skip over the 12-part form, and opt-in to your newsletter. (That is, assuming you have an opt-in opportunity for your newsletter.)
So what you need to be doing is providing value in the newsletter. Or in the blog. Or the podcast.
Whatever it is that you're doing - pack it full of value! Tell people all the tactics and strategies, and don't be afraid. They don't want to take your knowledge and do it themselves - they're far too busy for that. They just want to know what it is you can do, and then they'll hire you to take care of it.
Seriously, one of the best ways to get business is to give away your knowledge.
Share your personal story as well.It's not just about the business, you have a story too. You need to create the opportunity for people to get to know you, as well as your agency. It makes you more personable and relatable.
Remember: people want to do business with people, not brands and logos.
Take some time to think about how you got to where you are today. What were your triumphs? What trials and tribulations did you go through to get here? Then find a compelling way to tell it, and watch it transform your business.
Digital Agency Owner AdviceSo we've taken a closer look at your strategies and now you know the best way to generate leads for your agency but this might not be the only issue you have right now. To improve your agency, you should take a step back and really look struggles you need to focus on to improve your business. I have all you need to get through these obstacles.
I have advice to share with you from gaining agency exposure in the news, how to build authority for your agency, or even ways to use Facebook marketing strategies to expand your brand awareness. If growth is your focus, I've discussed the four phases of growth within your agency and how website issues could be holding your business back from reaching your potential.
You can learn more about my life and my experience as well as lots of tips, tricks, and insights by reading my blogs that cover a wide variety of topics.
If videos are more your thing, did you know I have a YouTube channel?
You can check out more from my Ask Swenk series and more of my videos on my YouTube channel. There you will find advice from me and other agency experts.
In today's session of The Smart Agency Master Class, I talk with Rich Brooks, president of Flyte New Media, a web design and marketing company. This episode is all about how to manage your team. You need to be hiring people better than you, and we're going to help you find those people, as well as get over being afraid of their skills. Plus, you'll hear about how to avoid some common mistakes.
When should you hire someone else?
The right time is different for everyone. For Rich, he was prompted to hire someone by a client. They wanted to give him more business but felt he wouldn't have been able to handle it on his own. For most of us, the right time is when we realize we can't handle it on our own.
But maybe you're feeling like you can handle most of it on your own. In that case, think about bringing someone in on a part-time basis. Rich started with a part-time person and has since grown to a staff of seven; five of which are full-time.
Take your time finding someone. Remember: hire slowly, and fire quickly. (More on that in a second.)
Four of the biggest mistakes when hiring people.You're looking for people that will be a good compliment to you. That means you need to stay away from hiring someone just like you. You'll never get anything done that way. Instead, look for people you can work well with, but who will challenge you and fill in the gaps that you can't.
Measuring employee performance.Everyone hates reviews. So let's ditch that term and start calling them Coaching Sessions. It can still be a painful process to go through, but it's a lot easier if we go ahead and reframe it as a conversation rather than a scolding.
Secondly, you do not need to be everyone's best friend. Repeat it with me: I do not need to be everyone's best friend. What you need to be is your company's best friend, and your company needs you to toughen up and be the bad guy sometimes.
At Flyte, Rich does his reviews quarterly. That way it's a more continuous conversation with the employee rather than an annual lambasting.
I also do quarterly coaching, but instead of talking about what my goals are for the company, I let the employees set their 90-day goals that will help us reach the company's goals. Then we can sit down and see what goals were met, which weren't and why, and how to improve going forward in the next 90 days. This way everyone knows exactly what is expected and exactly what will be measured.
Pro tip: deliver bad news last, or at least, in the middle. That whole bad news before good news idea is backwards. Instead, give the employee some positives before delivering any bad news. Then end on a high note for bonus points.
How to say 'You're Fired.'Firing people sucks. It just plain does. But as a business owner, it is your job. You need to keep reminding yourself that it's not what you want as the agency owner, but what the company needs. Unfortunately, what you personally want and what the company needs don't always line up.
Of course, firing awful employees is easy. It's those middle-of-the-road ones that are tricky. They're not really doing a good job, but they're not necessarily doing a bad job either. According to Rich, the so-so employees are actually the worst. They're doing nothing to improve and grow your company. In fact, they're just slowly dragging it down.
As the owner, you need to tell the employee that it's time to rise to the occasion or get out. You aren't personally responsible for their well-being. If you've given them the opportunity to succeed, and they still can't, then you need to let go.
Be zen about it: perhaps the reason they aren't succeeding with you is because they should be succeeding elsewhere.
Hire dwarfs or giants.Do not be afraid when hiring people to hire people better than you. If you have any fear that they're going to come in and take your business, you need to let go of that immediately. You want people better than you! This is how your business will grow. You're still going to be needed, but your position will evolve, and that's okay.
Think of it this way (courtesy of Rich's old business coach): if you hire people smaller than you, you'll have a company of dwarfs, but if you hire people bigger than you, you'll have a company of giants.
AGENCY MASTERMIND for agency owners that want to GROW PROFITSIt can be very isolating running your own agency. Wouldn't you like to join a community of other agency owners that will hold you accountable for growing beyond yourself, all while supporting your journey to get there? That is exactly what the AGENCY Mastermind is all about. Learn more...
Becoming a Better Agency OwnerHiring people who are better than you is the best and only way to create the best team possible for your digital agency.
I have probably experienced all the different struggles of an agency owner through my own experience and I can help you from what I learned. From what to do with your sales processes, ways to increase your profit margins or how you can build authority for your agency.
I can tell you the best ways to stop losing money on projects, why performance-based pricing can be the best pricing strategy for your agency as well as why including remote working or freelancers in your team can be beneficial in the long run.
You can learn more about my career and different experiences as well as tips, tricks, and insights by checking out my blogs which cover a wide variety of topics.
Find more from my Ask Swenk series and more of my videos on my YouTube channel. There you will find advice from me and other agency experts.
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