Blog for agency owners

CultureOperationsStrategy
March 29, 2021

One year on

One year in to lockdowns, working from home and life changing as we know it. Simon Jones, Founder & MD of The Agency Collective member Studio 24, put together some…
The Agency Collective
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OperationsSales & MarketingStrategy
March 16, 2021

How to make agency partnerships work for you

We all know how valuable good partnerships with other agencies can be. Whether it’s for lead generation, referrals, peer support or simply working up a pitch together - we see…
the community
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CultureLeadershipWomen In Agencies
March 9, 2021

Female founder: What I’ve learned from launching my own company at the age of 27 in a male-dominated industry

As part of our women in agencies series, member of The Agency Collective and agency founder Xenia Muether wrote about her experience of launching a business within a male-dominated industry. …
the community
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Sales & MarketingStrategy
February 25, 2021

How to use LinkedIn for new business

Among the myriad of social media options available to agencies, LinkedIn offers something unique: it’s business-focussed. Now, don’t confuse this with meaning ‘formal’. You absolutely should convey your personality on…
The Agency Collective
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LeadershipMental healthOperationsTeam Structure
February 23, 2021

Working from home – advice from an ergonomics expert

We recently ran a session with the wonderful Joanne Allpress from Allpress Ergonomics, who offered some fantastic practical advice about workplace set up when at home. With some useful insights…
The Agency Collective
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CommunicationSales & MarketingStrategy
January 13, 2021

Introducing our biggest client: our own agency

2021 has signalled many things. A potential end in sight of the pandemic with the vaccine roll-out, an overhaul of US politics, and, closer to home, a change in strategy…
The Agency Collective
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Niche specialisationOperationsStrategy
December 14, 2020

Pivoting & running virtual events in a pandemic

If 2020 has shown us anything it's that any agency can now run their own virtual events. During a recent session with The Agency Collective, 23 Digital's Marc Convey and James…
The Agency Collective
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OperationsPersonal developmentStrategyTeam StructureWomen In Agencies
November 30, 2020

Planning for co-founder maternity leave

After working together in the communications team at Sussex Police, Mel Berry & James Armstrong left to start their own agency. Over time the business evolved into what Digital Firefly…
The Agency Collective
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CommunicationPersonal developmentSales & MarketingStrategy
November 10, 2020

How I built my tribe of agency owners (during lockdown)

Who is this guy? I’m so pleased you asked. For those that don’t me, I’m Joe, the founder of a small web agency called Chaptr. I’ve been running an agency…
The Agency Collective
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CommunicationPodcast recommendationsSales & MarketingStrategy
November 3, 2020

What agencies need to know about starting a podcast

It feels like everyone is starting their own podcast now, doesn’t it? With audio equipment and production tech more accessible and affordable than ever, plus in the time of lockdowns…
The Agency Collective
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CultureLeadershipMental healthOperationsPersonal developmentStrategy
October 26, 2020

Starting a business – the importance of hanging on to your personal goals

Matt Scaysbrook, founder of WeTeachCRO, writes about the reasons people have for starting their own business - and how you need to hang on to your personal goals to keep…
The Agency Collective
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OperationsPersonal developmentSales & MarketingStrategy
October 19, 2020

How to: B2B Prospecting on LinkedIn

Linkedin is undoubtedly the best platform for B2B prospecting. Yet most people fail to learn how to harness its power. Instead, they turn up sporadically, then claim that “Linkedin doesn’t…
The Agency Collective
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OperationsPersonal developmentStrategyWomen In Agencies
October 13, 2020

5 Tips on Balancing Young Kids While Running Your Own Agency

My dream, probably like many of you, was always to work from home so that I could be around my kids more and have a flexible schedule. What I didn’t…
The Agency Collective
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Mental health
October 8, 2020

Looking after your mental health as an agency owner

With World Mental Health Day upon us, we wanted to talk openly once again about mental health and the challenges many of us will feel as agency founders and directors.…
The Agency Collective
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Strategy
September 20, 2020

What every agency owner needs to know – a Q&A with Blair Enns

We’ve heard this statement time and time again from agency owners. Blair Enns’ ability to provide tangible, intelligent, actionable advice is truly second to none - and the framework in…
The Agency Collective
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OperationsStrategyTeam Structure
September 15, 2020

Project Management – Advice & Top Tips

We recently ran a session on project management tips for agency owners (members can play catchup on TAC101 here) - there were lots of good questions around delivery, implementing new…
The Agency Collective
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CommunicationCultureLeadershipRecruitment
July 10, 2020

Understanding Young People Report

This report is fascinating! It shines a light on our lovely younger generations. It helps us understand young people: How they feel about the world, life, changes in behaviour. It…
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CultureLeadershipRecruitmentWomen In Agencies
June 3, 2020

Job applications: Men vs. Women

Have you actively looked to hire more women but just don't seem to get the applicants? This is probably why... We recently spoke to the team at Illustrate (an epic…
Ellie Hale 0
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LeadershipWomen In Agencies
June 2, 2020

Women In Agencies

Last year our epic chief of community Ellie Hale initiated our Women In Agencies movement. To highlight and address the disparity between male and female agency owners. We thought we'd give…
The Agency Collective 0
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StrategyThe Unstoppables (COVID-19)
April 29, 2020

Animation Studio: The Animation Guys

Creativity goes a long way to cut through the same old COVID19 crap you see being put out at the moment. Video, experiential and animation agencies have unarguably been hit…
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StrategyThe Unstoppables (COVID-19)
April 22, 2020

The Unstoppables: Andrew Dobbie MadeBrave

Today's unstoppable agency owner: Andrew Dobbie from MadeBrave® - another super star of The Agency Collective community ⭐️✊ MadeBrave - a top creative agency - have celebrity status in Scotland.…
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StrategyThe Unstoppables (COVID-19)
April 14, 2020

The Unstoppables: Madelyn Postman Leidar

Today's unstoppable agency owner: Madelyn Postman from Leidar - another one of our epic members! After merging her agency Grain Creative, which mainly provided brand and design services, she now…
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Personal developmentSales & MarketingStrategyThe Unstoppables (COVID-19)
April 9, 2020

The most important lesson I learnt about negotiation

As a kid you probably experienced this situation before with an adult: Adult: “Time to go to bed.” (goal: adult wants kid to go to bed) Kid: “OK in 15…
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StrategyThe Unstoppables (COVID-19)
April 7, 2020

The Unstoppables: Simon Schnieders Bluearray

Today's unstoppable agency owner: Simon Schnieders from the SEO agency BlueArray. A top agency purely focussed on SEO. Another super star of The Agency Collective community ⭐️ Just like many…
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StrategyThe Unstoppables (COVID-19)
March 31, 2020

The Unstoppables: Ian Cassidy Share

Today's unstoppable agency owner: Ian Cassidy from the agency Share Creative. A social insights led marketing agency. As a long standing member of The Agency Collective community - I know…
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CultureTeam Structure
March 18, 2020

Top tips for agencies with remote working teams

We held a great Zoom call session yesterday with our peer support community for agency owners - around 60 agency owners attended. Various perspectives from people who had remote working…
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Mental healthPersonal development
March 17, 2020

Take care

Our amazing community manager Ellie Hale is a certified mental health first aider. She also spends a lot of time understanding how you can be resilient and keep calm. Here…
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Women In Agencies
March 11, 2020

#ACpledge: Women Who Help Agencies: Anne Harlow & Ellie Hale

I decided to extend International Women’s Day 😉 Because I want to say something. Feel free to reject my extension and stop reading here. Every week I make an #ACPledge…
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Personal development
March 10, 2020

When you lose your mojo, don’t let this happen to you

Things are going really well - “too well” - the pessimist’s conclusion. And as if their prediction was, correct the landslide begins. One thing after another goes wrong. That feeling of:…
The Agency Collective 0
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Culture
March 6, 2020

How transparent are you about your working processes?

One thing that always stands out to me when I look at agencies that have technical heritage, is their transparency around ‘how they work’. Something really confident about releasing a…
The Agency Collective 0
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Women In Agencies
February 26, 2020

#ACpledge: Women In Agencies. Sue Keogh founder of Sookio

This woman overcame all odds to starting her agency! Thanks to our wonderful Ellie Hale for setting up the Women In Agencies movement in 2019. We celebrate epic women who…
The Agency Collective 0
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Sales & Marketing
February 25, 2020

What’s behind your agency name?

What’s behind your company name? Sometimes it does what it says on the tin: The Agency Collective. A peer support community for agencies 😉 Other times there are really clever…
The Agency Collective 2
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Personal development
February 14, 2020

Working 100 hours a week is OK…

Hustle porn alert: If you love it, there’s no problem with working 100 hours a week (incl the weekend)! Thanks to Clodagh Higgins for inviting me onto her podcast Agency…
The Agency Collective 0
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Women In Agencies
February 13, 2020

#ACpledge: Women In Agencies. Liz Corless founder of ICHI Worldwide

⭐️ Ellie Hale set up the Women In Agencies movement in 2019. To celebrate the epic women who run agencies. We debate topics that effect female agency owners - both…
The Agency Collective 0
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Niche specialisationPodcast recommendationsSay No Podcast
February 10, 2020

Say No Podcast: S1EP1 With Peter Czapp (Co-Founder of The Wow Company & The Agency Collective)

15 years ago, Peter Czapp set out to disrupt the accountancy world, a space traditionally associated with numbers and generally not the most exciting, setting up the UK's first accountancy…
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Women In Agencies
February 5, 2020

#ACpledge: Women In Agencies. Rebecca Brennan Managing Director Of Cubo

⭐️ Ellie Hale our superstar community manager initiated the Women In Agencies movement in 2019. To celebrate the epic women who run agencies. Discuss topics that effect female agency owners…
The Agency Collective 0
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Strategy
February 5, 2020

10 things we’ve learnt about Scaling from agency owners who have been part of building agencies in excess of £15M fee income

We just came out of a brilliant session with 3 absolutely epic people. Giving raw stories and no BS advice about how to scale an agency. Thank you for giving…
The Agency Collective
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Women In Agencies
January 29, 2020

#ACpledge: Women In Agencies. Kelly Molson Co-founder Of Rubber Cheese

Here's the response from women in our industry, when I asked: What can I - as Dan The Agency “MAN” - do to support female agency owners… "Champion them!" I…
The Agency Collective 0
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LeadershipRecruitmentTeam Structure
January 23, 2020

Agency leadership team: Promote from within or hire new people?

Spoke to an agency owner just now who grew his agency by 45% last year (they were a team of around 35 people before that growth). One of the things…
The Agency Collective 0
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LeadershipTeam Structure
January 22, 2020

15 person agency team: Too much, too little

"Mental quartering" Agency owner: “I don't want a massive agency!” Me: “What’s the reason for that?” Agency owner: “Don’t want the stress that comes with running a 100+ people agency.…
The Agency Collective 0
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Niche specialisation
January 17, 2020

Resources for agencies looking to niche or are already niche specialists:

Finding your niche Bill Gates “Inside Bill’s Brain” Documentary Inspirational documentary about Bill Gates and how he approaches finding problems in the world to fix. Both as part of Microsoft…
The Agency Collective 0
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Sales & Marketing
January 15, 2020

Tips for agency podcasts

Agency podcasts - are you planning, launching or already running a podcast? Here are some useful tips I learnt today. James Bishop the founder of the podcasting consultancy OneFinePlay and…
The Agency Collective 2
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Personal developmentPodcast recommendationsUncategorized
January 12, 2020

Top 10 Podcasts Agency Owners Listen To

13 mins of your attention There are agency owners who love podcasts and those that hate them. I asked over 1,000 agency owners whether they listen to podcasts.  The ones…
The Agency Collective 2
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Personal development
January 8, 2020

Agency owner personal development: January is the best time to do it

January is the month agency owners either dread or look forward to the most.  You’ll either stumble into January still half asleep, hoping this will be your year. Or you…
The Agency Collective 0
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