Often there comes a time in one’s career where they reach a fork in the road. Either they continue on the trajectory they’re already on, or they head down another path toward something different. This is especially true for creative careers, particularly ones in the realms of advertising and marketing. If you have spent years working in these disciplines, there’s a fair chance that you would have considered, at some point, what it would be like to start your own creative agency.
Perhaps you’ve been browsing through a graphic designer salary guide with colleagues and find that the idea of starting your own design firm is beginning to seem more and more plausible. Well, to keep that momentum going, here is a brief collection of tips to help you build your own creative agency.
Ask yourself why?
While it’s inevitable that many people, from friends and family to coworkers and fellow creatives, will ask you this question, it is vital that you take the time to ask yourself exactly why you want to start your own agency. And when it comes to answering, be as tough and as honest as you possibly can, just to ensure that all your professional goals align with your business development strategy. There’s nothing to gain by replying that you simply ‘feel ready.’ Instead, write down all the possible reasons that come to mind. Then, one by one, delve deeper into each reason and see if more ideas and insights arise. By recognising and understanding your own motives you are better able to determine the focus of your agency, which will help both in the short term and long term.
Plan, plan, plan
Once you have settled on the why, it’s time to plan and lay the foundations for your organisation. Consider all that needs to be done, from opening business bank accounts and credit cards, to setting up accounting and business insurance, to registering for taxes, to establishing your agency as a legal entity, and everything in between. There are many, many things you should get in order first if you want your agency to hit the ground running.
And we’re not just talking about the boring stuff here, either. Return to the reasons why you are starting this agency and expand on that focus in order to help develop your business branding. The more you work on these finer details, the stronger your company brand and its presence in your wider industry will be.
Network with other industry professionals
Granted, if you’ve been in your creative career for many years, you will no doubt already have built yourself a large and varied industry network. And now is the perfect time to really examine who is in your network and how they might be able to help you, or vice versa. Think of possible creative partners to pair with, be they burgeoning junior talent, administrative staff, or anyone else that you think may be interested in building with you.
Then reach out! That’s what a network is for. And no, we don’t mean sending an elevator pitch to every contact you have on LinkedIn (it doesn’t hurt to have one ready though, just in case). Reach out to the people you believe will genuinely be interested.
Another important thing: if you are leaving an agency as an employee, be sure to leave on good terms. Remember that although you may be leaving that workplace, you may not be leaving that particular industry. And it pays to have a positive reputation from the get-go.
Recruit talent
The next logical step after setting up your enterprise is, as we said, making sure you have the right people on your team, and we don’t just mean your management team. You’ll want to ensure that your first proper recruits are as solid as possible.
It’s a deceptively difficult job hiring the right people, especially if you’ve never had to hire anyone before. All the qualifications and experience in the world will count for nothing if the professional goals of a prospective hire don’t align with what your agency can offer them. That’s why the only real advice here is to trust your gut. If you get the feeling that someone is a good fit for your agency, it’s more than likely they are.
Be open to looking past the stats as well. If you interview someone who has little experience but a lot of raw talent, why not consider giving them the opportunity to prove you right? Any field is hard to enter when you’re young and inexperienced, but if you are willing to take a chance with some up-and-coming talent, it can not only work in your favour, but may even reflect well upon your agency too.
Invest in company culture
Last but certainly not least, the main selling point of startups for many professionals is that they have the freedom to make a positive contribution to a budding company culture. And culture is truly one of the most fundamental elements behind every company that enjoys longevity.
So how can you seek to invest in a strong company culture from the day you first open your doors? Hear us out: making your office pet-friendly will pay off in spades. No, we’re not kidding; there have been actual studies done on this very thing. Having pets in your office can help boost your company culture in numerous ways. From improving office morale and communication, to reducing stress and promoting better collaboration, being a pet-friendly workplace will not only position your agency as a highly attractive place to work, but it may help you produce better work as a collective too.
If you’re not keen on the idea of having animals in the office, then consider alternative selling points that you could offer to your wider team that’ll help you build your company’s culture and by extension, its identity in your industry. Will you offer catered lunches or a weekly in-office happy hour? Will you be the agency that has its own bowling team or laser tag team? The options truly are endless.
In the end, there are countless more reasons to build your own creative agency, some of which will resonate with you and some that won’t. The trick is to find which ones really spark your imagination and then go from there. You got this!