Taking that first step towards agency growth often feels like venturing into the unknown, with doubts and hesitations at every turn. If you feel this way, you’re not alone: in the midst of this whirlwind of change, many agencies find themselves struggling with uncertainty, not knowing which is the best way forward.
In this guide, we take a deep dive into what you can do to bring your agency to its full potential. From assessing your agency’s current position and identifying obstacles to growth to using the right tools to boost your success, we’re here to provide you with concrete ideas and strategies. Through concrete examples and first-hand testimonials, we’ll illustrate how strategic growth initiatives can transform agencies of all shapes and sizes.
Ready to discover your agency’s full potential and chart a course for sustainable growth? So are we.
Understanding agency growth
What does growth mean for creative and consulting companies today?
Growth isn’t just about money: it’s about doing many things well.
Basically, agency growth means making your agency bigger and better by getting more customers, improving what you offer and building a stronger team to meet demand. At the heart of growth is a strong focus on customer satisfaction, because that means more word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business.
It’s impossible to grow without a team, so don’t forget that your employees need to be happy too! A motivated and valued workforce is the key to success.
By prioritizing these factors, you’ll not only achieve your financial goals, you’ll also build a solid, adaptable business that’s ready for the digital age.
Assess your agency's current position
Taking stock: assessing your agency's health
Here are some important questions to ask yourself:
1. Are we using real data to make decisions?
Examine the variety of data streams your agency taps into. Are you capturing relevant information on customer demographics, project performance, resource allocation and market trends?
Are you simply collecting data, or are you engaging in in-depth analysis to reveal actionable insights? Assess your use of analytical tools and methodologies to unravel patterns, trends and correlations.
2. What is the ROI of our projects and operations?
You have to learn to navigate the complex waters of financial indicators such as revenues and profit margins, while navigating the rich currents of qualitative metrics such as customer satisfaction and brand reputation. But here’s the challenge – it’s not just about charting a course; it’s about ensuring that every ripple in the water is accounted for. Every expense, every overhead, every resource allocation must be meticulously accounted for to ensure clarity and accuracy in your ROI calculations.
3. How do our teams allocate their time?
Did you know that the average worker spends 51% of each working day on low-value or worthless tasks? Unlocking information about how your teams use their time is essential. Are they using time-tracking tools to effectively monitor tasks and projects? Do clear priorities guide their time allocation? Consider their time management techniques – are they optimizing productivity? Are workflows streamlined?
Assessing the cost of pre-sales: is it sustainable?
Understanding the sustainability of pre-sales costs is crucial. Are you allocating resources efficiently? For example, how much time and money do you invest in prospecting, lead generation and proposal development? Evaluate the impact: do these efforts translate into revenue?
Assess whether you're on the right track
According to a recent study by AgencyAnalytics, 3 out of 4 agencies reported an increase in revenues last year – and you could be next.
We can’t stress enough the importance of taking the time to regularly pause and reflect to ensure you’re taking the right steps towards success.
- How do you invest your most precious resource – time? Make sure every moment is spent with intention.
- Are you tapping into the wealth of information at your disposal? Dive deep into your data, discovering valuable nuggets that can drive your agency’s decisions and innovations forward.
- Finally, consider the sustainability of your growth strategies. Are you planting seeds that will bear fruit for years to come, or are you chasing short-term gains at the expense of long-term success?
By reflecting on these questions, you’ll not only gain insight into your agency’s current trajectory, but also discover new opportunities for growth and transformation.
Preparing the ground for growth
Identify obstacles and opportunities for growth
Although 84% of agencies say they’re optimistic about their agency’s future growth, it can sometimes be difficult to really start moving towards success. The first step is to understand what exactly is preventing your agency from growing.
What are the main challenges hampering your growth?
You waste valuable time managing projects: Without well-defined workflows, tools and protocols in place, it’s difficult to manage multiple projects simultaneously and ensure efficient resource allocation.
You struggle to balance workloads: If you don’t have the right project management systems in place, your agency is more at risk of overloading your teams, missing deadlines and delivering inferior results, which can damage customer relationships and stunt your growth.
You may not be taking the best approach to managing your customers’ expectations: Neglecting to set realistic expectations, keep customers informed and respond promptly to their concerns can trigger misunderstandings, scope extensions and project delays.
What unique strengths can you capitalize on for expansion?
There are already things you do very well, and the best thing you can do is to make the most of your talents. Know your strengths and put them to good use!
Whether it’s data analysis, creativity, niche topics, market research, project management… find your strength, show it to customers and prospects, and make sure you keep improving it all the time.
Prioritizing actions for sustainable growth
It’s time to make decisions: which areas can you work on immediately? And which problems should you tackle first?
Take a moment to reflect on your daily workflow and look for blind spots: notice where information seems unclear or where you’re having trouble tracking progress effectively. These areas might include project management, resource allocation, customer interactions or internal communication.
Once you’ve identified your blind spots, categorize them according to feasibility, desirability and short- or long-term impact. This organized approach will enable you to prioritize actions effectively, ensuring that your efforts are directed at the most pressing problems first.
Choosing the right starting point ensures that your resources are used efficiently, maximizing your chances of long-term growth and prosperity. And by focusing on sustainable growth, you’re investing in the long-term health and prosperity of your agency – like tending a garden, nurturing it with care and attention so that it thrives year after year.
The debate: centralize tools vs. adopt new solutions
The choice between centralizing existing tools and adopting new solutions is not simply a matter of preference; it’s a strategic decision that can shape the trajectory of your agency’s success. While centralizing tools offers familiarity and efficiency, adopting new solutions makes a compelling case for driving innovation, differentiation and long-term growth.
When you implement a new tool, a new organization or new methods, you open doors to a world of possibilities, unlocking your agency’s full potential and positioning yourself as a leader in your sector.
What makes agencies profitable
There’s really no secret recipe for profitability: everything – from initial estimates to invoicing and production – relies on effective project management.
Project management: streamlining for efficiency
Organizations that implement good project management practices as part of their routine have an impressive 92% success rate in achieving their project objectives – and therefore profitability. From initial planning to final delivery, a well-structured project management approach ensures that resources are allocated efficiently, deadlines are met, and communication flows smoothly between team members and stakeholders.
CRM: the backbone of customer relations
Your CRM system is the beating heart of your customer relationships. It’s not just a database; it’s your secret weapon for making lasting connections.
With all your customer information in one place, you’re equipped to deliver personalized experiences that go beyond expectations. It’s like having a secret code to anticipate their needs and offer them exactly what they want, every time.
Billing systems: ensuring financial health
By automating billing processes, tracking billable hours and managing customer payments efficiently, these systems provide agencies with real-time information on their cash flow and financial performance. This not only minimizes the risk of revenue leakage and late payments, but also improves transparency and accountability in financial transactions.
Implementing strategies for improved growth
Having a strategy is like having a treasure map when you embark on the adventure of growing your agency. It’s your guide through the twists and turns of the business world, helping you to overcome challenges, seize opportunities and ultimately discover the treasure trove of success. Without a strategy, you navigate without a compass, drifting aimlessly and missing the opportunity to chart a course towards your goals. With a clear strategy in place, you not only have a roadmap to follow, but also a sense of purpose and direction that inspires and motivates your team. It’s the secret sauce that turns dreams into reality and aspirations into achievements. So, if you’re serious about taking your agency to new heights, having a strategy isn’t just important – it’s absolutely essential.
The best thing you can do is choose an effective digital tool that will help you do this by automating tasks, providing valuable information, facilitating collaboration and centralizing information to streamline operations and optimize your decision-making.
How Furious empowers agencies: a complete overview
Let’s take a deep dive into why Furious could be the ideal solution for elevating your agency to unprecedented levels of success!
Furious, your all-in-one solution for agency growth
By integrating Furious into your growth strategy, you gain access to a powerful tool that simplifies planning, improves communication and optimizes the profitability of every project. Furious is the ultimate project management solution, tailored to your specific needs. Why? It seamlessly transforms billable hours into scheduled tasks, streamlines team communication and collaboration, and provides real-time progress tracking – all in a simple, intuitive and centralized platform.
With Furious, processes are streamlined, transparency is improved and decision-making is strengthened by data-driven information. From generating quotations to optimizing profitability, Furious will revolutionize the way you manage your projects.
Expected results: transform your agency in 3 to 6 months
Don’t just take our word for it: here are a few examples of people who have grown their agency (successfully!) after choosing to become “Furious”.
Learning from success: case studies and testimonials
Agence Kairos: helping a small agency double in size
Kairos is a web design and development agency specializing in the creation of sustainable websites.
Prior to joining Furious, their team consisted of 5 members and the agency operated with a rather informal structure. Recognizing the need for a scalable digital solution to support their growth from 5 to 10 team members and facilitate collaboration with freelancers in various time zones, they set out to find the perfect tool.
After comparing several different tools without finding one that met all their needs, they discovered Furious in April 2022, joined the adventure and haven’t looked back since.
“What I like most about Furious is that we quickly gained serenity and time in our project management; within a week, we could already see things more clearly.” – Shirly, CEO of Kairos
In a small agency like Kairos, people tend to be very versatile, so it’s even more important to have a tool that covers the whole value chain, from quotations to invoicing and lead follow-up.
“I used to miss prospects because I forgot to call them back or followed up too late. Now I have a dashboard with all the information I need and much more clarity and visibility.” – Shirley, CEO of Kairos
Monet RP: when growth has to happen, and has to happen fast
Monet is a media agency specializing in public relations, influencer marketing and social network management. One of their big goals, as you’ve probably guessed, was to grow their agency. Here’s what Monet CEO Amaury had to say about using Furious:
“We were doing around 6 million euros a year when we decided to migrate to Furious. It became imperative for us to have a tool that would enable us to manage our business efficiently and keep pace with its growth. Since implementing Furious, we’ve doubled our sales.”
Furious was a radical change for the company, offering a dynamic platform that promotes agile business management and encourages fluid collaboration between team members.
Monet has gained valuable insight and clarity into its operations, enabling more streamlined strategic planning and processes. Without this invaluable tool, the company would risk losing sight of critical data in the midst of its growth – but with Furious, automated tracking ensures that nothing slips through the cracks.
By implementing purchasing management, Monet was able to effortlessly assess the profitability of projects, enabling them to make impactful, well-informed decisions. Thanks to integrated KPIs, the company gains an overview of its operations, while being able to drill down into individual projects and services.
“We wouldn’t be able to manage our business at the current level without a powerful tool like Furious in our arsenal.” – Amaury, CEO of Monet RP
