The Agency Accelerator Rob Da Costa

We had a really great group coaching call this week - as part of the Self-Running Agency Membership. One of the topics we discussed was how to get more efficient with your time and make sure you're focusing on the things that matter rather than constantly getting sucked into client work and stuck on the dreaded client service hamster wheel of doom!


So that's the topic of today's episode of the podcast - how to get more efficient with your time.


Time Stamp


[01:35] A story about my week and what happens when you don’t plan and block out time


[02:17] Letting external factors determine your week - leading to a feeling of being out of control


[03:00] Dividing your time against REVENUE, STRATEGY & ADMIN


[04:10] How to split your time - what happens when you get it wrong


[05:49] The ideal split of your time (for an agency owner)


[06:40] My free time recording tool to support you to move toward your ideal time split


[07:24] How to use time blocking to effectively manage your diary


[08:00] The importance of knowing exactly what you will do when you have strategy time in your diary


[09:11] Don’t let external factors dictate your direction of travel


[09:44] Always overestimate how long a task will take and build a buffer for all the things that might happen (that you can't plan for)


[10:00] The importance of focusing on your ‘superpowers’


[10:55] What is a task worth? What is your notional hourly rate?


[11:47] How do I manage over-demanding clients? Protecting your boundaries


Quotations


“Make sure you always schedule your time and know exactly what you are going to do in that time block” - Rob Da Costa


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Useful links mentioned in this episode:


Your FREE Time Pot Time Split ToolThe Self-Running Agency Membership

In this week's episode, we are discussing what is probably the hottest topic right now, and that is recruitment and retention.


If you're anything like most other agencies, then you are finding it particularly difficult to attract and retain great talent.


So we're going to unpack that, exploring the 7 needs of an employee and the 7 needs, therefore, of a candidate.


And to do that I am joined once again by Rory Spence from the WOW Agency.


Time Stamp


[01:03] Key findings from the recruitment & retention Bench Press Report


[03:12] What are candidates looking for in the agency they choose to join?


[03:55] Only 33% of agencies have a strategy to deliver a great candidate experience during the recruitment process


[04:29] What does a great candidate experience look like?


[07:30] Best routes for recruitment - should you use recruitment agencies?


[12:30] What is the best process to recruit and how should it be structured?


[14:52] In-house vs remote working - 39% of agencies ask staff to be in the office 1-2 days a week


[18:00] 82% plan to keep an office


[18:30] 71% of agencies are recruiting remotely


[21:25] The 7 needs of a candidate


[21:40] 1: Purpose


[22:50] 2: An exciting vision


[24:55] 3: Leadership


[26:30] 4: Team


[27:40] 5: Progression


[29:27] 6: Flexible working


[33:39] 7: An empowered culture


[35:45] View recruitment as a strategy, not a tactic - so think about the recruitment process & onboarding strategy


[36:11] Think about how you recruit and how your current process can be refined


Quotations


“If you can address the 7 needs of a candidate, you will be able to attract top talent” - Rory Spence


“When you have recruited, it not the end of the problem, it’s the start of the solution” - Rob Da Costa


“39% of agencies ask staff to be in the office 1-2 days a week” - Rory Spence


Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts


“I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency.


Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!


Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now!


Useful links mentioned in this episode:


Ep 102: Pricing Strategies with Rory Spence (Part 1)Ep 104: Regional Agency Benchmarking with Rory SpenceEp 103 Why And How I Work A 4-day Week2022 BenchPress ReportsContact RoryStart with WHY (book) - Simon Sinek

I've recently had several clients discuss with me about taking what they teach and creating some kind of online mentorship or online programme. So, I thought in today's episode, we do something a little bit different, and that is for me to the ups and downs of my own adventures in the online world and share with you the many mistakes I’ve made and the lessons I have learned.


Time Stamp


[02:00] 2012 - my first adventure into the online world - and rude awakening!


[02:39] The first course I created (and it was a complete flop!)


[03:17] My 2nd course on sales and marketing (which also flopped)


[03:55] The 2 key lessons I learned after 2 flops (get clear on my niche and validate first)


[04:33] The importance of pre-selling your course or ideas before you start developing it


[05:03] The first course that (accidentally) was successful


[05:54] There is no such thing as passive income!


[06:26] Why I created my first online Mastermind programme


[08:06] Online content opens up an audience that I couldn't reach before


[08:26] Using Jobs to Be Done interviews to really understand your target audience’s needs 


[09:08] The concepts behind The Self-Running Agency 


[09:42] How the Self-Running Agency has morphed into a membership programme


[10:46] The time and money I wasted learning my lessons


[11:00] Why I use Kartra for hosting my programmes


[11:35] The number 1 way I market and sell my online programmes


[11:35] Focus on going deep with one or 2 courses, don’t go wide with lots of courses!


Quotations


“For anyone wanting to launch into the online world, go and talk to your audience and validate your idea first before you invest any time in developing your idea” - name


“There is no such thing as passive income - for every sale you make there is a ton of work needed behind the scenes” - name


Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts


“I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency.


Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!


Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now!


Useful links mentioned in this episode:


Kartra for hosting your business (link for a free 14-day trial)The Self-Running Agency MembershipBuild Nurture Convert Email Marketing CourseContact Rob: robert@dacostacoaching.co.uk

In this week's episode of the podcast, I'm joined by John Higginson from Higginson Strategy. We're discussing niching - but not just niching - laser focusing your niche and John will share how his agency has niched that has made it so much easier for them to win ideal clients.


We also discuss a unique marketing strategy that they're using that is resulting in them winning more business and why John believes that owner-managed agencies will always perform better than agencies that are sold off.


Time Stamp


[01:01] Why broadening out your niche is a mistake


[01:25] How Higginson found their niche (in the plastic-free market)


[03:01] Concerns about being too niched


[03:39] Working with me gave John the confidence to be niched and win more business!


[04:39] What are the clear benefits of having such a clear niche?


[05:49] What advice would you give to someone who is scared to niche down?


[08:04] Were you able to increase your prices because of your niche?


[09:34] Do you look for staff that have experience in your niche? What are the core attributes you look for?


[10:53] Why did you launch your own magazine?


[14:22] An example of persistence in your marketing to win business


[15:19] The importance of taking a “value-first” approach in your marketing


[15:43] What does the future hold for Higginson Strategy?


[16:30] Why John never wants to sell his agency but rather build his own Self-Running Agency


[18:00] The reality of trying to sell a service-based business


[19:01] Why founder-led agencies are better agencies


[21:46] What advice would John give his younger self, just starting out in business?


Quotations


“Receiving targetted inbound enquiries with clients saying ‘they want to work with you’ is a key benefit of having a clear niche” - John Higginson


“You don’t need to fear losing clients if you niche down (you can still win clients outside of your niche)” - John Higginson


“Everyone’s roadmap is their own roadmap - there is no right or wrong way to grow your agency” - Rob Da Costa


Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts


“I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency.


Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!


Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now!


Useful links mentioned in this episode:


Higginson Strategy WebsiteYour free guide to Niching Build your own Self-Running Agency

Today we are discussing strategies on how to get yourself off the client service hamster wheel of doom.


I love using this term because it perfectly encapsulates the scenario where you’re so busy servicing clients that you’ve got no time to breathe let alone focus on the future of your agency! When we are permanently stuck in 'client service mode' we can’t see the wood for the trees, so it’s an important topic that most agency owners find themselves stuck in at some point.


If you want to grow, then you need to find a way to stop it and step off!


Time Stamp


[00:45] The downside of ‘going the extra mile’


[01:39] The importance of stepping off the client service hamster wheel of doom (CSHWOD)


[02:20] 7 Ways to get off the CSHWOD 


[02:32] 1. ​​Create a respectful partner/partner relationship with your clients rather than an imbalanced customer/supplier relationship where you become the person at the bottom of the food chain


[02:58] 2. The importance of good boundaries


[03:07] 3. Regularly review your scope of work with clients 


[03:26] 4. Be a consultant at all stages of your relationship with your clients


[04:00] 5. New ways of saying YES or NO to clients


[05:46] 6. Schedule and block out time in your diary that will never be available to your clients


[06:46] 7. As you grow make sure you have a really solid account management team beneath you who cannot only deliver great work but also can manage and communicate effectively with clients


[7:09] How Simon Isaac from Capsule Marketing has extricated himself from client work


[8:26] How you should be splitting your time 


Quotations


“Change your mindset to thinking about how much time you have available for client work and what is the most important use of your time - because it should be planning the future of your agency” - Rob Da Costa


“No matter what small tweaks agency owners make, they can’t get off client service hamster wheel of doom! ” - Rob Da Costa


Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts


“I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency.


Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!


Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now!


Useful links mentioned in this episode:


The Self-Running Agency Membership

I’m always telling my clients that a smart way to grow your business is by working with partners.  After all, it means you manage a few relationships that get you, multiple clients, by getting in front of their (often bigger) audience.


I am excited to get some new perspectives on this topic by being joined by Dustin Riechmann, a business coach who helps ambitious entrepreneurs get unstuck & rapidly increase their profits with confidence.  He is best known for his Partnership Marketing System, which he has used to grow FireCreek Snacks into a 7-figure business without paid ads.


Time Stamp


[01:58] Dustin shares how he grew FireCreek Snacks and why he thinks you should be focused on building partnerships


[04:18] How did you grow FireCreek to 7-figures without using paid ads?


[04:18] Different types of partnership – marketing and sales? (referrals). Any thoughts on these and/or other types of partners?  Should money exchange hands?


[04:18] Podcast guesting - a great example of partnership marketing and the long tail effect


[11:28] Another example of how partnerships can be so beneficial (HubSpot)


[12:27] Other partnership examples


[15:20] Different kinds of partnerships (marketing, sales, affiliates)


[17:43] How do I go about finding my potential partners?


[22:10] How do you detect a good partner from a bad partner?


[29:17] How do you keep a partnership alive beyond the initial excitement and promises made?


[32:48] If you could go back in time and give your younger self just starting out in business one piece of advice what would it be?


Quotations


“Partnership marketing is all about getting your expertise in front of someone else’s audience in a win-win-win fashion (you, them and their audience)” - Dustin Riechmann


“Do your research first before you reach out to a potential partner and explain how you can serve their audience” - Rob Da Costa


“Make sure you follow-up with partners after a successful project together - put it in a system” -  Dustin Riechmann


Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts


“I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency.


Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!


Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now!


Useful links mentioned in this episode:


Ep 110: How to be a guest on other podcasts Partnership Marketing BlueprintDustin’s websiteDustin’s email:dustin@simplesuccesscoaching.com