Manish Kapur, London (2026)

03/03/2022

Why does your creative agency need process mapping?

Every creative agency needs processes to thrive. But, just having some is often not enough. They need to be streamlined and maximise efficiency.

Process mapping analyses your processes and takes a look at the bigger picture to figure out how they can be improved. But beyond this, why does your agency need it?

1. It reduces mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. But, one of the best ways to make fewer is by process mapping. When you ensure that everyone understands all processes, you’ll all have a better grip on what goes into each one. As a result, everyone will have a good idea of what the business needs to run efficiently, and be able to look out for common mistakes that may not have been considered before.

2. Identify problems before they occur
Similarly, once everyone has a better idea about the whole agency, you can all use your specific areas of expertise to identify where problems could occur in the future.

For example, your team may be able to suggest where communication processes could be improved, so that client expectations can be more effectively managed and less staff time is spent responding to emails. This is something that may not have been so obvious before all processes were clearly laid out!

3. It actually makes use of technology and ideas
Almost everyone has bought into some kind of technology or big idea that they’ve not ended up using. Effective process mapping can help solve this! Often, these things aren’t used, not because they don’t work, but because the team doesn’t know how to use them properly.

Good process mapping makes this clearer. And, it identifies anything that truly isn’t working for your agency, so you can streamline things. After all, the aim of process mapping is to make things simpler, saving you time and money as a result.

4. Make your processes work for you
Many agency owners know that their processes probably need improving. They just don’t know where to start. How can you improve upon a process if you don’t know exactly what it entails?

Improving processes within your creative agency is often the first step to growth. So, if you’re looking to take your operation to the next level, it is likely that you will struggle without some form of process mapping first.

5. Maximise efficiency and profitability
Finally, the overall aim of process mapping is to improve your agency’s efficiency and profitability. Running an agency that produces great work is one thing, but running one that’s genuinely profitable is another. Many agency owners that I work with are surprised when they realise how inefficient their current processes are, and the huge benefits of streamlining them.

Your agency must be efficient to be profitable. And, streamlining your processes is often one of the key steps to get this started. So, if you want to improve your profitability, there’s never been a better time to think about process mapping!

24/02/2022

5 key considerations for remote working in your creative agency

As Covid restrictions ease, more employees are heading back to their office desks whilst trying to negotiate keeping some of the flexibility they’ve enjoyed for the past two years. However, for those creative agencies that have decided to offer hybrid working or close their offices for good, here are some things you need to consider...

A transition plan
Before you attempt any kind of long-term remote working policy, it’s vital to have a solid transition plan in place to guide you. It should be completely bespoke, and outline everything that needs to be done to make remote working a success. This includes the number of employees, who will be working remotely, office space and furniture, who is responsible for what, and so on.

Proper onboarding
Any employees who will be working remotely need to experience proper onboarding, so they can feel like a true part of the team. This means they’re more likely to be satisfied in their roles and less likely to leave quickly!

Your transition plan should outline how you’re going to onboard remote employees. But, as a guideline, you should allow one to two weeks where minimal work is assigned, to allow them adequate time to settle in and get through the induction process.

Remote infrastructure
Every single remote worker should be equipped with what they need to do their jobs effectively. So, be prepared to invest - now is not the time for scrimping and saving! From appropriate office furniture to space at a co-working facility, listen to each individual and their needs.

Communication
Remote working can make communication more challenging, so it’s important to focus on developing good systems. Have a plan in place for communication best practises, and make sure all managers are upholding them. You should also encourage informal communication between team members.

Culture
Finally, most agencies pride themselves on having a strong company culture. It can be trickier to maintain with remote working, so a focus on social onboarding is key to make sure new team members feel welcomed and valued.

Remote working requires extra effort to be made when establishing and nurturing a company culture. So, once you’ve decided on your values, encompassing everything from languages spoken at work to expectations for taking time off, make sure to communicate them regularly to the whole team.

Overall, remote working can bring many benefits to creative agencies of all sizes. But, no matter if you have one remote employee, or the whole company, it’s vital to get your systems in place. These five key considerations are just the start, and what remote working looks like will differ between agencies, but being prepared is the key to success.

Photo by Cristian Tarzi on Unsplash

17/02/2022

Who actually pays for agency client servicing?

Client servicing chargeability presents a problem for many creative agencies. It’s a critical component, yet recovery rates are poor. But why is this, and what can you do about it?

Firstly, recovery rates for client servicing roles tend to be poor because, typically, these roles are left to use whatever budget is free after it’s been allocated to other departments. Client servicing roles are varied and involve lots of client contact. As a result, there is usually not enough time to get everything delivered within the allocated time frame or budget. So, client servicing managers are forced to overdeliver, while the agency isn’t getting paid for this.

The key to turning this around and improving recovery rates is held in how you charge for and allocate these services.

Firstly, let’s look at how clients are charged. Typically, each project is charged to the client at a different cost, depending on the departments and seniority that’s required. While this is the standard way for many agencies to charge, it’s still usually not enough to cover full client servicing.

Blended rates are another option. This means that you charge every client a flat rate that encompasses all the different elements of client servicing and project management. This number is usually reached by determining the average rate of your employees and the number of hours or days the project is likely to take. But, getting the balance right for blended rates can be tricky, and it may take a few projects until recovery rates increase.

Overall, there’s no one right way to charge for client servicing. It’s all about what works for your individual agency. But if recovery rates are poor, your first step should be to take a look at what you can change when it comes to the way you charge.

Secondly, let’s look at how client servicing work is allocated. To get started, think about what ‘client servicing’ really means for your agency. Does it incorporate project management? What do you offer, and who is doing it? Do you have multiple roles that all encompass some element of it?

The key here is streamlining your processes. If you do have multiple roles performing elements of client servicing, do you really need all of them to work on every project? Can you narrow things down so clients only have one point of contact? This is a method that’s often preferred by clients, too. Or, on the other hand, can team members on the more creative side of things take on some of the client contact work, to take something off the plate of your client servicing team?

Overall, if you’re serious about improving recovery rates for client servicing in your agency, it all comes down to streamlining the way you charge and allocate. It can be a tricky balance to get right, but once you do, you’re sure to reap the rewards.

Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

10/02/2022

5 tips to reduce excess meetings for creative agencies

All agencies need meetings, but what about when the number you’re having becomes too many?

Excess meetings can cause a decrease in profitability and an increase in staff dissatisfaction, as they have to work later hours to fit 'actual' work around them. So, it can clearly be a problem, but what can you do about it? Here are some tips to get started:

1. Communication is key
By ensuring that you have good standards of communication in place at every level of your agency, you’ll probably find that some meetings are no longer necessary.

2. What’s the agenda?
To make the most of meetings you do have, and prevent things from going off track, it’s vital to have an agenda for every meeting. Send it out in advance so everyone can prepare and add topics ahead of time. And, encourage teams to schedule in more informal chats so they can cover other topics without involving everyone.

3. Time-blocking
Often used as a time management method on an individual level, time blocking can also work on an agency-wide scale. Have you considered blocking specific portions of each day for meetings, leaving the rest of the time free for creative work? Some agencies even dedicate whole days to be meeting-free, so everyone can work without worrying about interruptions.

4. A daily huddle
It may sound counterproductive to add in another meeting when you’re trying to reduce them. But, a daily teamwide huddle of five to ten minutes can really help. It allows everyone to stay updated on where others are at with projects, and ask any quick questions face-to-face, thereby reducing the need for more meetings down the line.

5. Declining meetings
If you receive an invite to a meeting that you have no need to be in, don’t be afraid to decline it. You may also want to consider declining those that have no set agenda. This may help the meeting organiser to reconsider if it’s necessary, or to give it a clearer focus.

Of course, it also helps to ensure that the meetings you do have are run well, for the benefit of everyone. This includes making sure that your agenda is followed, and everyone receives a copy of it in advance. Furthermore, every meeting should have a dedicated leader who can keep things on track, direct any questions, and make sure that it doesn’t run over time.

Finally, with fully or hybrid-remote creative agencies, you want to ensure that your remote workers don’t suffer from meeting burnout (otherwise known as ‘Zoom fatigue’) from sitting on endless meetings all day with little in-person social interaction. Make sure that the meeting’s leader involves them as equally as in-person attendees, and that their questions and suggestions are still listened to attentively.

Overall, reducing the number of meetings your agency has can boost profitability and keep employees happier, as well as maintaining a more efficient way of working across the board.

Photo by Startup Stock Photos - Pexels

04/02/2022

12 daily habits creative agency leaders should adopt this New Year

The most successful creative agency leaders are constantly growing and developing so that they can lead their businesses forward. But how do they do this?

One of the most effective ways to improve as a leader is through implementing small but powerful daily habits. Not every change has to be huge, and often the smallest habits can make the biggest difference. Here are 12 of the best habits to pick up, proven to transform your leadership approach:

1. Build a morning routine that works for you. Aim to minimise stress and start each day off on a positive note. But, make sure that the routine you build actually works for you, so that you’re more likely to stick to it.

2. Engage with your team. After all, communication is key and it’s your job as a leader to ensure that your team is communicating effectively. Dedicate time to connect with your team each day and show them how to communicate efficiently.

3. Take care of your health. Prioritising your health is key, and as an agency leader you should be the role model for others. Creating a healthy work-life balance will help your agency to thrive long term.

4. Write down your goals. Even five minutes in the morning to jot down your goals and priorities for the day can ensure you stay aligned with your overall vision. It’ll also help give you a renewed sense of purpose every single day.

5. Read something related to your field of expertise every day. Staying updated with the latest trends will help you engage with what’s going on in the industry and challenge your team to think bigger.

6. Practice optimism: it’s contagious and can inspire those around you, too! No matter what situations come your way, face them with optimism and you’ll avoid getting stuck in a rut and create a better environment for communication.

7. Accept setbacks. A strong leader takes responsibility for their team’s performance. In the long term, this helps develop strong working relationships based on trust.

8. Be open to evaluation, as it ensures you continue to develop as a leader and a person, as well as demonstrating your self-awareness to your team.

9. Do good. Follow in Benjamin Franklin's footsteps by book-ending each day with "What good shall I do today?" and "What good have I done today?" - helping you prioritise those around you.

10. Take a daily walk - an easy habit to adopt that will result in increased energy, enhanced creativity, resilience and confidence. If you’re going to adopt one habit, make it this.

11. Spend 15 minutes on your career. You want to be the very best for your organisation and your team, so take a moment to reflect on your career, complete a short course, or network with others.

12. Say no. It’s empowering and will give you the time you need to focus on your core priorities. Effective leaders know how to be selective with their time, and are better leaders as a result.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

27/01/2022

Four simple ways to increase agency efficiency

Running a creative agency means multiple plates spinning at once- tough for even the most experienced owners! The key is to make things as efficient as possible to give you peace of mind and even free up a bit of time.

Here are four simple ways that creative agencies can become more efficient across the board:

1. Managing your team and their time

Your team is your agency’s most valuable asset. It’s precisely because of this that it’s so important to get to know them and track their time efficiently.

Firstly, have an honest conversation with each team member about their role. Happy teams are more likely to be efficient, so it’s worth your time to have frequent one-to-ones.

Then, when it comes to tracking your team’s time, my suggestion is to implement a system where each person tracks their time as they go along, not in huge chunks. This gives the most accurate insight into how their time is used. From there, you can use the data to see how efficiency may be improved.

From ineffective communication to too much time spent on admin, no matter what unique challenges you face, simply knowing what’s wasting time is a good first step to rectifying them.

2. More accurate proposals

Once you’ve got to grips with your team and their capacity, you can craft more accurate proposals for your clients. By tracking projects, seeing where they’re inefficient, and taking steps to solve this, you’ll be able to give clients a better idea of how long things take. Plus, client satisfaction should improve, too!

However, more accurate proposals are also useful to set clear expectations for your team, helping to boost productivity and ensure that less time and fewer resources are wasted across the lifetime of a project.

3. Efficient team collaboration

Ensuring that your team can communicate is a key part of efficiency. Standards of communication that everyone can follow are vital, especially for hybrid or fully remote teams. Whether this is something general such as Slack, or just a checklist to follow when communicating, this can go a long way to ensuring that things don’t get lost.

4. Stick to what you know

Finally, many creative agencies find that they’re most efficient when sticking to what they do best. Of course, there’s the argument that any kind of project is good, as it brings in revenue. While this may be true for new agencies, for those more established there’s a lot to be said for honing in on a specific niche.

If you only take on projects you know you can deliver with maximum efficiency, you can take on more whilst also developing a good reputation within your niche. The result should be increased revenue and an agency respected by clients and peers alike- often a major long-term goal for agency owners.

Photo by Isaac Smith on Unsplash

20/01/2022

How can effective resource management transform your creative agency?

Successful creative agencies are made up of groups of people with numerous talents. This enables the agency to produce great work, but it can be tricky to get everyone working together as one well-oiled machine.

This is where resource management comes in. But what is it, and why do creative agencies need it?

What is resource management?

In short, effective resource management takes a look at the bigger picture required for a project or a whole agency to run smoothly. For example, the different people and skills required, external suppliers or resources (such as photographers or illustrators).

A resource management expert can also take a look at the agency’s goals, and ensure that all resources and wider operations are aligned with this. Say, for example, your agency has the goal of taking on more projects within the next six months, but you currently only have a couple of in-house designers. A resource manager can help you achieve this goal by working on recruiting more designers, or hiring freelancers. This leaves others in the agency free to do the roles that they do best.

Why do creative agencies need effective resource management?

By taking on effective resource management, agencies can reap many benefits. It’s especially useful for those who are just too busy to properly allocate resources or ensure that everything is properly organised.

The most effective resource management allows everyone’s talents to shine, by dedicating this area of the business to someone who is truly an expert. This is instead of making it a team-wide responsibility. Many agencies find that if trying to manage resources is taken off the majority of the team’s plates, they begin to become more productive and efficient as a result.

However, to really show the benefits that resource management can bring it’s important to think about what could happen if there was none in place at all. Many agencies find that they don’t need much resource management in the beginning, as they’re just finding their feet or aren’t yet busy enough. But, as workloads grow, if there aren’t any processes for resource management in place, strain begins to be put onto teams and projects, and efficiency suffers with a negative effect on profits.

Instead, look at the positives that effective resource management can bring. It’s an opportunity to take on more projects, and ones that may be more profitable for the business. And, it becomes easier to plan for the future, knowing what resources you have to hand and what you need to do to achieve your agency’s goals.

Whether you want to expand your business, take on different types of projects, or simply improve efficiency and profitability, effective resource management will give you a clearer picture of exactly what you need to do to get there. So, it’s definitely something to consider for a growing agency.

Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash

13/01/2022

Why business contingency planning is the superhero of your creative organisation

Nobody can predict the future. But, when an unforeseen event can have devastating consequences for your business, you probably wish that you could! This is where good business contingency planning comes in.

Planning is an important part of the day-to-day runnings of a business. But, I would argue that contingency planning is the most vital to ensure your creative agency has what it needs to thrive in the long term.

Business contingency planning is all about being prepared for unforeseen events so that your business can go back to normal operations as quickly as possible. Have you created your contingency plan yet? These tips could help:

1. Identify and prioritise key risks
Think about all possibilities that could impact your business, from a global pandemic to a burst water pipe. Then, assess how likely each scenario is. Involve your whole team, as they might be able to offer valuable insight that you’ve not thought about.

From here, prioritising will mean that you’re focusing your efforts where they’re most likely to be needed, hopefully saving you time and money.

2. Create adaptable plans
Next, think about a comprehensive strategy for overcoming each of the obstacles. This should outline who is involved and what the process will be if something does occur.

3. Share and maintain
Finally, make sure that everyone is aware of the plan so they’re on hand to assist if disaster strikes! It’s also vital to regularly review your plan so it’s up-to-date and relevant.

But why is it so important to have a robust contingency plan?
There are so many reasons why a contingency plan can be a superhero for your business. Here is just a handful:

1. Fast, flexible reactions
A good plan will equip your business with the skills it needs to survive future events. As such, you’ll be quicker to adapt to unexpected situations even if you haven’t considered them, as you’ll have the necessary preparations to be more flexible.

2. Preventing panic and bad decisions
It’s natural to panic in the face of a potential disaster. But, you can keep this to a minimum with a robust contingency plan that everybody knows about, helping all to feel more reassured that if the worst was to happen, solutions are on hand.

Similarly, it’s tricky to come up with winning solutions to problems if you’re stressed and put on the spot. A contingency plan will save the day, arming you with ready-prepared solutions to get everything back in order.

3. Minimise loss
A good contingency plan can help minimise a loss in operations and sales during any kind of business problem. Of course, sales are vital to any business, so having a plan could be the difference between closure and continuing to thrive!

It’s inevitable that your business will encounter a problem at some point. So, surely it makes sense to be prepared?

Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash

06/01/2022

What prevents an agency’s growth? Three factors to consider.

There are plenty of markers of success for creative agencies, from producing industry-renowned work to going above and beyond for clients. However, many also find that they reach a point where they struggle to grow beyond a small core team.

But what might be preventing growth? Of course, there are any number of factors, but these three are some of the most common.

Not focusing on profitability enough
Very few creative agency owners started their businesses because they wanted to get rich quick. But, not focusing on profitability enough can be just as big a problem! Some key suggestions for shifting your focus towards profitability include:

● Looking at client profitability; are all clients actually making you money?

● Review your hourly rates for each staff member; are you truly charging what they’re worth?

● Look into utilisation rates. How much of your team’s time is actually being taken up by creative work? The higher your utilisation rates, the more profitable your agency will be.

Hiring the wrong people
People are key to the growth of any business. For optimum growth, you need to have the right people in the right places who are motivated to do their best work. If you’re struggling to hire great people, you might need to take a look at your recruitment processes too. For example:

● Make sure you’re advertising on a variety of different platforms to attract a diverse pool of candidates.

● Are you really selling yourself to candidates? After all, interviews are a two-way street. Great candidates want to work for equally great organisations, so ensure you’re shouting about your benefits.

● Involve current employees in the hiring process, to make sure they feel valued and can contribute valuable insight into what it’s actually like to perform key roles in the business.

Poor staff retention
On the other hand, some agencies can hire amazing talent, but those people aren’t staying for long. Hiring is an expensive process, and agencies will struggle to grow if they’re constantly having to re-hire for key roles. Poor staff retention in creative agencies is a common problem, but there are steps you can take to combat it.

My top recommendation is to hold regular staff appraisals. These give team members the chance to air thoughts and feelings, as well as to set solid goals to help keep them motivated and moving forward with their roles.

Photo by Studio Republic on Unsplash

30/12/2021

How reducing processes can lead to increases in creative output and profitability.

Many people find that having a solid set of processes at work is useful. They can use them to structure their days, weeks, and months, as well as ensuring that they always know where a project is going next.

But what about those who are in more creative-led roles? Often, having a strict set of processes can be a hindrance for creative agencies, leading to a stagnation in efficiency. Understanding why fewer processes can help your agency to thrive all lies in Parkinson’s Law.

Parkinson's Law
This is a phenomenon that states that the amount of work you have to do will naturally fill the time available for it.

It can work both in your favour and against you as a creative agency. On the one hand, you’re usually able to complete projects on time, even if that seems impossible at the start. But on the other hand, you’re also more likely to over-deliver on projects that take a shorter time than what’s allotted to them.

So, what’s stopping agencies from simply delivering the work when it’s done? Why do they tend to go above and beyond, spending more time than required or delivering five different routes to a client when they could just present the two most solid ones?

I believe, in part, the answer lies in the fact that they get too caught up in following strict processes to the letter, rather than utilising effective project management skills and discovering how to be more efficient with the time available.

But what’s the alternative?
As a consultant whose expertise is in operations, many people are surprised to find out that I’m not a huge fan of processes. When I work with creative agencies, I focus on implementing the bare minimum amount of processes, and ensuring that they’re what the business actually needs.

However, I am a big fan of implementing codes of best practice. This includes aspects such as accurate proposals, good briefs, timely creative reviews, and more.

It’s true that creative people need to have some established ways of working in order to thrive, but this doesn’t have to take the form of rigid processes. Instead, ensuring that a handful of best practices are in place whilst still allowing for creative freedom is the best way forward for most agencies.

Putting clear best practices in place, but leaving it up to each individual or team to decide exactly how the work gets done is usually a solution with a happy medium between clear expectations and the opportunity to be genuinely creative. And, this is what I believe will give agencies the opportunity to grow output and profitability simultaneously.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.

16/12/2021

Want to grow your creative agency? Structure might be the key!

Fail to implement an effective structure and you’ll likely see your agency suffer from poor results. This sounds daunting, but putting a well-thought-out structure into place needn’t be the headache you may be imagining!

Here’s a roundup of the five most popular structures for creative agencies- which one would fit best for you?

Flat
Most common in startups, flat organisations have few levels between management and employees. Usually, employees need to take on a variety of roles and as such, become generalists rather than specialists.

This works well as a structure for startups, but if you want to scale, you’ll probably need to narrow down your offering to a specific niche, and look at hiring specific subject experts to help you.

Functional
Functional organisations have their teams organised by services, such as different teams for Sales, Design, Client Services, and so on. As such, each team is recognised as the experts in their area, with fewer generalists.

However, as an agency grows, effective communication between teams can become more challenging, especially if hybrid remote working is added to the mix. However, the following structures can often be used to combat this!

Matrix
Similar to the functional structure but with additional levels of management and communication woven into the fabric. This goes some way to solving the communication problems, but as the agency grows further, communication often becomes clunky again.

Holacracy
This structure is fairly experimental, turning the tables on traditional authority. In this structure, there are no clearly assigned roles. Instead, employees are given the flexibility to take on any duty, moving freely between teams.

It can work successfully. But, like the flat structure, it tends to produce generalists, limiting the specialisms upon which the most successful creative agencies tend to thrive.

Pods
Perhaps the most customisable structure, a pod occurs when an agency arranges their teams by client type or sector rather than functionality. In turn, this creates complete, specialist teams that are equipped to provide great results.

Think of pods like sports teams- every base is covered. For example, each pod may have a designer, PM, social media manager, SEO specialist, and more. And, this pod would then serve a particular category or type of client.

As pod structures don’t depend on other teams within the agency, internal communication difficulties are almost eliminated! A streamlined workflow can then be passed onto the customer experience, which is ideal, as this should be at the heart of how your agency operates.

So, which organisational structure is best for your agency? There is no right answer. Each agency is unique and requires different things from their teams. However, if I had to choose I would go with the pod structure for successfully growing an agency.

Manish Kapur

03/03/2022

24/02/2022

17/02/2022

10/02/2022

04/02/2022

27/01/2022

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