If you want to build a deck, you don’t just grab some boards and start nailing shit together. But that’s often how agencies try to grow. That’s building an agency the hard way.
Let’s continue with the metaphor.
Instead of the “build as you go” approach, we’d at least sketch out a plan of our deck:
- What it will look like
- The dimensions
- The materials
If we’re slightly more detail-oriented, we might:
- Determine the lengths of each cut
- List the tools required
- Estimate the number of screws & pilings
Then, if we’re really on our game, we’ll:
- Research costs
- Calculate versions with different materials, sizes, or suppliers
- Map out a build timeline
At this point, we probably have a really good idea of what we’re building, what it will cost, how long it might take, what is needed to build it, and the path to get there. And it didn’t take weeks, or fancy software.
So if this is how we’d approach building a deck, why not do the same for building an agency?
Start by making an accountability chart. Translate it into an org chart. Create a “now” version, a “next” version, and a “future” version.
Then map out the costs and profitability potential of each version. Test variations until one looks right, feels right, and makes sense on paper.
Then put the plan in place as to how you’ll get from now, to next, to the future.
That’s how you build a deck, and an agency: deliberately and with a plan. The opposite is just nailing shit together and praying it turns into something functional.