This presentation is an integral part of Duda webinars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9qEClKKWVM This one is with Chris Simmance and Ulrika Viberg on Digital Agency Strategy

1. The Future Comes
First
April 2022

2. Warning... I use lots of pictures
of me in this...

3. Building an Agency is
HARD

4. Everything needs
attention ALL THE TIME

5. You need to PLAN, REACT and
DO simultaneously

6. It’s often a bit of a hamster
wheel…

13. Repeat until burn out…

14. Building a plan sounds
easy…

15. But as agency folk, we all
suffer from working IN the
business rather than ON the
business…

16. We need long horizons,
working IN the business
makes that hard!

17. To build a plan, you need to
step OUT and BACK from the
agency…

18. That’s why…
The Future Comes First!

19. What the hell is he on about?

20. This is all conceptual stuff, this
takes time to do properly.

21. Knowing where you’re
heading makes it way easier
to focus

22. It makes decision-making A
LOT more intelligent

23. You can focus on the
destination/goal and guide in
the right direction

24. Where does the future start?

25. Now, and you…

26. Finance
Wellbeing
Business
Health
Family Social
Fun
Career
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

27. Finance
Wellbeing
Business
Health
Family Social
Fun
Career
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

28. Finance
Wellbeing
Business
Health
Family Social
Fun
Career
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

29. Finance
Wellbeing
Business
Health
Family Social
Fun
Career
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

30. Finance
Wellbeing
Business
Health
Family Social
Fun
Career
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

31. Finance
Wellbeing
Business
Health
Family Social
Fun
Career
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

32. Finance
Wellbeing
Business
Health
Family Social
Fun
Career
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

33. Finance
Wellbeing
Business
Health
Family Social
Fun
Career
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

34. Finance
Wellbeing
Business
Health
Family Social
Fun
Career
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

35. Knowing you means you
know where you want to be...

36. Now, and the Agency…

37. Benchmark the
Agency
Finance Marketing Operations
PeopleandCulture
People Culture

38. Benchmark the
Agency Finance
Marketing
Sales
People
Operations
/10
/10
/10
/10
/10
Score Previous
Score
Score
Change
£
%

39. Benchmark the
Agency
Finance Marketing Operations

40. Benchmark the
Agency
Turnover (sales/units)
Breakeven point
GP/NP/EBITDA
Blended hourly rate
Liquidity
Debtor/creditor days
Gearing/interest cover
Run rate
% of non-fee-earners
Finance Marketing Operations

41. Benchmark the
Agency
Ad/Marketing spend
Sales effectiveness
Customer retention (Churn)
Repeat business
New products
Brand perception
Market position
Hunting vs Farming focus
Finance Marketing Operations

42. Benchmark the
Agency
Output per person/desk
Utilisation/billability
Processes & systems
Soft/hardware quality
Absenteeism
Staff turnover
Training/CPD
Defect/bug/complaint rate
Performance advantage
Finance Marketing Operations

43. Start With The End In
Mind
Where do
want to be in Business Career Personal
Three Years
One Year
Now

44. Start With The End In
Mind
Where do
want to be in Business Career Personal
Three Years
One Year
Now

45. Start With The End In
Mind
Where do
want to be in Business Career Personal
Three Years
One Year
Now

46. Start With The End In
Mind
Where do
want to be in Business Career Personal
Three Years
One Year
Now

47. Start With The End In
Mind
Where do
want to be in Business Career Personal
Three Years
One Year
Now
Just the headlines!

48. Plan on Paper…
NOW Y1 Y2 Y3
Finance
Marketing
Sales
People
Operations

49. Plan on Paper…

50. Plan on Paper…

51. Plan on Paper…

52. Plan on Paper…

53. Plan on Paper…

54. Example:
If I want to be a £2m Agency with 20% NP in 3yrs, and I
am a £500k Agency now with 20 clients now….

55. Example:
If I want to be a £2m Agency with 20% NP in 3yrs, and I
am a £500k Agency now with 20 clients now….
An average client is £2k and I need 4 Execs and a
Manager + Office etc to serve 20 clients…

56. Example:
If I want to be a £2m Agency with 20% NP in 3yrs, and I
am a £500k Agency now with 20 clients now….
An average client is £2k and I need 4 Execs and a
Manager + Office etc to serve 20 clients…
That means, to get to 84 clients @£2k per client I’ll need
15 Execs and 3 Managers etc…

57. Example:
If I want to be a £2m Agency with 20% NP in 3yrs, and I
am a £500k Agency now with 20 clients now….
An average client is £2k and I need 4 Execs and a
Manager + Office etc to serve 20 clients…
That means, to get to 84 clients @£2k per client I’ll need
15 Execs and 3 Managers etc…
That means, I need 25 new clients per year, assuming I
lose 2 per year…

58. Example:
If I want to be a £2m Agency with 20% NP in 3yrs, and I
am a £500k Agency now with 20 clients now….
An average client is £2k and I need 4 Execs and a
Manager + Office etc to serve 20 clients…
That means, to get to 84 clients @£2k per client I’ll need
15 Execs and 3 Managers etc…
That means, I need 25 new clients per year, assuming I
lose 2 per year…
That means, I need to build ABC processes and upskill
leaders through training and and and and…

59. Example:
If I want to be a £2m Agency with 20% NP in 3yrs, and I
am a £500k Agency now with 20 clients now….
An average client is £2k and I need 4 Execs and a
Manager + Office etc to serve 20 clients…
That means, to get to 84 clients @£2k per client I’ll need
15 Execs and 3 Managers etc…
That means, I need 25 new clients per year, assuming I
lose 2 per year…
That means, I need to do XYZ [marketing] to generate
250 leads per year, and hire 1 exec per 7 new clients…
That means, I need to build ABC processes and upskill
leaders through training and and and and…

64. It’s a lot, but with a plan, you
can manage it all…

65. Keep track of leading
indicators as you go, and
course correct as needed…

66. Build a Dashboard of Leading
KPI’s
OPERATIONS
GROWTH, PEOPLE, CULTURE
MARKETING
FINANCE

67. OPERATIONS
Right people, right places
Complaint/defect/bug rate
On time, to spec, delivery
Exceed promise
GROWTH, PEOPLE, CULTURE
Morale & spirit
Personal development plans in place
Board Comms
Purpose &Vision clear by all
MARKETING
Ave. Customer value (new)
Discounted hopper value
COCA:LTVC(GP)
Gold/silver/bronze split
FINANCE
Net Profit vs Plan
Cash
Outstanding debtors 60+ days
War Chest
Build a Dashboard of Leading KPI’s

68. Build a Dashboard of Leading
KPI’s
Finance Marketing Ops People/Culture
NP Vs Plan Ave Cust Value (New) Right People, Right Desks Morale & Spirit
Cash In Hand Discounted Hopper Value Complaint/Defect/Bug Rate P Dev Plans In Place
O/St Debtors >60 Days Coca:ltcv (Gp) On Time To Spec Delivery Board Communications
War Chest Gold/Silver/Bronze Split Exceed Promise Purpose/Vison Clear To All
Gp New Leads To CRM Nps Headcount
Valuation Cost Per Lead Ave Unit Revenue Net Change In Headcount
Direct:admin Costs Ave Proposal Size Total # Projects Starter:leaver Ratio
Retainers % New Pitches Ave Chargeout Rate Hols O/St
Current Annual Run Rate 90 Day Weighted Pipeline Revenue Per Fee-earner Buzz
Revenue New Bus Won Hrs Worked Vs Planned Training Plans Utd
Staff Cost Order Book O/St Staff T/O Appraisals
Overhead Coca Dailies Held/Weeklies Held Ave Appraisal Score
Profit Leads Overtime Team Morale
Cash Clients Utilisation Time Tracked
Debtor Days Win Rate # Days Contacted/Order Book Team Morale
Ave Billable Day Rate Growth Quality Of Work Time Tracked
Revenue Seminar Sign Ups # Of Employees Sickness Days Off
Target Complaints Adwords MCC Spend Social Event Attendance
Cash-flow Website Subscribers Bing MCC Spend Mental Health Issues
Revenue Or Contrib./ Employee # LI Followers FB MCC Spend Director Development
Trailing Charts Pipeline And Value LI Spend Ops Team Development
Valuation PV At Each Stage Total Spend Internal NPS
Available Borrowing Leads IN # & Value # Clients Average Stay In Business
Gross Value Add Closed, Lost # & Value A/C Performance Justified Reasons To Leave

69. Don’t Go Crazy Though!

70. Keep Traction!
Processes = IF THIS THEN THAT
Critical Thinking = SO WHAT? & THEN
WHAT?

71. Keep Traction!

72. Keep Traction!

73. Keep Traction!

74. Keep Traction!

75. Keep Traction!

76. It’s easier to weather Agency
storms if you have a focus
and direction…

77. There is A LOT LOT LOT more
to this…

78. Hopefully, I’ll be invited back
to share more…