This document provides tips for knowledge service businesses to have profitable client projects even during an economic recession. It emphasizes focusing on fundamentals like tracking billable time to ensure at least 75% utilization, creating processes to scale the business, leading a team effectively, and overcommunicating with clients. Mastering these areas through attitude and the right tools can help a founder navigate difficult times, as an individual cannot achieve everything and needs systems in place.

1. Profitable Client
Projects… Even in a
recession
Slideshare.net/iliamarkov
@nochainmarkov
Ilia Markov
Toggl

2. Who’s this guy?
● Leading the marketing
team at Toggl.
● Previous agency
experience with Animalz
and own agency.
● Based in Bulgaria (came
over to steal your speaking
slots).

3. What is Toggl?
A set of productivity tools
for knowledge service
businesses of all sizes.

4. A recession looming…?

6. You’re a founder,
not a superhero.

7. You have just a few levers…
● Fundamentals (tracking them)
● Processes (creating them)
● People (leading them)
● Clients (partnering with them)

8. Mastering them will
get you through

9. Fundamentals

11. Knowledge x Time

12. Track (billable) time. It doesn’t matter if you charge per
hour or fixed (project/monthly/retainer) fee.

13. How much time
should be billable?

14. i.e. What is your Utilization rate?

15. 100% is not the right answer – it’s unrealistic and might
lead your team to burnout.

16. Anything <60% is problematic – what is going on in your
business?

17. 75%
At least ¾ of the time you track should end up on your invoices.

18. Processes

20. Investing in processes = success.

21. Client/service work is inherently unscalable.

22. Having a system of
documentation is key to
scaling from 3+ clients – but
staying on top of the
systems and how different
individual contributors fulfil
them is key.
Maeva Cifuentes,
Flying Cat Marketing

23. You cannot “waste”
time building
processes.

24. Team

26. Some agency owners have less respect for their people…

27. You’re only selling
the motivation and
expertise of your
team.

28. Now is the best time to build up your team and your skills.

29. One last time… Don’t try to force 100% Utilization rate.

30. Clients

31. Overcommunicate.

32. It can be as simple as a Slack message. (Or a lot more
complex…)

33. [A client] should never have
to ask how a project is
coming along, they should
know.
Ray Slater Berry, DSLX

34. To repeat…
● Fundamentals (tracking them)
● Processes (creating them)
● People (leading them)
● Clients (partnering with them)

35. You’re not a
superhero, but you
have a power.

36. It’s your ATTITUDE.

37. Bonus tips: Use the best tools
30% off an annual plan with promo code:
bseo22
* Valid until 30 Nov 2022 for new subscriptions

38. Additional resources
● How To Track Billable Hours & Increase Profits by 20%
● Agency Utilization Rate
● Process Prioritization Worksheet [download]
● 3 easy ways to communicate with clients asynchronously

39. Questions or concerns?
Happy to answer later: @nochainmarkov