Episode Details

Ever had a client that just didn't feel like a good fit right off the bat? Ever taken on the wrong agency projects out of desperation to pay bills and meet payroll? If it doesn't feel right or there are some red flags, pay attention and go with your gut. Listen to the hard lesson this 25 year agency owner learned, how it knocked him down, and how he got back up again.

In this episode, we'll cover:

• How to avoid the wrong agency projects or clients.
• Setting up a successful agency structure.
• Tips on improving your search for inbound leads.

Today I got to talk with Jim Stewart, industry pioneer and CEO of StewArt Media and SEO/Digital Marketing Evangelist on his YouTube channel, Jimboot. With more than 25 years experience, Jim has good insight into both the struggles on the business side as well as great information on maximizing search.

Jim's biggest piece of advice is: Trust your gut instincts!

If something doesn't feel right or there are some red flags, pay attention, listen to your gut. If your gut says run - then run!

And if you're white labeling or on the receiving end of an outsourcing situation, beware:

• Being white labeled is tough and you get little to no credit for your work.
• You don't get direct interaction with the client and receive information through a third party.
• You're being sourced for your processes, yet the larger agencies don't want to follow your processes.
• Getting the work done on time can be challenging when your agency isn't the main point of contact.
• Determining how to charge isn't clear cut when white labeling.

Using this type of structure in the beginning for small agencies is not uncommon, I did it. Just make it work for you by:

• Letting the big agency know up front that you will credit them as a client name.
• You will have direct contact with the client.

Sometimes in these situations, the big agency will start failing on the project and the client could start approaching your agency directly. Don't burn any bridges. Being up front with the big agency is key, but you will find that sometimes, they are aware of their shortcomings and tell you to just go ahead and help the client with what's needed. This can be a great opportunity to build your client base.

You can't change your first hire but if you could, would you? I sure would. Bringing someone into the fold that has the skill set to handle all the stuff you can't, or aren't very good at, is key... So, who should you hire first?

It really starts with self awareness. What are you good at? What do you like doing? Where do you want to take the agency? Take all that info and hiring accordingly. Then...

• Invest in those people.
• Train those people.
• Educate those people.

As the agency CEO it is important to know your five roles - and daily operations isn't one of them.

And, if you have you been thinking of yourself more as an owner than a CEO, it might be time to transition from Owner to CEO.

Be the leader. Communicate the plan. Make sure everyone knows the direction the agency is headed. Set goals and clearly outline them. This provides the team the freedom to work within their goal structures and figure out the best tools to utilize to achieve those goals. Even though ours can be a transient