Systems, processes and tools that run an agency without you

When is it time to build your operations?

Build your operations once leads come in steadily, revenue is stable and some help is in place.

• Before then, your hours go to winning clients and onboarding them well.
• After then, the work is to make what already works run the same way every time.

What's an SOP, and which ones come first?

An SOP, or standard operating procedure, is a written, step-by-step way to do a task.

1. List the tasks your agency does every week.
2. Write an SOP for the ones you plan to hand off first, such as technical and support work.
3. Have the person who'll do the task follow the SOP once, and fix every step that confused them.
4. Keep every SOP in one shared place, and update it when the task changes.

How do you improve a process that already works?

Improve a process by timing it, cutting the steps nobody needs, and moving the repeat steps into software.

• Fix one process at a time, starting with the one that eats the most of your week.
• Ask the people who do the work where they get stuck.

What goes in an agency tech stack?

A tech stack is the set of software an agency runs on, and most agencies need a few kinds.

• A place to track projects and due dates.
• A way to talk with clients and take their requests.
• A CRM, which is a list of your contacts and deals in one place.
• A tool to send email to your opt-in list.

Pick tools your team will use, and add a new one only when it saves time on work you repeat.

Who runs the work day to day?

A team runs the work day to day once your SOPs are written, and you move from doing tasks to leading.

• Hand off the tasks your SOPs cover, starting with technical and support work.
• Keep strategy, sales and client care with you until the team is steady.
• The four ways to add that team, and what each costs, are on the team building page.