You have conquered the world of freelancing and turn into a true industry expert.
So what’s next?
WITH over 70 million freelancers you are already working in the USA, it might be a good move to change your business model in order to grow. For many individual entrepreneurs, this implies establishing an agency.
Hiring experienced employees can dramatically increase your customer base, diversify your services, and ensure your profits increase as your business grows. However, a quick look at how to scale a business shows that it is not an easy process.
You want to maintain your values and the quality of your work as a freelancer while changing your operations and internal structure, which may be difficult to balance. Fortunately, you are not the first freelancer to want to turn into an agency, and there’s plenty of recommendation from those that’ve successfully navigated this maze before.
To provide help to get began on solid ground, we have put together our top 6 suggestions.
1. Define your values and USP
Before you begin scaling, it is very vital to clearly define what your company stands for. This will provide help to focus on your agency’s goals, find your place in the market and attract each the right employees and the right clients.
Consider what is vital to you as a company and the way you will put your values into practice. For example, if you wish to be an eco-friendly company, you possibly can join the renowned organization 1% for the Planet and only work with sustainable business clients.
Your values may be transferred directly to your agency unique selling point (USP) as well. Environmentally friendly values and sustainable expertise are USPs that are in high demand, while a value like innovation can mean you mostly stay awake to date with the latest technologies in your industry to deliver fresh, latest ideas to your customers.
2. Update your website
As you scale your business and turn into an agency, a website is a must.
Your website gives your customers a digital touchpoint to learn more about your company and connect with your team, and will likely be a key tool in your marketing strategy.
Whether you already have a website or not, make sure to prepare your platform for increased traffic and high speeds.
We recommend avoiding beginner-friendly hosting sites, which are typically not designed for high-performance sites. Instead, make up your mind managed hosting providers that supply easy migration from other hosts, lightning-fast speeds, and multi-location hosting, making them perfect for scaling your agency.
When creating your website, make sure that:
- It is responsive across devices.
- It’s easy to navigate.
- Provides clear calls to motion.
- Contains your contact details.
- It’s not cluttered with content (white space is your friend!)
If you are not an experienced developer, it’s a good idea to hire one to build a user-centric website for your agency.
When you think about it 85% of individuals check the company on the Internet you will not want to skimp on their website before making a purchase from them (including services).
3. Focus on building your customer base
One of the key facets of scaling a business is building a healthy customer base. This means improving your marketing and can also include introducing latest services to your agency with the help of your growing team.
For example, if you currently offer website development services, adding a graphic designer and copywriter to your agency will likely make your business more attractive/relevant to a wider audience. You forged a greater net so you possibly can catch a few more big fish.
However, it is vital that as your customer base grows, their experience with your agency does not change. As a freelancer, you’ve got probably been able to offer a personalized service with great customer support, and your current clients shouldn’t see this error.
For this reason, you might want to communicate with existing customers yourself during the transition period and only delegate latest business to your qualified team.
A very good idea is to create the so-called a clear customer support plan, too. This should include the tone of voice your team uses when interacting with customers, the expected speed of response to inquiries, and training on the level of customer support expected.
4. Tips on how to get latest customers
You may already have enough clients to justify converting your freelance business into an agency. Or possibly you wish to expand your client list to make the move profitable.
If you fall into the latter category, here are some suggestions on how to attract latest clients as an agency:
- Encourage referrals from existing customers using the rewards program.
- Create an engaging social media marketing strategy.
- Take part in industry events.
- Collaborate with other corporations/agencies/charities to expand your reach.
- Build your presence in your area people.
5. How to scale your business workload
As you acquire latest clients, your workload will increase. You need to be prepared for it before it happens, so you possibly can easily tackle a larger to-do list.
Of course, having an experienced team ready to get to work is a great start. Learn to delegate tasks to the right people and prioritize work to meet deadlines.
You also need to make sure that you simply do efficient processes that create functional workflows. A project management tool like Trello makes this task much easier with intuitive interfaces and seamless collaboration.
You can also need to update your software to support latest customers. Research industry tools and look at what competitor agencies are using to learn more about what you will need.
Remember, the more tasks you possibly can automate with software, the easier your job will likely be!
6. Deal with taxes and law
When you are wondering how to scale your business from freelancer to agency, it is important to concentrate to this taxes and legality. This will help protect your agency from any future problems and be certain that you use legally.
First, register your agency and apply for the essential permits and licenses. Also familiarize yourself with your local, state and federal taxes to make sure you won’t be assessed any high penalties. Also, arrange a money flow monitoring system to make sure your funds are in compliance with tax regulations to make the end of the yr easier.
Last words
Moving from a sole trader to a legal agency is all the time exciting, but it is exertions! Establish your agency on solid foundations using the digital tools, strategies, and suggestions we have shared in this text achieve long-term growth.