Growing Your Agency Without Making Internal Enemies
Yep. You read that right. I am talking about scaling your agency without overwhelming your team or yourself.
If your agency feels like it’s held together by your coffee consumption and Slack messages at odd hours, you’re not alone. I’ve worked with multiple agencies, including a seven-figure firm that was struggling with overworked teams, lack of clear roles, and inconsistent processes. Here’s what I did to turn things around—and how you can do the same.
The Chaos Problem: Why Everything Feels So Hard
Creative agencies thrive on collaboration, but that doesn’t mean your team should feel like they’re constantly firefighting. Some common chaos-inducing problems:
- No Clear Ownership: Tasks get done, but no one’s really sure who is responsible for what.
- Disorganized Processes: Projects take longer than they should because there’s no defined workflow.
- Communication Overload: Endless messages, emails, and meetings that eat into billable hours.
- Scaling Without Structure: You’ve grown, but your operations haven’t kept up.
How I Fixed It for a Marketing Agency
When I stepped in as a fractional COO for a seven-figure marketing agency, here’s how I tackled the problem:
- Defined Roles & Responsibilities
- I created clear job descriptions for every team member.
- I introduced a RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrix to eliminate confusion.
- Streamlined Project Management
- I cleaned up their project management tools (they had too many!) and standardized their workflow.
- Set up repeatable templates for proposals and client onboarding, cutting down non-billable admin time.
- Optimized Team Workflows
- I structured team check-ins to be efficient and action-driven, reducing unnecessary meetings.
- Built an accountability system that made performance tracking easier without micromanagement.
What You Can Do Right Now
- Map out your workflows. Write down how your projects move from lead to final delivery. Where are the bottlenecks?
- Assign clear owners to key responsibilities. If people are stepping on each other’s toes, it’s time to document who does what.
- Audit your tools. Are you using 10 different software solutions when 3 would do the job?
Want Your Agency to Run Smoother?
This is exactly what I do for creative agencies as a fractional COO. If you’re tired of the chaos and ready for structure that supports creativity (instead of killing it), let’s chat.