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Handing Over

There are times when starting a business when you feel like you’re the only one working hard to keep all the balls in the air at the same time. You’re juggling your sales, marketing, accountancy and HR needs while doing your main job of providing your product or service. If it looks like those balls are going to come crashing down then you need to consider whether it’s time to bring in some outside assistance.

We’re talking about a consultant, agency or freelancers to handle some of the day-to-day for a while until you can recruit more members to your team to take up the slack. How do you choose an agency who’s going to be on board with your objectives and improve your marketing? We take a look at some key points to consider when taking on outside help.

Interview Widely

By all means get recommendations from friends or colleagues but bear in mind that what works well for one industry does not necessarily translate to another. Invite applications from across the board and select your top five to interview. Make sure they’re diverse but offer you real value for money.

A larger agency, while rich in resources may not offer the best deal in terms of customer relationship. You may find yourself a small fish in a big pond and not feel that your business needs are given sufficient time and dedication. On the other hand, you’ll want to consider whether a solo consultant or much smaller agency can handle the projects you’re hoping to hand over.

Rapport

Communication is vital in making the consultant/client relationship work so make sure that you’re getting heard and understood. If you feel that you’re being agreed with as a way of fobbing you off or that they haven’t adequately understood your business, then consider that a red flag and the possibility that this agency isn’t the one for you.

Your choice of consultant or agency should be fully committed to attaining the goals you set, whether that’s boosting your sales or helping get your accounts or HR systems back on track. You set the goals, they fill in the blanks.

Value For Money

Beware of an interviewee who promises the world. Rather than offering value for money this can be the offer of a business in trouble. You want to strike a balance between your budgetary needs and the high quality you demand from your appointee.

Handing over the reins to someone else can feel a little daunting, especially if you’re a solopreneur who has worked hard to make the business work on your terms. However, you know the long-term success of your business relies on being freed up to concentrate on what you’re really good at while someone else carries out the tasks that you don’t enjoy or don’t come so naturally to you.

A great agency or consultant will help you feel like you have a team working for you and help take your business exactly where it needs to go, towards a profitable and sustainable future.

To conclude here is a shameless plug

As a digital agency, DigitLab, we are looking for strong long term partnerships with our clients. We are looking to solve challenging problems and to make a significant impact in our client’s business. If we sound like the partner for you feel free to drop me a line to discuss this in more detail.

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