Each month, the HR managers and ‘people’ people of our Agency Hackers audience come together to discuss what’s going on in their world.

This month, we’re talking about giving feedback.

• Do you have a feedback process in your agency?
• How do you handle difficult conversations and negative feedback?
• What are the benefits of consistent feedback?
• Can staff feedback to you too?
• Do you use any software or tools for this?

Make sure to join this month’s session to discuss all this and more, and help others in need of some advice.

Software referral schemes – where you’re paid for introducing a technology to a client – give some agencies the ‘ick factor’. But is it time to reconsider?

“You’re not being unscrupulous – you’re helping them!” argues Peter Kilmartin, who heads up agency partnerships at Mapp.

“You might see a brand that signed up to a £200 a month MailChimp account when they were tiny. Now they’re a huge enterprise – but they’re still paying MailChimp £12k a month for a solution that isn’t really appropriate. Isn’t it your responsibility to move them to something that’s a better fit?”

In this session we’ll discuss how you can take full advantage of partner programs – without compromising your client relationships, or feeling like you’re not an honest broker.

Each month, the ops folk of our Agency Hackers audience come together to discuss what’s going on in their world.

This month, we’ll be discussing how to build a competent Senior Leadership Team.

• How can you identify leadership qualities?
• What management structure is best for your agency?
• Are you relying on upskilling or new hires?
• Do you have experience with leadership training programmes or coaching? Are they worth it?

Come along to discuss all this and more – and get advice from others in your position. If you’ve got this nailed down already, please lend your expertise!

“Now is a great time to be looking at the USA,” says Sophia ‘Puff’ Story, co-founder of 3SidedCube USA. “There’s a lot more stability than in the UK. Budgets are bigger, contracts are longer, and they’re welcoming UK agencies with open arms.”

Puff moved from Bournemouth to Florida in July 2021, and helped to launch the US arm of 3SidedCube. Just over a year on, and she’s noticed some stark differences between how both countries operate.

And while making an impact is perhaps slightly easier with a US presence – Puff says “being on the ground is important, with someone on a US time zone being critical” – outsourcing work is still a great opportunity for UK agencies who can’t make the move just yet.

“People are more open to having conversations about outsourcing work from the US to the UK now – our clients don’t mind that. We’ve been working with US clients for ten years, before the move – and we’ve shown them we know how to use the time zone to our advantage.”

Come along to this session to hear more about Puff’s Stateside journey so far, and how you might be able to make a splash across the pond – perhaps even from afar.

Our CFO surgery is for the finance folks of our community to ask questions, seek support, share insight into what’s going on in their agency.

This month, we’re talking about chasing client debt.

• How do you identify where the money has gone?
• How do you initiate the conversation? Do you have a process for handling tough client scenarios?
• How do you get your money back before the client goes under?
• What can you negotiate into future contracts to avoid this happening again?

Come along to share your thoughts and experiences, and hear how others in your shoes are managing this particularly tricky challenge.

Every month, the marketing minds of the Agency Hackers audience come together to discuss what’s going on in their world. 

This month, we’ll be talking about reviving dead clients.

• Have you considered this before? How did you approach it?
• Who’s worth reviving? How do you figure this out?
• How do you initiate the conversation? What channel do you use?
• Could this help you identify where you’re going wrong in your sales process?

Come along to discuss all of this and more, and maybe even pick up some tips. If you’re clued up on this already, please lend your expertise!

Each month, we get together to discuss what does and doesn’t work on LinkedIn. 

It’s a chance to share your social media struggles and successes – and get the lowdown on how to grow your brand. 

This month, we’ll be talking about ghostwriting.

• Could this strategy save you precious time when growing your brand?
• Is there a writer out there that can communicate your vision better than you do?
• Have you tried AI writing for LinkedIn? Is it worth considering?
• How can automation help with your social media game?
• How can you find the right person to write for you?

Come along to discuss all this and more, and maybe even pick up some tips…

With an ever changing cabinet and multiple world crises happening all at once, it’s not totally naïve to think that there isn’t much government help out there when it comes to growing your business – but you just have to look in the right places.

“The money is there, they have the budget, and they are desperate to use it. Because if they don’t, they don’t keep it,” says Louise Towler, managing director of Indigo Tree.

In the past two years or so, Louise has been able to propel her agency into new pastures by taking advantage of local grants and enterprise schemes.

“In the last 12 months, we’ve had about £60k’s worth of business from clients, just from me passing on information about grants they could apply for.”

Come along to hear Louise dive deep into the grants she’s obtained for her agency, how she won them, and the impact it’s had on her business. As always, don’t forget to bring along some questions!

2022 has been another yet year filled with – dare we say it – “unprecedented” events.

With the Russia-Ukraine war, the death of a monarch and a recession hanging over everyone’s heads and impacting businesses, how has your agency fared?

We’re celebrating the good, the bad and the ugly in the final State of the Nation of the year – Agency Hackers included.

Come along and share with the Agency Hackers gang for one last time this year as we say farewell to 2022.