Teams | Collaboration | Customer Service | Project Management

August 2022

Learn how to combat these challenges and become a more profitable agency

Do you wish your agency was actually profitable but don't know where to start? We get it, agencies face many challenges and it can be hard to look past the numbers and instead focus on the smaller steps you can take to help your agency become more profitable. Agency owners know that they must continue to grow and improve because even if you were profitable last year, that doesn't guarantee the same for the future.

How team collaboration makes or breaks your agency's projects

Team collaboration is a must when you’re working on projects — but sometimes it can feel a little like herding cats. Sure, it’s easier than ever to assemble a team, especially now with the rise of remote work and the wealth of communications apps out there. But the truth is, real team collaboration is much more than a Slack channel.

5-step internal communications strategy: Reducing the chaos of how teams talk

Anyone who played the telephone game as a kid knows the importance of accurate communication. It may sound dramatic, but being able to accurately and thoroughly communicate with team members may be the difference between companies reaching their goals and going out of business. Workplace communication has always posed a struggle, and the challenges have increased with the recent rise of remote work.

Your guide to project management offices (PMOs)

Project management is nothing new for your business: You already rely on project managers to keep the deliverables moving, break down information silos, and work toward project success. But as your business grows, you may reach a point where having a handful of project managers working as peers isn’t enough. There are a few telltale signs that you’ve reached this point: A project management office could be the solution to these and other issues.

7 powerful project planning tools for more effective workflows

No matter which methodology project managers subscribe to, they know they need to organize and execute tasks proactively and efficiently. They don’t just wake up one day with all facets of a project ready to roll. It takes planning, planning, and more planning. Project management tools make a manager’s job easier and more productive, and a project’s planning stage gets a major boost from project planning tools.

11 project management tips to boost productivity

The project management field keeps growing, and the demands on project managers keep growing, too. The great thing about project management is that there’s always room to improve workflows: You can always find new efficiencies, eliminate waste, and implement stronger tools and workflows. People come into project management in all sorts of ways. You may be a new project manager, or maybe you’re just considering getting into the field.

Your step-by-step guide for making a resource management plan

To complete projects successfully, you will need an effective resource management plan. With the right plan in place, you’ll be able to manage schedules, handle procurement, meet deadlines, and deliver a successful project to a happy client. So how do you create a resource management plan? And what are the benefits? Keep reading — we’ll explore it all below and give you an easy step-by-step guide to get you started.

How much should you charge for your services? A quick guide to profitability

Let’s face it, you didn’t start an agency because you’re obsessed with numbers. But whether you like it or not, understanding your business and how to set yourself (and your team!) up for success often starts with and comes down to numbers.

Building an initial pricing strategy 101: Agency edition

Figuring out what to charge for products is challenging. Determining what to charge for services is even harder. And when those services are both creative and wide-ranging — like they are at your agency — getting pricing just right can feel downright maddening. In this guide, we’ll show you what you need to know as you develop an initial pricing strategy for your agency, along with 14 strategies businesses across a spectrum of industries use to set their pricing.

When to hire an employee: Signs it's time to grow your agency

You’ve been running your agency with a small but mighty team, and it's been working out for you…or so you think. How do you know when it's not? Agencies can get used to running lean out of pure necessity, stuck in survival mode while efficiency, profitability, and employee happiness suffer–and don’t have to! But the thought of hiring help can seem like a bigger burden than a simple solution.

8 useful tips to keep your project management process organized

Project managers know the success or failure of a plan rests primarily on their shoulders — that’s why staying focused and organized is critical. Keeping team members on task, handling the inevitable issues that rear their ugly heads, and moving the project forward so the deliverables are completed on time takes more than luck and skill. Project success depends on how well you stay organized. There are dozens, or hundreds, of ideas and methodologies for staying organized.

A comprehensive guide on project resource management

Project planning is one critical component of project success. But projects don’t happen in a vacuum: To get any project work done, an organization needs people to do the work, materials from which to build the product, and money to pay for the entire operation. This is where resource management enters the picture. It goes a step beyond project management and proactively manages all resources required to successfully complete a project.

Marketing resource management: What it is, benefits, and best tools

The growing field of marketing resource management is transforming the way marketing departments and marketing firms organize their assets, structure their work, and allocate resources. This important discipline is still in flux and can mean different things to different audiences — and vendors. In this guide, we’ll define marketing resource management in a way that makes sense for creative agencies and marketing teams.