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Transitioning from freelancer to CEO of your agency sounds easy, right? The truth is, while starting your agency might sound straightforward, it takes work. From building exceptional customer relationships to scouting exceptional talent, many subtle challenges and issues await. Luckily, these four networking tips will help you scale your freelance business.
Most agencies start small with part-time teams. To create an interim team, build a network of freelancers you’ll work with harmoniously and delegate the projects you wouldn’t do. This approach will allow you to take jobs requiring team effort and operate an agency service free of annual salary pressure.
As your agency grows, you’ll have to take a more oversight role in leading the business and growing the brand. This will require great personal and professional sacrifices. As the popular saying goes, “Great power demands great responsibility.”
Most freelancers starting their agencies don’t fully appreciate the importance of mentorship and coaching. As a freelancer building an LLC, you’ll inevitably make mistakes due to a lack of experience, leading to wasted effort, capital, and time. Experience can be a game changer, as entrepreneurs in their 60s are three times likelier to build successful startups than 20-year-old founders.
A business mentor will guide you on the best approaches for running an agency. They’ll teach you how to plan operational requirements and how to pick the right lead-generation strategies and budget.
Experienced mentors can also open doors to networking opportunities by introducing you to other investors, collaborators, and new clients. When finding a mentor, look for traits such as honesty and objectivity toward your achievements and weaknesses. Constructive and honest feedback will be crucial in the early days of your freelance agency to help you grow holistically as an entrepreneur.
This approach is one of the biggest game-changer moves you can make when switching from freelancing to launching your agency. If you come from a city or large town, you can identify and join local business gatherings to discover like-minded freelancers. To start, open your browser and type “business networking in [your town].”
To make the most out of the events, do these things:
A majority of people (90%) are more likely to become loyal clients when they get a product recommendation from someone they trust. You can boost your freelance agency’s growth by leveraging current relationships with other individuals or businesses you have worked successfully with before.
It is important to ask customers directly to maximize your chances of receiving referrals and establish a system detailing when and how customers should be referred. The system should also state the discounts, points, or rewards (if any) the customer will receive.
In due course, Upwork freelancers must decide between starting their agencies and continuing to work independently. Although the former significantly alters one’s professional life, owning an agency is a worthwhile undertaking full of enormous growth opportunities. Eric Siu and Neil Patel are examples of people who have gone from freelancing to owning nine-figure agencies. So, what are you waiting for?
Transitioning from freelancer to CEO of your agency sounds easy, right? The truth is, while starting your agency might sound straightforward, it takes work. From building exceptional customer relationships to scouting exceptional talent, many subtle challenges and issues await. Luckily, these four networking tips will help you scale your freelance business.
Most agencies start small with part-time teams. To create an interim team, build a network of freelancers you’ll work with harmoniously and delegate the projects you wouldn’t do. This approach will allow you to take jobs requiring team effort and operate an agency service free of annual salary pressure.
As your agency grows, you’ll have to take a more oversight role in leading the business and growing the brand. This will require great personal and professional sacrifices. As the popular saying goes, “Great power demands great responsibility.”
Most freelancers starting their agencies don’t fully appreciate the importance of mentorship and coaching. As a freelancer building an LLC, you’ll inevitably make mistakes due to a lack of experience, leading to wasted effort, capital, and time. Experience can be a game changer, as entrepreneurs in their 60s are three times likelier to build successful startups than 20-year-old founders.
A business mentor will guide you on the best approaches for running an agency. They’ll teach you how to plan operational requirements and how to pick the right lead-generation strategies and budget.
Experienced mentors can also open doors to networking opportunities by introducing you to other investors, collaborators, and new clients. When finding a mentor, look for traits such as honesty and objectivity toward your achievements and weaknesses. Constructive and honest feedback will be crucial in the early days of your freelance agency to help you grow holistically as an entrepreneur.
This approach is one of the biggest game-changer moves you can make when switching from freelancing to launching your agency. If you come from a city or large town, you can identify and join local business gatherings to discover like-minded freelancers. To start, open your browser and type “business networking in [your town].”
To make the most out of the events, do these things:
A majority of people (90%) are more likely to become loyal clients when they get a product recommendation from someone they trust. You can boost your freelance agency’s growth by leveraging current relationships with other individuals or businesses you have worked successfully with before.
It is important to ask customers directly to maximize your chances of receiving referrals and establish a system detailing when and how customers should be referred. The system should also state the discounts, points, or rewards (if any) the customer will receive.
In due course, Upwork freelancers must decide between starting their agencies and continuing to work independently. Although the former significantly alters one’s professional life, owning an agency is a worthwhile undertaking full of enormous growth opportunities. Eric Siu and Neil Patel are examples of people who have gone from freelancing to owning nine-figure agencies. So, what are you waiting for?
