This month, I’m looking up and realizing that I’ve been running a marketing consulting (agency) business for 19 years. When data suggests that only 5% of businesses make it to the 10-year mark, I’m quite satisfied with where I am and who I’ve become.
I was reminded of several lessons learned over the years when reading this month’s Advertising Age and the “Opinion” article by Peter Madden. Peter is the founder of AgileCat in Philadelphia, a small creative agency, so I thought I should share “Madden’s Lessons in Small Agency Ownership.” Peter’s words:
- Realize what you’re great at and do it all the time. Realize what you suck at and stop doing it completely (and put the right person in place to do it).
- If you want to make a point that sticks, stop yelling. Or, keep yelling and look ridiculous.
- Work as hard on your presentations to your staff as you do on your presentations to prospects and clients. (Wendistry words: i.e. your staff needs to be as in-the-know and up-to-speed on your firm’s capabilities as the outsiders you’re trying to impress are.)
- Tell your clients when you screw up and how something could have been better. They already know you blew it, but just want to hear it from you.
- Trust your instincts. You can interview a prospective employee or client 10 times, and they can say and do all the right things, but if your Spidey sense is tingling, something is amiss.
- Read Keith Ferrazzi’s “Never Eat Alone” and stop handing out your business card like a Vegas dealer.
- One out of every 10 consultants will actually be a help to you. Finding that one is the toughest part. The right one probably asks all the questions you hate.
- Do pro bono work for nonprofit organizations that are trying hard to make the world a better place. You’ll get more out of it.
- Put your f***ing BlackBerry/iPhone down when you’re meeting with me.
- Write personal notes thanking people you meet with and who are in your life.
About Wendi McGowan