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Intro: Digital agency owner of 10 years

david76

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Hi guys. So a little about me.

I took the momentous decision to resign from my 14 year job. I'd had a young family,so it was a huge gamble.

10 years later and my business is still going, now with 7 staff, and many happy clients.

However, I don't feel content, nor successful.

My business is a digital marketing agency. So we do everything from helping people design and launch their new brands and websites, to the marketing of their business over social and google.

My job is pressured. I have 6 great team members, but obviously have overall responsibility for their output. On a daily basis I'm helping our clients, several of whom turnover tens of millions per year.

Without wanting to blow my own trumpet....I know my stuff. I understand development tasks, managing developers, managing designers. I have super strong knowledge of paid marketing campaigns, and super strong knowledge of conversion optimization. Every clients we have leans on me for advice....in everything from their website to recruitment. Id like to think I have grafted and crafted my current position, and Im proud of how much knowledge I have and how it often significantly impacts and helps other business owners.

All of this comes with significant pressure. For example I have to ensure the business turns over at least £25,000 every month in order to pay the wages....it always does.

My discontent however grows, as personally I'm financially worse off than I was ten years ago. Im taking home less than £30k per year....yet I have this huge demand on my time, and expertise. People around me think Im successful because of all I do, but I feel a fraud, as Im taking home less than some of the PAs of our clients.

On a daily basis I see jobs advertised for £60k and think....I could do that with my eyes closed. Yet I persist with the business. I suppose what I have come to realise, is that the industry Im in, isnt one where you make yourself rich unless you have significant entrepreneurial skills....and Im resenting the fact that Im working so hard and achieving so much for my clients, whilst Im left behind.

So.....thats my fairly short version of why I have joined this forum. I want to see what else is out there....and if I should be pumping my time into something else that may actually better my life.

Cheers guys.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Wow, sounds like you built yourself a prison, but in reality, you built yourself a job...

I wrote three books on the exact problem you are suffering. You might want to read 1 or 2 of them. And if you had read them, you should know an answer to your problems. In short, you are cheating yourself -- your experience should lead to asymmetrical potential, because YOU have potential. Good luck.
 
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heavy_industry

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Welcome!
If you have the skills needed to grow an online business, why won't you use them to build and grow your own business instead of selling your skills to others?
 

Andy Black

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Hi guys. So a little about me.

I took the momentous decision to resign from my 14 year job. I'd had a young family,so it was a huge gamble.

10 years later and my business is still going, now with 7 staff, and many happy clients.

However, I don't feel content, nor successful.

My business is a digital marketing agency. So we do everything from helping people design and launch their new brands and websites, to the marketing of their business over social and google.

My job is pressured. I have 6 great team members, but obviously have overall responsibility for their output. On a daily basis I'm helping our clients, several of whom turnover tens of millions per year.

Without wanting to blow my own trumpet....I know my stuff. I understand development tasks, managing developers, managing designers. I have super strong knowledge of paid marketing campaigns, and super strong knowledge of conversion optimization. Every clients we have leans on me for advice....in everything from their website to recruitment. Id like to think I have grafted and crafted my current position, and Im proud of how much knowledge I have and how it often significantly impacts and helps other business owners.

All of this comes with significant pressure. For example I have to ensure the business turns over at least £25,000 every month in order to pay the wages....it always does.

My discontent however grows, as personally I'm financially worse off than I was ten years ago. Im taking home less than £30k per year....yet I have this huge demand on my time, and expertise. People around me think Im successful because of all I do, but I feel a fraud, as Im taking home less than some of the PAs of our clients.

On a daily basis I see jobs advertised for £60k and think....I could do that with my eyes closed. Yet I persist with the business. I suppose what I have come to realise, is that the industry Im in, isnt one where you make yourself rich unless you have significant entrepreneurial skills....and Im resenting the fact that Im working so hard and achieving so much for my clients, whilst Im left behind.

So.....thats my fairly short version of why I have joined this forum. I want to see what else is out there....and if I should be pumping my time into something else that may actually better my life.

Cheers guys.
Welcome.

People have figured this out, so it’s possible.

Can you offer less services and take on more clients with the same headcount? (Maybe by creating a productised service?)

Or can you charge (a lot) more for your current services?

Do you have a project manager overseeing projects or are you doing that yourself?

How can you step away from the coalface and work ON your business and not IN your business?
 

david76

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May 5, 2022
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Welcome!
If you have the skills needed to grow an online business, why won't you use them to build and grow your own business instead of selling your skills to others?
That's exactly why I have joined the forum. However, the main point in answer to your question is that digital marketing a business probably represents 5% of everything that goes into running a successful and lucrative business. I've already grown a stable and successful business. I certainly dont want to do it again until I'm certain it's actually going to be lucrative.
 

Paul David

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Hi guys. So a little about me.

I took the momentous decision to resign from my 14 year job. I'd had a young family,so it was a huge gamble.

10 years later and my business is still going, now with 7 staff, and many happy clients.

However, I don't feel content, nor successful.

My business is a digital marketing agency. So we do everything from helping people design and launch their new brands and websites, to the marketing of their business over social and google.

My job is pressured. I have 6 great team members, but obviously have overall responsibility for their output. On a daily basis I'm helping our clients, several of whom turnover tens of millions per year.

Without wanting to blow my own trumpet....I know my stuff. I understand development tasks, managing developers, managing designers. I have super strong knowledge of paid marketing campaigns, and super strong knowledge of conversion optimization. Every clients we have leans on me for advice....in everything from their website to recruitment. Id like to think I have grafted and crafted my current position, and Im proud of how much knowledge I have and how it often significantly impacts and helps other business owners.

All of this comes with significant pressure. For example I have to ensure the business turns over at least £25,000 every month in order to pay the wages....it always does.

My discontent however grows, as personally I'm financially worse off than I was ten years ago. Im taking home less than £30k per year....yet I have this huge demand on my time, and expertise. People around me think Im successful because of all I do, but I feel a fraud, as Im taking home less than some of the PAs of our clients.

On a daily basis I see jobs advertised for £60k and think....I could do that with my eyes closed. Yet I persist with the business. I suppose what I have come to realise, is that the industry Im in, isnt one where you make yourself rich unless you have significant entrepreneurial skills....and Im resenting the fact that Im working so hard and achieving so much for my clients, whilst Im left behind.

So.....thats my fairly short version of why I have joined this forum. I want to see what else is out there....and if I should be pumping my time into something else that may actually better my life.

Cheers guys.

Cut the number of services you offer, and focus on just one. ie website design or facebook ads or whatever. Focus on one niche.

Reduce the number of staff and create a systemised business where you become the expert at that service in your niche.
 

Andy Black

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As well as MJ’s books, “Built To Sell” might help you. Just don’t get it on Audible.
 

david76

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May 5, 2022
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7
Wow, sounds like you built yourself a prison, but in reality, you built yourself a job...

I wrote three books on the exact problem you are suffering. You might want to read 1 or 2 of them. And if you had read them, you should know an answer to your problems. In short, you are cheating yourself -- your experience should lead to asymmetrical potential, because YOU have potential. Good luck.
It definitely isn't a prison, as I very much enjoy what I do. It has afforded me more time with family, and since the day I launched Ive walked my daughter to school every day, and never missed a panto, play or sports day. To that end, starting the business has been a huge success.

I will take a look at your books :)
 
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livetrue

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And here I am, just starting to try and build a successful web agency as you've had! I'm about 1 month in.

What advice would you give to someone starting out?
What would you do differently if you had to do it all over again?
 

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