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Agency: Starting a Creative Firm in the Age of Digital Marketing
As large agencies have struggled to adapt to the digital age, they have come to rely on these freelancers and specialists. These specialists have begun forming shops of their own - the new modern version of the agency. Increased marketing fragmentation and brand's need for specialists means that the time has never been better for a freelancers or niche service providers to build their own small firms. All they're missing is the guidance they need to find their footing.
While specialist agencies and freelancers are highly skilled, most have a lot to learn about the mechanics of starting and running an agency. Many of these specialists come from a different background than those who traditionally started agencies: they come from the internet, not the ad world. In Agency, Rick Webb provides a comprehensive guidebook - giving readers the knowledge, strategies, and understanding they'll need to make the exciting transition into a modern creative services firm. Drawing from his experience running his own digital ad agency and working with countless innovative tech start-ups, Webb focuses not just on how to get started, but how to survive in a competitive marketplace. This is a hands-on master class in everything that the agency manager needs to know. From understanding small business banking, to deciding how to price a job and manage procurement, to winning new business, Agency provides everything from basic business and leadership skills to insider tips and industry information. Webb outlines the shape of the ecosystem in which new agencies will be finding their place. Packed with personal anecdotes from his time starting and running the highly successful Barbarian Group, Webb provides practical techniques for building an agile company.
Modern agency upstarts need a different sort of education, and Agency provides a remarkable crash course.
While specialist agencies and freelancers are highly skilled, most have a lot to learn about the mechanics of starting and running an agency. Many of these specialists come from a different background than those who traditionally started agencies: they come from the internet, not the ad world. In Agency, Rick Webb provides a comprehensive guidebook - giving readers the knowledge, strategies, and understanding they'll need to make the exciting transition into a modern creative services firm. Drawing from his experience running his own digital ad agency and working with countless innovative tech start-ups, Webb focuses not just on how to get started, but how to survive in a competitive marketplace. This is a hands-on master class in everything that the agency manager needs to know. From understanding small business banking, to deciding how to price a job and manage procurement, to winning new business, Agency provides everything from basic business and leadership skills to insider tips and industry information. Webb outlines the shape of the ecosystem in which new agencies will be finding their place. Packed with personal anecdotes from his time starting and running the highly successful Barbarian Group, Webb provides practical techniques for building an agile company.
Modern agency upstarts need a different sort of education, and Agency provides a remarkable crash course.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 6, 2015
62 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Rick Webb
6 books86 followersInvestor and writer, venture partner at Quotidian Ventures, and CEO of Secret Clubhouse, a coworking space in Brooklyn. Co-founder of The Barbarian Group, served as their COO for the first ten years, and served at Tumblr as a consultant on Marketing and Revenue. Owns a record label called The Archenemy Record Company.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 12, 2015
Rick Webb is to the rise of creative digital what Dr. Ruth was to sex in the 80's. So: if you are in a creative agency of any sort, read this book. Now.
If you're a creative entrepreneur (or have ever considered becoming one), this is literally the best $20 you will ever spend. If you are an employee, you will find deep wisdom that colors your understanding of the company, the competing interests that your employers face and the importance of your role - whatever it is - in contributing to the health of the entire company.
Rick paints a clear picture of the arc of a creative company from vision to exit, providing clear, tactical advice on how to handle tricky situations with respect and, more importantly, how to avoid getting into many of them in the first place.
Looking back, I probably truly understood about 25% of this book when I started my own company, The Science Project (though I thought I knew much more). Five years in I probably knew maybe 50% of what this book has to offer - but only after spending countless hours (and dollars) learning only that much. This book completed a picture for me and has helped me to resolve more than a few current roadblocks and frame the future of my company more clearly to the benefit of my partner, our advisors, and our employees. (OK also: my wife.)
Instant classic. Entertaining read. Indispensable handbook. And again: the best $20 you will ever spend on your company and career.
If you're a creative entrepreneur (or have ever considered becoming one), this is literally the best $20 you will ever spend. If you are an employee, you will find deep wisdom that colors your understanding of the company, the competing interests that your employers face and the importance of your role - whatever it is - in contributing to the health of the entire company.
Rick paints a clear picture of the arc of a creative company from vision to exit, providing clear, tactical advice on how to handle tricky situations with respect and, more importantly, how to avoid getting into many of them in the first place.
Looking back, I probably truly understood about 25% of this book when I started my own company, The Science Project (though I thought I knew much more). Five years in I probably knew maybe 50% of what this book has to offer - but only after spending countless hours (and dollars) learning only that much. This book completed a picture for me and has helped me to resolve more than a few current roadblocks and frame the future of my company more clearly to the benefit of my partner, our advisors, and our employees. (OK also: my wife.)
Instant classic. Entertaining read. Indispensable handbook. And again: the best $20 you will ever spend on your company and career.
April 5, 2020
Keçən ilin yayında bu mövzuda çox kitab axtarmışdım, elə o vaxtlarda da bu kitabı oxumağa başlamışdım. Müəllif demək olar ki, agentlik işinin qurulmasıyla bağlı bütün detalları fəsil-fəsil açıb. Öz-özümə gəldiyim qənaətlərin çoxuyla kitabda da qarşılaşdım.
- Ümumi işin gəlirdən çox dəyərlilik üzərinə qurulması
- Şirkətin konkret bir mədəniyyətə sahib olmasının vacibliyi
- İşçilərlə olan yaxşı münasibətlərin vacibliyi
və s. bunun kimi çox yaxşı fəsillər və qeydlər var idi.
Bu baxımdan kitabı yaxşı bələdçi adlandırmaq olar.
*Səhv etmirəmsə, müəllif öz şirkətini daha sonra Samsung-un sahibi olduğu bir reklam agentliyi şəbəkəsinə 20 milyon dollara satıb.
- Ümumi işin gəlirdən çox dəyərlilik üzərinə qurulması
- Şirkətin konkret bir mədəniyyətə sahib olmasının vacibliyi
- İşçilərlə olan yaxşı münasibətlərin vacibliyi
və s. bunun kimi çox yaxşı fəsillər və qeydlər var idi.
Bu baxımdan kitabı yaxşı bələdçi adlandırmaq olar.
*Səhv etmirəmsə, müəllif öz şirkətini daha sonra Samsung-un sahibi olduğu bir reklam agentliyi şəbəkəsinə 20 milyon dollara satıb.
November 28, 2015
Rick gives a very realistic view of an agency's journey from nothingness to being viable and onto thriving. He doesn't sugar-coat anything; instead he says where hurdles normally show up. He honestly admits how he tried to get over hurdles, both the failures and the successes. Takes humility and bravery to talk like this. As another agency owner, I appreciate it.
January 4, 2020
This has a little of everything in it, and is solid advice. But if you’re like me and find yourself working in the sticks with small clients that have budgets of about $5000 a year, much of this book is going to seem like a wild dream.
March 3, 2020
Far too many 4-5 star reviews on here; it isn't THAT good of a book. It's an OK, semi-useful book. The opening Culture/Vision section is mostly a lot of wishy-washy stuff you've likely read in various startup and entrepreneurship books before. Yes, have a company that stands for something other than "making money". We get it. It's been said many times before. The stuff about agile and Scrum in the book really felt tacked on and unnecessary. You can read about these concepts in much better detail in books that are focused specifically on these topics.
The Pitch chapter offers some useful guidelines on approaching pitches. I found the "Operations" section the most useful part of the book, providing guidelines on how much to charge and doing SOWs, invoices, etc. The ~1-2x valuation estimations (for service firms) provided in "How much is my company worth?" seemed reasonable and grounded.
The book also assumes that you'll be growing a company to a really significant level with at least 20+ employees and eventually selling it to a holding company or something of that nature. This is quite the assumption but, hey, if you happen to be one of the few out there who will actually do that, perhaps the final few chapters about what's next/"Getting Acquired" will be useful to you. For most, in reality -- it won't be.
The Pitch chapter offers some useful guidelines on approaching pitches. I found the "Operations" section the most useful part of the book, providing guidelines on how much to charge and doing SOWs, invoices, etc. The ~1-2x valuation estimations (for service firms) provided in "How much is my company worth?" seemed reasonable and grounded.
The book also assumes that you'll be growing a company to a really significant level with at least 20+ employees and eventually selling it to a holding company or something of that nature. This is quite the assumption but, hey, if you happen to be one of the few out there who will actually do that, perhaps the final few chapters about what's next/"Getting Acquired" will be useful to you. For most, in reality -- it won't be.
May 25, 2019
Soup to Nuts
Webb has thought of everything in this book. It's a real world crash course in how to actually start, build, run and ultimately sell an agency.
Webb has thought of everything in this book. It's a real world crash course in how to actually start, build, run and ultimately sell an agency.
July 14, 2019
Essential reading for anyone in advertising or looking to start an agency.
September 19, 2016
Doing it right now. Wanted to see if there's anything we were missing, there were a few things. Book is solid. Disagree with a few things, but book is solid. Highly recommended if you want to roll your own shop.
May 17, 2015
Great book to get a crash course on starting your own agency. Heavily based an Marketing agencies (as opposed to only digital ones) and to the United States market though.
March 11, 2015
Step by step by step. Very enlightening stuff that gets right to the nuts and bolts. Even if you're looking at starting a traditional shop, there is a ton of helpful information.
Read
May 12, 2016Great book on starting a creative marketing agency in the digital age. It covers everything.
July 30, 2015
An important must read
Not often do I find a book that is exactly what I hoped it would be. If the title applies to you - I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Not often do I find a book that is exactly what I hoped it would be. If the title applies to you - I cannot recommend it highly enough.
January 31, 2017
One of the few books I've read multiple times
The ultimate Book Club topic. Share it with a vendor and a client ... to be a partner and a friend.
The ultimate Book Club topic. Share it with a vendor and a client ... to be a partner and a friend.
February 18, 2016
to read my review, please visit http://the-agency-review.com/agency
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews