We have some exciting news to share with the whole agency community. From January 2023 we will be rolling out version 3 of agency local.
It is our aim to provide the best all round business support infrastructure for small and growing agencies on your business journey. Yes, ‘all round business support’, not just sales, but every aspect of running a business from positioning and marketing, understanding your agency finance, and developing process.
In fact everything that will add real value to your business and will mean you are running a great agency.
Why version 3 ?
Agency Local was founded in 2019 and the first iteration was in a pre pandemic world, where we had face to face events and offered workshops.
Version 2 was a reaction to the pandemic and it laid the foundations for what agency local will become. During this time our aim was to support and help agencies to survive and thrive through the pandemic. This was done by running business educational online events and starting support groups, and offering 121 coaching.
Now we are in a post-pandemic age and what we provide to agencies needs to adapt and change once again for us to be able to provide a premium Business Support infrastructure for marketing agencies.
Welcome to Agency Local 3.0.
Our vision remains the same
To accompany agency owners on their agency business journey by providing a community to support and transform their agency business. Expanding business knowledge to create an agency with solid foundations, practical implementation support and build value into the business for the future.
To create the clarity of direction for the journey and to be there for the short term bumps in the road.
What’s Changing?
Oh where to start!
Learning and Education
In September we paused the ‘Ask The Expert ‘webinars and piloted ‘Active Based Learning’ (ABL). ABL is a much more practical focused experience with actions and accountability. The feedback has been amazing.
“This was the first time I have come away from a session genuinely inspired to make changes in the way I undertake my work. It was also great to speak to some focused, interesting people, all who had different ideas and experiences.” Owen Hughes MD EWO
We develop a practical focus for the month designed to improve your skills and to make an improvement to your agency. Knowledge is provided by short form videos for learning, followed up by a members event to discuss, experiment and apply to your agency. Accountability buddies are established and at the end of the month we come together to review the impact, celebrate successes and to counter any challenges.
So far our Practical Focuses have been on Time Management (how to get 4 hours back a week), Managing the emotion and commotion of Change (becoming a change agent) and Negotiation skills (winning better deals).
This is available for ALL members of Agency Local.
Peer Groups
We know how important it is to be surrounded by people that ‘get’ your business and your challenges.
We have been running ‘90 Day Planning’ groups for over a year and half now and these are brilliant for making significant changes and improvements in your business – on an ongoing basis. We are now expanding these by offering two new groups in January.
Agency Business Club
This is for those young agencies with 2-9 employees or teams that are serious about surviving and thriving. You will learn, you will be challenged, you will support others, and above all you will be held accountable. You will also have the opportunity to work with a ‘Guide’ on a 1to1 basis. This will be a half day on line group with a max of 8 people.
Upper Club
This for those agencies with 10 – 25 employees where the business challenges are somewhat different. Establishing teams, leadership teams, becoming more efficient, reducing your time in the agency. Same learning, challenge and accountability. This is a full day offsite group meeting.
Agency Business Guides
In order to be able to provide the premium business support we are expanding the number of Guides in Agency Local. They will all have extensive experience of running and most cases selling an agency. This provides a deeper pool of expertise as each Guide will have their own areas of specialism to support any agency problem or situation.
Agency Local Partners
A vital part of our community will be our partners. Partners are other businesses that provide services, training or products specific to agencies.
All Agency Local members will have access to these partners from within the community channels and will enjoy a discount off their products and services.
There will be a bigger announcement about these partners in the coming weeks.
New year, many changes, one new agency business support community.
As we head into what will no doubt be another turbulent year the need for support, learning and guidance becomes even more critical.
The changes announced here are designed to give you, the agency owner, founder or senior leader the access to all you need to help you to be more successful, to build a solid business and to create value in your best asset – your agency.
We look forward to welcoming you and working with you over the coming months and years.
You are on a business journey, we will be there for you at every stage of that journey. If you are interested in finding out more please reach out to Chris Bantock or any of the Guides or via the Contact Page we would be happy to help you.