3 Steps to Building a Successful Agency of 100 Employees

<p>Do you ever wonder what the big guys with over 100 agency employees are doing to be successful? Wonder what it takes to truly be a full-service agency? In order to have a successful agency, do you have to live in a large city like New York or LA? Careful planning and an understanding of your clients' needs is vital to building an agency and a large team able to provide a variety of different services.</p> <p>In this episode, we'll cover:</p> <ul> <li>Having a long-term plan for your agency.</li> <li>Mentoring your agency team.</li> <li>Why technology is more important than physical location.</li> </ul> <p>I talked to Reid Carr, the CEO of <a href= "https://www.reddoor.biz/">Red Door Interactive</a>, a full-service agency headquartered in San Diego that works with a number of well-known clients. Eighteen years ago, Reid decided he hadn't found a place where he wanted to be, so he created one. Since then, he learned a thing or two about growing a successful agency of 100 employees. Here are some steps he learned from the experience of providing full-service in an age of rapidly evolving technology.</p> <h2>Step One: Have a Long-Term Plan</h2> <p>According to Reid, the most important thing he did for Red Door happened before the business even began. He took a business plan writing class and developed a business plan workbook. And the plan wasn't just what he was going to do in the time immediately after starting the business. It was a <a href= "https://jasonswenk.com/agency-plan-for-success/">10-year plan</a>, and while it did address revenue and how many team members he planned to have, it focused on other aspects of the business:</p> <ul> <li>Ensuring that the team members who were hired to work for the agency were properly trained and given the freedom to excel in the service area where they were hired. Also ensuring resiliency in each service team by cross-training.  This makes recovering from a team member leaving easier for those who remain.</li> <li>Creating value for clients by integrating services and hi