Lessons Learned: 3 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Small Marketing Agency
I graduated with my MBA in the Winter of 2018. I quickly found work, which led me to say yes to a marketing manager position at a local property management company. I knew it wasn’t the right fit almost immediately, but it filled my time with other side hustles, leading me to where I am today. No matter what my 9-5 looks like, I always say yes to building a business idea, helping clients with their marketing, and teaching piano because it’s something that has never lost its joy.
I began taking on marketing clients at the property management company, becoming a small marketing agency. As an agency, you offer a service. This is full of pros and cons, which I would love to share. Over the years, I have learned so many lessons offering marketing as a service, and so because of that, I want to impart some wisdom that I wish I had started.
Whether you offer marketing or any other service, this post is for you! Here are the tops 3 things I wish I knew going into providing a service.
Be specific
When offering a service, it is crucial to be specific about the parameters of what you offer. I have noticed the tendency to say “Yes! I can do that.” to just about any request from a client. The “high” of pleasing a client quickly leaves as I’m faced with, “How the heck am I going to accomplish this?” feeling. I essentially shoot myself in the foot every time I say yes. This wouldn’t be an issue if I had clearly defined my service offerings beforehand. This leaves little to no room for questions if I can handle something.
The problem is not that I can’t make it happen. The problem is that I don’t have the time to do it well. My advice to all those offering services is to be specific in your service offering. This allows you the space to fine-tune your craft and do it well.
Be Discerning
This is a big one for me. When you offer a service, it is essential to discern who you serve if you provide a service that lasts over time. I have told clients that if I had taken the time to understand what they needed, I could have confidently said to them that I did not fit their vision. By taking the time to understand what a potential client is looking for, and you have already outlined your specific service offering, you can quickly notice when a prospecting opportunity won’t be a great fit. And that is okay!
We are not meant to make everyone happy. We are not meant to help everyone. Remember, there is someone out there who could make the prospecting opportunity happy, and it’s okay if you are not that person.
Know Yourself
This one is a challenge for me, but it is so important. You have to know yourself as you start any business. Know what you like to do and what you do not like to do. It is not worth it to do a service you will get burnt out on in 2 months because you just don’t like it. You do have the ability to outsource activities, and I highly recommend it. Outsourcing anything you recognize is not your creative expertise drains you, and it just makes sense to outsource because you’ve had the nudge to do so. It is okay! By outsourcing tasks, you can do the functions you love well and excel at them vs. putting yourself in a position of burnout.
As I write this one, I just need you to know that I still don’t fully grasp this or implement it in my own business, but I know it is something I need to do.
These are only a few areas I have found to be most important in my current work scenario. I hope they give you the confidence to set boundaries for yourself to provide a happier work environment for your own catholic business and ultimately give you the graces needed to serve God’s people in the best way possible.
