Flash Report – V25.12
This BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT information is for AgencyFinder Certified Agencies, Agency New Business Executives and agency subscribers. We communicate to opt-in registered member agencies using e-mail. The contents of this Flash Report is the opinion of the writer and is not meant to be an infallible source of fact.
Good Monday Morning!
CONTENTS – Continuing Emergency Circumstances Warrant Business Development Strategies
- Was that a Pin I Just Heard Drop?
- Working from Home Isn’t Such a Bad Norm
- Fed Loan & Grant Programs are Worth Considering
- Give Yourself Room to Grieve – COVID -19 Pandemic
- Negatives – 10 Least Useful Trends in Agency Websites
- Financial Decision – Is this Your Time to Sell? We Have a Buyer
- Special $Offer – Quarterly payments & 24-month programs
- In Recovery, Consider Upgrading Your Plan
WAS THAT A PIN I JUST HEARD DROP?
There’s the expression “it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.” Well, for most of you and here as well, it has been unusually quiet. But interestingly our analytics programs and visitor traffic reports show an high level of nosey visitors. They’ve been poking around and they come from everywhere. We tend to care more about potential clients, as in those searching for an agency because you do, but agencies visit and tend to go ahead and enroll. Brand clients are more cautious but we’ve seen some significant “players” and they’ve already taken initial steps. Typically they enroll on subsequent visits – so come on clients! BTW, you should be there to greet them.
WORKING FROM HOME ISN’T SUCH A BAD NORM
Seems like we’ve all become accustomed to the “talking Head” look, and no one is surprised or bothered when a child or dog passes by in the background. It’s the admission and acceptance that we can all work from wherever we wish and it doesn’t compromise the quality of the work we do or the resulting results. This therefore may represent a real breakthrough for how and from where we work.. But what hasn’t changed – children home from school needing attention, needing care and feeding, and anything to keep them occupied (and quiet). This time though, background noises won’t require an apology.
FED LOAN & GRANT PROGRAMS ARE WORTH CONSIDERING
Here’s just a portion of the language from the SBA regarding access to Capital: 7(a) program offers loan amounts up to $5,000,000 and is an all-inclusive loan program deployed by lending partners for eligible small businesses within the U.S. States and its territories. The uses of proceeds include: working capital; expansion/renovation; new construction; purchase of land or buildings; purchase of equipment, fixtures; lease-hold improvements; refinancing debt for compelling reasons; seasonal line of credit; inventory; or starting a business. Find more at: https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources
GIVE YOURSELF ROOM TO GRIEVE – COVID – 19 PANDEMIC
We are living through what feels like a surreal moment in time. I don’t know about you, but there are times when I have to stop and think “Is this real? Am I really on house arrest, wearing a mask to the grocery store, and feeling offended when someone stands within three feet of me?” It happened to me today. The weather has finally warmed up and I was in the backyard, trying to exhaust the puppy so I could get some work done. I took in a deep breath of fresh air, laughed at the puppy pouncing on the ball I’d thrown, and thought, “today is a good day.” It felt perfectly normal. Continued…
NEGATIVES – 10 LEAST USEFUL TRENDS IN AGENCY WEBSITES
Do you know what percentage of serious new business prospects visit your website? 100%. They all do. Because all prospective buyers of your services want to know what exactly what it is you’re selling. And although different marketers might want to know different things about your firm, they’re all ultimately looking to find one thing: expertise. Marketers are interested in your firm because…
FINANCIAL DECISION – IS THIS YOUR TIME TO SELL? WE HAVE A BUYER
We’ve been engaged by a Midwestern company in the advertising industry to identify and then introduce them to marketing firms with certain characteristics. This company is interested in making carefully considered acquisitions of agencies with experience in certain vertical markets including automobiles & light trucks, Healthcare, Retail stores & chains, offering certain services, located in certain geographic regions and with an EBITA in the $1MM – $2MM range.
Partnering with this company offers the values and personalized care of a local agency with the sophistication, breath of services, and high- performance talent of a large national company. They offer a unique entrepreneurial platform that provides freedom, control and potential to advertising individuals and agencies. Their “campus” consists of many acres with multiple buildings, including Headquarters & Operations / Film Studio / Café / Sign Company / and Fitness Center. If any of this interests you, let me know. Write Subject – Sell. Then I can tell you more.
SPECIAL OFFER – QUARTERLY PAYMENTS & 24-MONTH PROGRAMS
Under the circumstances, we’ve introduced quarterly credit card payment options for our 12-month plans. This option isn’t on the Plan payment page, so call me for details. 804-346-1812. We’re also offering 24-month programs for the price of 12. That option requires full payment at the onset. Just do it and you’re automatically credited with 24-months.
IN RECOVERY, CONSIDER UPGRADING YOUR PLAN
Urgent – If your firm isn’t already at one of the paid levels, I can’t imagine anyone from your agency enrolling here, building your profile and then NOT wanting invitations from clients looking to hire. Our free Iridium plan is essentially a business card listing, so if you want to engage a client prospect with your due-diligence call and interview, you need a paid registration. Smaller agencies generally select our Manager Plan; larger firms seem to prefer the EVP plan. For complete details start HERE; finish HERE. Questions? Just ask!
