way that most scratch agencies get off the ground , the only way to scale your agency is by empowering others to join your vision . This includes Identifying the roles you can contribute to the agency with the most value and bringing in others to support the roles needed to accelerate your vision . The following are a few considerations that can help you determine when and which roles to hire in your agency .
MAP OUT YOUR CURRENT ROLES AND IDENTIFY WHERE YOU NEED SUPPORT
Every business operates within the same three functions :
• Sales / Marketing
• Operations
• Finance
Achieving operational excellence starts with identifying the current operations you are fulfilling within these functions for your agency and scoring each one as a strength or opportunity for growth . Given these three functions are important for the success of your business , these must be done well once your agency reaches the scale to manage multiple needs simultaneously .
This quick exercise can help you begin to think in terms of accountability for these functions :
1 . Draw three boxes on a sheet of paper and label each one with one of the functions listed above .
2 . In the respective box write down the top 3-5 roles or activities you are fulfilling for that function that requires dedicated time from you and an estimate of how much time you spend per week ( in hours or percent of working time ) on that role .
1 . Note , this doesn ’ t have to equal 100 % if you don ’ t list all roles , but at least try to capture how you spend the majority of your work week .
2 . Examples :
• Sales / Marketing write things like - Calling to set appointments 10 %, Networking at community events 10 %, and Guest speaking at community events 1 %.
• Operations - Generating 2-3 quotes for prospective clients 15 %, Setting up policies in the AMS 5 %, Creating proposals for prospective clients 15 %, Negotiating with carriers for new appointments 5 %.
• Finance - Handling carrier payables for agency bill policies 10 %, Bookkeeping and entering expenses each month 5 %, Paying the company expense card statement each month . 5 %, Learning to use the AMS accounting functions 15 %.
3 . Once you ’ ve identified the current top roles you are fulfilling and how much time they take each work week , identify whether you doing that role provides traction for your agency or friction causing roadblocks for your continued growth .
4 . Now get another piece of paper and separate it into two columns labeled Traction and Friction . In the respective columns write down the roles that you identified and the time allocation .
While you shouldn ’ t just take this paper and create a job description for your first hire , it can give you some guidance on the types of roles you should consider hiring first so that you can put the right person in the right seat to support your agency ’ s vision for growth and compliment your skill set .
TAKE THE TIME TO ANTICIPATE WHEN YOU NEED TO HIRE BEFORE YOU NEED TO HIRE
Now that you have a better understanding of where you may need support , knowing when you need support is critical . Some anecdotes state that you should hire into growth instead of hiring for growth , which is much easier said than done . Hiring as a scratch owner will often have significant opportunity costs while you are searching for and onboarding a new hire . However , the purpose of hiring is that the
MARCH / APRIL 2024
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