A short YouTube update from an agency founder describing how the agency stayed profitable during COVID-19 by focusing on team culture, a tightly defined micro-niche (exclusive/retained clients), and strong systems/automation supported by a virtual team. The speaker reports rising demand for tech roles, credits brand-building over the prior 4–5 years, notes they’ve been working on a coaching/mentorship program with nearly 50 entrepreneurs, and invites viewers to join a private Facebook community and comment with their challenges. He also mentions being in the office only two to three days per week and taking staff (including furloughed employees) out for team drinks.
Questions this video answers
Close to 50 ("we've got close to 50 vibrant entrepreneurs").
Two to three days a week ("I've been in the agency probably realistically two to three days a week").
Chapters
Hello everybody. In today's video, it's Friday and just finishing up in the office. So I thought I'd record a quick video to give you an update on how the agency is going. As you can see, probably most people have cleared out the office now because it's Friday, what, 5:30, so actually taking the team out for some team drinks in a local place in town. So we actually taking all of our staff as well as some of the employees that are currently on furlough as well. So I think it's very important to keep and maintain the team culture to do these things. And so we're looking forward to that in the next couple of hours. The business has really picked up over the last probably two or three weeks, we've found since the pandemic, etc. And things trying to go back to some sort of normality. There's been quite a big demand still for tech roles. So that's been fantastic. I think one of the key things and lessons learned here has been when you really zone down into your micro niche, niche within a niche, and you've got clients that are still exclusive or retained, and you've got a big broad selection of clients as well. When things take a dip and certain clients aren't hiring, then you've always got these micro flywheels working off your exclusive and retained clients coming back to make hires. I know not every sector that's been buoyant because we have been, some might say lucky that we've been in a sector that is still hiring and still quite buoyant. But also that's down to hard work over the last four to five years, really building the brand and building the agency out to deliver great results within a micro niche. So I know some people watching this are looking to start their own agency. What I would say, even in uncertainty, this is a fantastic time to either start or grow your agency in the right way. So if you're a traditional agency that is still relying on what I call the old way of recruitment, now is your time to adapt. There's a famous Charles Darwin always says, it's not the strongest of species that survive, it's the ones most adaptable to change. Now is that time to change. And when I say change, have you systemized the business? Have you got strong, core, fundamental systems that really work for you? So a system for us is a way of constantly engaging with candidates and clients that is not just relying on the human element picking up the phone. Yes, you need to create conversations, but what, what processes are you using to actually get those conversations live using systems, using automation. So are you using certain automation tools in order for you to grow and scale without having to hire more employees? Now more than ever is being the best time to do that because we run a really lean and agile business and that's being able to still withstand the storm that happened. And we still luckily, like I said, some might say it's luck, but we've managed to still be profitable and maintain profitability through the last two or three months. And that's been testament to the team that I've got here. So hats off to the team that's really delivered and excelled. But also I would say fundamentally comes down to the brand that we've built, the market that we've really penetrated within the niche and building these systems and automations and a virtual team as well that's been heavily focused and being able to deliver in those times as well. So going back to if you are a traditional agency that's maybe struggled in this, now is your time to look how you systemize the business, look how you automate it, look how you build a virtual team so you can leverage your time more as well. So again, in the lockdown period, I would say I've been in the agency probably realistically two to three days a week. The rest of the time I've been working on some of, you know, watching my channel. I've been working really in depth on building out the program and the coaching and mentorship program which I've really enjoyed. And we've got some fantast, fantastic students in there now. And we've got close to 50 vibrant entrepreneurs. A mix between people that have started their own agency just recently or people that have already got a current agency and they want more time, freedom and leverage and they want help productizing the service, automating it, building systems. That's been a lot of my time. But that's because we've built a self managing agency that isn't just relying on me anymore. So I thought it'd be worth checking in and I hope everyone is well. If you'd like to leave a comment in the channel below, feel free to let me know what you stuck with at the moment, what your current challenge is in your recruitment business, or if you're looking to start up what your challenge is. I've also got a private Facebook community which is really growing all of the time, so posting tons of value in there. So if you want to check out that Facebook group, drop a comment in the link below or have a look in the comments section and hope everyone's well, and I'll catch you soon.
