One of the things I have been working on, as my agency grows, is centralising all communication into one place. Information needs to be shared and passed between team members, so it is crucial to have all that information in one place. In this post I want to talk about the tools and techniques we use at WP Dude to mange our client projects and maintenance communication from one place. Private Silos Before I made these changes, communication was going into what I called a private silo, or a place only one recipient could access it.  These include: personal email […]

As my agency grows at WP Dude, I’m finding I have to get out of my own way a lot. We have too many moving parts for me to touch everything that comes through my business. It’s like a plate juggling act, if I try to control everything eventually plates will begin to drop and smash on the floor. I’ve recruited a team who can deliver, so I need to pass the work onto them and trust them to get things done without me having to be part of the process. My Inner Control Freak At first the inner control […]

Do you automate client onboarding? When a new client or customers signs up for your service or product, do you send out a series of updates to that new client on how to get the best out your offering? For a long time this was on my to-do list, the resistance was working against me and I put it on my nice to do some day list. What Is Client Onboarding? Your client has sent in a request for a quote or signed up for a free trial, what happens next? They are keen to work with you but often […]

I’ve been musing about lead magnets lately and if they are worth while for my business.  My conclusion is NO. At present if you visit my site there is no email signup to get a download or drip email course, and this is intentional because lead magnets don’t appear to generated much business for me. What Are lead Magnets Lead magnets are free giveaways that a site owner gives you in exchange for your email contact details. The thinking is that the site owner can build up rapport over a period of time, send out email newsletters proving their expertise, […]

A big US holiday is bearing down on us next week and it has prompted me to write a post about managing holidays when you work globally. I’m based in the UK, the majority of my clients are from the US and Canada.  My team are based in the Philippines, there are a lot of holidays to manage. Know When The Holidays Happen I was tripped up on Monday this week it was a an End of Ramadan holiday in the Philippines. I was sending over project updates when a very polite response came in along the lines of “You […]

One of THE most rewarding things I have ever done was starting my own business. Can I suggest you build the business you love not the one sold by Gurus. It has given me the opportunity to live life on my own terms and not dance at the end of a leash for an employer.  I’ve got huge amounts of personal freedom and complete control over my income and time. I’ve spent nearly nine years doing this self employed stuff, and on the way I’ve listened to a lot of Gurus telling me how I should build a business.  I’ve […]