Structuring your Offline Agency

Unless you need managers I wouldn't have them. Too many chiefs as the saying goes.

To have an effective, profitable and sustainable business, managers MUST be a part of the business. Without management, you don't have a business.

GENERALLY, once you've stable cashflow, putting management between you and the people doing the heavy lifting is essential.

Any other business model does not scale. You've got to consider management as an investment--in your long term sanity and growth.

The key is hiring competent management.

- Rick Duris

PS: Check out any of the works by Michael Gerber. E-Myth, etc.

Yes managers need to be there but look at the structure.

He has 3 employees

2 of the 3 are managers

He literally has a chain of command which managers reporting to managers already at 4 employees.

Here is how I would structure based on what I have in my head

Managing Director or Managing Partner(CEO sounds too big and at this level you need to be talking to clients still)

Administrative Assistant

Senior Consultant(these are your outside salespeople and may even be doing the work too. Depends on your structure. Account Manager can always be used as it is universally known that this title is not actually a manager)

Appointment Setter(telemarketers unless they are directly selling in which case you give them another title)

Once you get a big enough team you would put a manager in charge of the consultants(and have consultants without the senior title) and a manager in charge of the call center.

But stay flat as long as you can. People should be reporting to you until you are bigger.

poodiddy,
It all should start with a business plan. Without your business plan, you will not be able to manage the scaling up of your business properly. Many new businesses, especially IM's, seem to think they don't need this. For small DBA's and Sole Propritorships, a simple business plan, a set of forecasts, a short proforma outlining growth, and a daily schedule will smooth out the wrinkles and give you three of the most important values you will use everyday:
1. Where you have been
2. Where you are
3. Where you are going

By using this simple format, You will know your budget, be able to identify when you will likely need to add which people and when, and be able to determine where adjustments in your business are needed and when, where, and how these adjustments are implemented.

A business plan, a schedule, and forecasts will be the most significant influence on the success of our business. Anyone can do it. It isn't difficult, and if you truly want to be in charge of your future and your business, then you owe it to yourself to follow these simple rules of the road.

T J