The Agency Collective | B Corp Certified

I had a bit of a "meh" morning. I've got heartburn, my jumper is itchy, and I had that awful nightmare where all my teeth fell out. Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to host the Community Cuppa call. I would’ve much rather stayed on the sofa in my pyjamas. But spending time with these lovely people, hearing about their lives and businesses, and listening to them share advice and ideas completely turned my morning around. This is exactly what The Agency Collective | B Corp Certified and especially Community Cuppa is for. Social connection is vital for our well-being, stress management, and productivity. Thanks for brightening my day: Alex Blondin John Crumpton James Godfrey Robert N. Mat Bennett and Javier Moral

You might ask "Why is female founders important?" Well it's 2025 and only 12% - 27% of UK agency founders are female. [Data from The Wow Company] Whilst this might just seem like numbers, the key issue is that these are the voices, perspectives, and leadership styles that shape our industry. When an industry is built by men for men, female founders face unique and hidden challenges, from securing funding to breaking into leadership networks. That’s why spaces like a Female Founders Call are so important. It isn't favouritism. It's equity. They create a dedicated space for women to connect, share experiences, and uplift one another. They foster collaboration, not competition. They build the networks that can help more women step into leadership and reshape the agency landscape. If we want to see real change in the industry, we need to support and amplify female founders. A conversation is just the start, but it’s a powerful one! Shoutout to ALL our incredible female founders, owners, and MD's here at The AC Aisha Kiwa Amie Pascoe Angela Roche Annette Crosse Becky Alford Becky Shepherd 🌊 Carly Ralph Cecilia de la Viesca CHRISTINE A. MACKAY 🦎 Daisy Rachlin Elise P A Jackson Emily Kinnersley Emily Ryan 👩🏻💻 Ginny Nicholls Grace Schofield Helenka Hodnett Jennie Fox-Bechu Jennifer O. Katherine Wettern Katy Howell Kiri Craig 👩🏾💻 Krishna Solanki Kristel Valaydon Lisa Lavis Margaux Marshall Megan Sayers Mel Stark Mélusine Knight Sam Bailey Sarah Kloosman Silvia Del Corso Tess Gendall

WOW WHAT A TURNOUT MANCHESTER!!! 🎉 Thanks to everyone who made it to our Manchester Winter Party. We look forward to your hot takes on TikTok 🔥👀 Hope you all had as much fun as we did and that the morning-after struggle isn’t too real! 😂 (Thoughts and prayers to those who just survived an early morning meeting.) Already looking forward to the next one. See you there! 🥂 Alexander Roberts Andy Holland Ben Young James Sutton Joe Gurski Adam Ralph Carly Ralph Chris Cox Claire Quansah Corrie Jones Dale Olorenshaw Kate Rhodes CMktr Jack Leigh James Godfrey John Cooper Tom Hughes Jon Thornton Marc Swarbrick Paul Strong Steve Vincent Grace Schofield Chris Hemingway Gareth Reese Arlo West & hosted by Rosie Symes 🏳️🌈

This morning, we held our first-ever speed networking event! It was all about quick, fun 5-minute one-on-one chats. No complicated tech or algorithms, just the team randomly pairing members for quick conversations. And guess what? The feedback was amazing! 🎉 We’re so happy you all made some awesome connections. Tagging you below so you can keep in touch! 😊 Anthony Leung Mat Bennett Rachel Meagher Phil Webb Chris Carroll John Crumpton Chris Cox Oliver Gold Charles Sladdin 💜 Emily Kinnersley Silvia Del Corso 👩🏾💻 Krishna Solanki Andy Holland Patrick Kelly-Weller Peter Banerjea

Last week we had the honour of Felix Velarde, serial agency founder and owner of 2Y3X. Felix's Better Agency Programme session took us through how to Scale Your Agency and Maximise Exit Value. Here's a sneak peek at his proven strategy: 🚀 1. Build a Growth Lab Team Create a team of 4-5 top performers from different roles, co-creating a growth plan with the founder. This fosters ownership and accountability. Use a strategy map to set goals like 95% staff satisfaction, industry recognition, and £1M EBITDA. 📈 2. Grow Client Revenue Clients hire agencies to boost profits. To grow revenue by 50% year-on-year: - Conduct monthly client surveys on key metrics. - Review feedback, create action plans, and share improvements. - Regularly propose profit-driving opportunities (SEO, CRO, PPC). 💡 3. Maximise Exit Value Buyers are focused on future growth potential, not just current revenue. Key factors for valuation: - Size: Larger agencies = higher multiples - Client Balance: Less reliance on one client - Profitability & Scalability: Stable growth & systematic expansion - Differentiation & Succession: Clear positioning & a strong team. Here's a great example: £400K EBITDA at 4x = £1.6M; £800K EBITDA at 6x = £4.8M. ⏳ If you start now, in 2 years, you’ll either have scaled or remain stuck! Of course, these sessions would be nothing without the members who show up month after month to work on their businesses! Thanks so much for joining us Chris Cox Gareth Reese Adam Ralph Santiago Melluso Geoff R. Dean Maskell Remy Beaumont Andy Nicol Marc Swarbrick Emily Kinnersley Silvia Del Corso Alex Blondin Peter Czapp Toby Slade-Baker Marcus Bray Oliver Gold Jamie Denham CHRISTINE A. MACKAY 🦎 John Crumpton Tobi Alli-Usman 💚 Mark Bithrey Tony Hallett Javier Moral Kiri Craig Stokely Howard Marcus Hemsley Mel Stark Matthew Stibbe Chris Quinn Matthew Hall Anthony Chapman Mélusine Knight Rachel Meagher Ed Field Angus Chalmers Andrew Milton George Hughes Joe Keegan What were your key takeaways?

Are you an agency owner, founder, or MD? Would you like a chilled networking event with genuinely lovely people? Well there's still time to join us tomorrow in London, or next week in Manchester: ⭐️ London | Thu 23 Jan | 18:00-23:00 | https://lnkd.in/eyYcXzjd ⭐️ Manchester | Thu 30 Jan | 18:00-22:00 | https://lnkd.in/ekJJQzVx See ya there! ✌️

It's 2025, and it's time to celebrate another year down! 💫 If you're an agency founder, owner, or MD, join us in London or Manchester to celebrate 2025 and network with other agency owners. LONDON: 📆 Thur 23rd Jan 2025 ⏰ 18:00 - 23:00 📍 The Racketeer, London 🥂 Complimentary food + drinks 🆓 Free tickets: https://lnkd.in/eyYcXzjd 👈 MANCHESTER: 📆 Thur 30th Jan 2025 ⏰ 18:00 - 22:00 📍 Conservatory Bar, Manchester  🍻 Complimentary drinks 🆓 Free tickets: https://lnkd.in/eXTeuWjs 👈 Here's some stills from last year so you can what a blast we had. Never did find out what Amy Moore and Anthony Leung were laughing about!! 😂 [London & Manchester open to AC Members and non-members]

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably noticed some big changes at The AC recently. Here’s a breakdown of what we’ve been up to in 2024! 1️⃣ Membership Tiers We introduced three tiers to make The AC more accessible and tailored: Collaborate, Grow, & Exit. Offering options from Slack access to M&A mentorship. 2️⃣ The Better Agency Programme Our flagship programme got a new name! Formerly the “AC Growth Programme,” we’ve rebranded it to reflect our mission: helping founders achieve happier, healthier lives with better work-life balance. 3️⃣ Agency Experts Our 7 Agency Experts (formerly Growth Experts) are seasoned founders offering real-world solutions, growth guidance without pitfalls, and powerful networks. Shout out Nikki Gatenby Paul Muggeridge-Breene Louisa Pau Ben Hollom - FCIM Ilse Passet 🔥 Helen Coston Jonathan Leafe 4️⃣ New Business Clinic Live In-person events are back! Our November launch featured the incredible Ilse Passet 🔥, Sam G. Winsbury, and Oliver Duffy-Lee and drew 50+ attendees. The next session is February 2024 so don’t miss it! 👇 https://lnkd.in/eqhEUBpK 5️⃣ Accountability Sessions Tailored follow-ups grouped by revenue (£0–500k, £500k–£1M, £1M+) to turn insights into actionable strategies. A total game-changer! ⭐️ Why the Changes? Member feedback drove this transformation. With clearer value, more focused services, and ex-agency mentors, we’re building a better AC for you. What do you think of the updates? Let us know!

Our first New Business Clinic Live was a MAHOOSIVE success, and we're thrilled to announce the second one! 📅 Tue 25 Feb 2025 ⏰ 14:00–17:00 📍 Spacemade, The Chapel, Elm Tree, Marylebone, London 3 x 30-min talks + interactive Q&A: 🌟 Luca Senatore: Building a Sales Machine for Your Agency Sales leader and author of 'The Agency: Build – Grow – Repeat', Luca has driven success at Google and mentored small businesses. 🌟 Areej AbuAli: Secrets of Growing a Successful Community Founder of Women in Tech SEO, a 10,000-member global digital marketing community with events in the UK, Europe, and USA. 🌟 Gavin Willis:  The 3 P's Formula: Drive Change and Win New Business As the founder of Search Seven, a search marketing agency with a mission for social good, Gavin has built a business specialising in SEO and Paid Media while positively impacting the community Get your EARLY BIRD TICKETS HERE before the end of the year! 🔥 https://lnkd.in/eqhEUBpK 🔥 Not sure what to expect? Check out the vibe in the pics below! 👇 Kiri Craig Rob Goliah Charles Diamond Ben Marshall Arlo West Sam Clark Emma Burton Aaishah Chaudhry Mel Stark Oliver Gold Charles Sladdin 💜 Silvia Del Corso Serge Nguele Sophie Hargreaves Jamie Denham Raj Randhawa Alan Black David Fernando Edward Dare John Crumpton Lara Acosta Mark Ellis Matt Hodkinson Nina Assam Cecilia de la Viesca Richard Thomson Gareth Llewellyn Rich Harper Serafín Danessa Tom Wilson Peter Czapp Jack Leigh You joined us last time—are you in? 👀

🌟 WOW, what a night! 🌟 A massive thank you to everyone who joined us for the first-ever New Business Clinic Live yesterday! 🚀✨ It was nothing short of incredible—an evening bursting with insights, inspiration, and game-changing conversations. 🙌 To our powerhouse speakers, Ilse Passet 🔥, Sam G. Winsbury, and Oliver Duffy-Lee, you absolutely delivered the goods! Your advice and stories lit up the room. 🧠💡 Big shoutout to our event sponsors, ClickTech and Eight Engines, for your support and contributions. We couldn't have done this without you!!! But most importantly, to everyone who attended: YOU are the magic that makes these events unforgettable. 🫶✨ Kiri Craig Rob Goliah Charles Diamond Ben Marshall Arlo West Sam Clark Emma Burton Aaishah Chaudhry Mel Stark Oliver Gold Charles Sladdin 💜 Silvia Del Corso Serge Nguele Sophie Hargreaves Jamie Denham Raj Randhawa Alan Black David Fernando Edward Dare John Crumpton Lara Acosta Mark Ellis Matt Hodkinson Nina Assam Cecilia de la Viesca Richard Thomson Gareth Llewellyn Rich Harper Serafín Danessa Tom Wilson Peter Czapp Jack Leigh And last but by no means least, our dream team—Amy Moore, Jacob Edwards, Rosie Symes 🏳️🌈 Until next time… let’s keep this energy going! 🚀 Who’s in? ⬇️