By Tonny Wandella
The barrier to entry for starting a marketing business 25 years ago was enormous. The overhead to construct such an organization in a primitive digital landscape was intimidating, and it was practically impossible without an initial expenditure. You were limited to physical and traditional media, as well as the problems that came with all but inventing something that approximated ROI for your clients, on top of the beginning fees. It was unavoidable to be “in the red” for a long time.
The world has changed. These are some of the tips:
Develop the Skills You’ll Need
You can be as creative and clever as anyone in the industry, but if you’re not prepared and experienced enough to deal with the various intricacies of account management and client relationships, you’ll be searching for a new job in no time. Some people may take years to develop the essential skills, while others may take less time. Regardless, I feel you should work at a genuine job for a while before venturing out on your own.
Create the Best Business Model
A digital marketing agency can be established in a variety of ways. The services you provide and how you bill for your job become increasingly important in determining how efficiently your firm is run over time.
Define Your Specialty
It’s easy to get captivated by the promise of working with any company when you’re first starting out.
When one’s livelihood is on the line, the prospect of having to turn down anyone might produce a lot of cognitive dissonance. Having said that, there are tens of thousands of digital marketing businesses and consultants available. Some specialize, although the majority do not.
Managing your own business involves many ups and downs, and you must be prepared to weather the storm in order to reap the rewards. It’s a major life event, and you must handle it accordingly. If you realize early on that you aren’t cut out for it, don’t drag yourself along any further than necessary. You will fail if you make a decision but do not believe in it. You must make a commitment. Once you’ve done that, you might realize how rewarding it is to run your own digital marketing agency.
