FAQ 

QUESTION:
I've never started a business before, and I feel that starting an agency is a huge thing to do. Does working in an agency for 10 years mean I will know what to do?

ANSWER: 
Ten years' experience in an agency is a long time, and you would have certainly learned the ropes (or a lot of them) which is a great foundation. But running a business (any sort of business) requires a steep learning curve and you'll be facing a lot of new and unexpected challenges for the first time. But remember, you've been working in an agency for ten years - every brief is a new challenge and problem to solve. You've been in training for a decade!
Not everyone is cut out to be a business owner, but if you've got the passion to do it (and you've definitely got the experience) then I say do it!

QUESTION:
What if it doesn't work out?

ANSWER:
What if it does? Seriously, I'm not being a smartass here. But at this point in time, nobody in the world, you or me, knows if your agency is going to work or not. It's taken me years to realise that a lot of the anxiety I've had since my 20s is all about imagining a future problem that doesn't exist yet. When you realise that, it starts making sense not to project negative thoughts in front of you. Just do what you can today to make tomorrow as good as it can be. That's all anyone can do.

QUESTION: 

Apart from the course lessons, can I contact you privately to discuss my agency plans and challenges?
ANSWER: 

I’ve set up the Indie Agency Launch Pad for that exact purpose. It’s an invitation to do 1:1 coaching sessions via video call. Each session is 60 minutes long and I send you a link to a questionnaire to fill out so I get to know a bit more about your agency plans and we can make the most of that time. You can book single sessions or a bundle of 3 sessions.

QUESTION:
I'm not sure about going into partnership with someone but I feel like we've already committed to it. Is it too late?

ANSWER:
If you haven't signed official partnership agreements with someone, then it's never too late to not only question but to pull out from a partnership that you feel isn't going to work. It's best to do that now before your agency opens because otherwise it's going to be near impossible to undo a broken partnership once revenue starts coming in. In this course, I mention a few times that partnerships don't fail because of business problems, they fail because of people problems. And if that's what you're experiencing, have the courage to address it now before you seal the deal.

QUESTION:
I'm a Creative Director, not a Bookkeeper. How long does it take to learn how to manage finances as a partner?

ANSWER:
If you're going into partnership with one or more people, you have to assign roles and responsibilities before you launch in order to ensure the agency is well managed not just in terms of workflow but 'moneyflow'. If you're not good with finances, give that role to someone who is. If you're not good at managing people, give it to a partner who actually likes other people! And if none of you want to take on a role or responsibility, then you're going to have to hire that. And that's an unnecessary expense when you're starting out.

QUESTION:
I can’t afford the course, I’ve just been made redundant at the agency I worked at.  Are there any discounts or other options available?

ANSWER:
Yes there are. I’m happy to consider a discount for anyone who has been impacted by redundancy or being laid-off recently. I've set up monthly instalment options at check-out if paying it off over time helps, otherwise email me and let me know what you can afford and I'll be happy to consider it. We've got to help each other out sometimes! 

QUESTION: 

How long will it take me to get through this course?

ANSWER: 

The course itself is made up of 58 modules ranging from 1 minute to several minutes each. All up it’s around 4 hours worth of video content in the course, plus other reading material. So you could get through it in a day if you really wanted to, but I’d recommend you do one episode at a time and take notes as you go so the lessons sink in. For best results, I'd recommend you watch a lesson then go and work on that part of your agency design, then come back to the course to continue. That way, you're building your agency in the right sequence and with proper consideration.

QUESTION: 

Do I get a certificate or qualification from doing this course?

ANSWER: 

No, but you do get 15 years of valuable agency founder experience and money-saving advice! 

QUESTION: 

Do I get a refund if I don’t get any value out of this course?

ANSWER: 

I do offer refunds, but let me explain something before I tell you about them. The advice I offer in these lessons is from personal experience over 15 years as an agency founder and 30 years in the industry. Not all lessons are going to pay-off immediately, but I am confident you will benefit from this advice over time. Now, in terms of refunds, here’s the deal.
If you complete the first 3 paid lessons (episodes) and still feel you have not received any value, I’ll refund you 100%. If you have completed more than 3 of the 7 lessons (episodes), I’ll refund you the value of the episodes you haven’t watched.

QUESTION: 

Did you use AI to write this course?

ANSWER: 

This is a good question and it says a lot about the quality and authenticity of the course. It took me over 200 hours of writing to get this course down on paper. Once I had the episodes and draft lessons typed out, I used Claude Cowork to assess my scripts for:
- duplicity of content,
- sense-checking my progression of lesson structure, and
- assistance with some of the research behind industry statistics and data, especially regarding lay-offs and redundancy numbers.

The rest I wrote, edited and produced myself. Claude did not write or re-write any of the scripts but did provide some alternative copy and structure options which I then assessed and adopted or ignored.