GYDA LIBRARY
RESOURCES, TOOLS + TEMPLATES
Tools to help agency leaders run a better business.
TOOLS FOR AGENCY LEADERS
Need help finding the tools to help you to run a better agency? Take a look here at our Templates, book reviews, worksheets and testimonials. Use the tag cloud to filter our collection.
These resources are a great start… or keep scrolling for more.
-
Agency Utilisation Calculator
Do you know your agency's utilisation rate?
Use this calculator to work out the ‘utilisation rate’ for your agency.
Why? Because utilisation holds the key to your growth as a business. Too low and you’re leaving money on the table. Too high and morale becomes crushed and employee turnover increases.
It doesn’t matter if you have a team of 2 or 300, understanding utilisation and taking steps to improve it can be the catalyst for growth.
The best bit, you don’t need timesheets to figure out.
-
Agency Accelerator Canvas
The AAC (Agency Accelerator Canvas) is a single-page strategy and planning tool to help ignite the growth of your agency.
Why does it work? Because it creates focus, defines our vision, sets out what we’re trying to achieve, and most importantly, how we’ll get there.
It’s NOT full of business school jargon, and it sits on a single page so it can hang proudly on your wall as a daily reminder of what you're striving to achieve.
Print it out, run a half-day workshop, share it with your team, and finally start growing your agency like you know you can.
-
Shares and EMI schemes for Agencies
Along with other tactics, we often encourage our clients to use the power of equity as a lever for growth and to build a better business, with an invested team.
We’ve put together this simple, easy-to-understand guide to give you the lowdown on how equity and shares work and the knowledge you need to share ownership of your agency and motivate key people in the right way.
What it includes: Why incentivis, the difference between shares, options and EMI schemes, conditions (when they kick in). deciding how much to give and types of shares.
Download - The GYDA Recession Checklist
The Recession Checklist has been compiled to help you as you approach what may be a challenging time for your agency. Download our PDF and recession proof your agency.
Download - 2023 Agency Salary Survey - We Are Adam
What you’ll find inside:
Key trends and data including why people are looking to move &what pay rise they’d look to secure.
C-suite and Executive level insights.
A breakdown of salaries across; Digital, Marketing, HR and Agency.
Book Review - Secrets of Successful Sales by Alison Edgar
Alison Edgar uses the DISC personality model to explain the importance of your client’s different personality types and how to ensure that you apply those psychological principles to your sales strategy.
Book Recommendation - Influencer Marketing Strategy by Gordon Glenister
A quick book recommendation from Robert to go alongside his interview with Gordon Glenister.
eBook - Hybrid, Agile, Remote Working Guide
The Future is Flex: Download the Ultimate Guide to Flexible, Hybrid and Agile Working Models from our friends at We Are Adam.
Book Recommendation - Employee Engagement 2.0 by Kevin Kruse
Read our book review of Employee Engagement 2.0: How to Motivate Your Team for High Performance (A Real-World Guide for Busy Managers by Kevin Kruse.
Book Download - Back to Basics - 21 ways to increase marketing performance and success by Simon Akers
Published now, the book ‘Back to Basics: 21 ways to increase marketing performance and success‘ will guide you through the key steps to ensure you have nailed the basics.
Book - The Shortest and Best Book on Business. Ever.
Here’s my latest book. It is a total of two lines. 14 words.
Every morning, write a list of things that need to be done.
Do them.
eBook - Checklists - Making a Success of Your Business
This is not the ultimate checklist of checklists but it is a great resource for making sure you have considered key issues in growing your business.
eBook - 25 Mistakes Digital Agencies Make When Outsourcing
In this eBook, Chris Martinez of Dude walks you through the top 25 mistakes that agencies make when out-sourcing teams and give you the corresponding solutions that you need.
Book Review - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has sold more than 25 million copies in 40 languages worldwide. The audio version has sold 1.5 million copies and remains one of the best selling nonfiction business books in history.
Article - Customer is King - Revisited
Agencies are among the worst for not getting the Customer is King philosophy (despite the weasel words on their websites). Read why from Robert Craven in this two-minute article.
Book Review - Daily Rituals by Mason Currey
A simple book that focuses on the working habits of 161 inspired minds, from Beethoven to Kafka via Einstein, Freud and van Gogh.
eBook - Financial Blueprint If There Was a Perfect Digital Creative Agency
Download the 114-point blueprint for running a thriving digital agency from Paul Barnes, MAP.
Book Review - The Art of Client Service by Robert Solomon
Read Robert Craven's review of the Robert Soloman's book.
Book Review - Productize – The Ultimate Guide to Turning Professional Services into Scalable Products by Eisha Tierney Armstrong
In essence, it says three things:
Think big, start small
Follow urgent, expensive problems
Be fearless
Read more in Robert Cravens book review.
Book Review - Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
Book review: Kleon’s premise is that we should steal/borrow ideas from everything around us, combine them, and as a result you will create something entirely new.
Book Review - Ponderings of a PPC Professional by Kirk Williams
Book review from Robert Craven and GYDA Member Hub.
Book Recommendation - Finish Big, by Bo Burlingham
We've got an interview with the awesome Bo Burlingham coming up in our April 2021 issue. If you haven't read any of his books, start now!
Book Review - THE SOCIAL CEO - How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader by Damian Corbet
This may be the book that agency owners should give to every one of their clients. And their clients’ board of directors… It is so rare to find a book on social media that is free of touchy-feely nonsense. One that a grown-up can read. A breath of fresh air.