Why Do You Want to Run an Agency?

A question I asked myself many times. After all, it’s not the easiest job in the world - there are many a twist and turn and you need to have bags of resilience to keep going through the ups and down.

So why do we do it?

Well, for me it was never my plan to run an agency. In fact, it happened almost entirely by accident.

I was running an eCommerce business and, like many others, we needed to improve our website and eCommerce systems as we’d outgrown the things I’d built myself as a self-taught developer. There was only so far we’d get using Macromedia Dreamweaver (…now I’m showing my age).

We’d tried working with various agencies to help improve our websites and take us to that next level in terms of new features and functions, but each time the experience was disappointing. The output wasn’t right, it was expensive and the project management was a real challenge - it felt like hard work.

But it wasn’t just frustrating - it was holding us back as a business because a lot more competition has started to show up - that advantage of being a 1999 eCommerce company was started to fade. We had to step up.

So we made a decision. If we couldn’t find the right partner, we’d build our own web team. Sounds simple! Turned out to be a bit more complex.

That was the start. There was no grand agency growth strategy, no 5-year plan, because the entire initial aim of this venture was to build internal tools - it was simply a solution to a problem. But it was a problem I cared deeply about - and one I believed could be solved better, more thoughtfully, more client-centrically.

This was in 2009/10, long before Shopify or SaaS platforms became mainstream. Building your own software was tough and expensive. It took us over 2 years and many a strong word or two between me and the other shareholders (who were family).

But we did it - and it solved our problems. We’d created a brilliant system that could manage multiple websites, multiple currencies, stock management, ordering, marketplace management and even dispatch. And we scaled faster without having to grow the headcount of the team. Looking back it was pretty ahead of its time actually.

But an unexpected consequence of this adventure was that it seemed that others out there had had similar negative experiences to us in terms of finding a great agency. Other companies, looking for digital & web support, started to knock on the door, asking if we could help them too. That’s when I realised that maybe we had something. And so the agency as a ‘thing’ began and one that was, by design, centred around the needs of a client.

Of course I knew very little about how a service business like this operated. Looking back, that naivety was both a blessing and a curse. I didn’t know how agencies were supposed to run. I had no experience of how to charge, resource plan or even how to sell a service really. But that blank slate gave me permission to craft an agency the way I thought one should be run - with a focus on great work, long-term relationships and a genuine relentless commitment to looking after clients. That was our driver.

I didn’t really have assumptions about what running an agency would be like - I just wanted to build something that people trusted. A place known for being dependable, for challenging the norm about what an agency is and for pushing things forward in a world of fast changing tech. For context, mobile was just becoming a thing.

The good news was that people seemed to like what we were doing - the agency was growing, albeit we’d started to take on too many different types of work… and we know how that can be a challenge! That’s another post though.

The main issue I had was workload, time and where to focus. I was still the Operations Director of the eCommerce business while also leading the agency.

Around 2013, it became clear I couldn’t do both. An agency is a people-intensive business. You’re navigating client expectations, team needs, fast-changing technology - and every day brings a new wave of things to do. Problems to solve. Opportunities to explore.

I always think that the digital world is like a river. Constantly moving, constantly changing course. You have to be comfortable navigating this - the good, the bad and everything in between. But it takes a lot of energy.

So in 2014 it was time to focus on the agency - and that’s what happened. I left the eCom business and 5 of our team then became fully dedicated to the agency and divorced (albeit amicably!) from the eCom business. It was the start of the next chapter of the adventure when the business was feeling more serious and needed that level of attention.

It was a time of excitement, but also pretty scary. Our first child was on the way too. So I reflect back sometimes and wonder why did I feel it right to take the leap at that time when the sensible choice really would have been to have just stayed put, keep things as they were and have the security of the guaranteed income I’d had for the years prior.

I guess the answer though is conviction: I felt this sense of optimism and momentum that it was right. We’d had some success but I could see and feel more.

A key reflection of the reason I wanted to run an agency was absolutely linked to people. Clients who trusted us with their money and their business. Team members who cared and worked really hard to deliver brilliant work. And I’m pleased and fortunate to maintain relationships and contact with some of them to this day. Ultimately, there was a level of care - of commitment.

There’s something incredibly motivating about being surrounded by others who want to do great work and take pride in what they do.

Did we make mistakes? Absolutely.

Yes, we over-serviced at times. Yes, we probably said yes when we should’ve said no to a few things. But it always came from a place of wanting to do the right thing rather than chasing a quick buck.

And with each learning, we genuinely took them on board and made changes and improvements. That spirit of innovation, reflection and continuous evolution is one that remains with me today.

If I boil it down, my deeper reason for building the agency was straightforward: I wanted to create a business that delivered brilliant service, that cared deeply about its work and that felt like a genuine partner to clients. Someone they could rely on.

I wanted to challenge the perception that all agencies are more focused on the pitch than the partnership. And I wanted to prove that you could build something both commercial and kind - something people could be proud of.

If you’re just starting an agency now, or are early in the journey, I’d say this:

Be clear on your purpose. Really clear. Because this is a changeable, high-pressure environment. It’s even more dynamic in 2025, with AI reshaping the work agencies do and how they’re valued.

That importance of clarity is something as I reflected on as being key - and it’s really tough but when you are ‘in the weeds’ it can be difficult to see the wood for the trees. You’re busy attending to the day to day and can’t see that wider landscape.

But having that clarity is a real super power - it can anchor you, break inertia, help you to scale faster (and more intentionally) and - what’s often overlooked - is that it can save you months and possibly years of wasted time - and ultimately time is our main currency here on Planet Earth.

The importance of this topic was the driver for me in creating the Agency 360 programme - to help others to obtain that clarity in a way that I wasn’t able to.

But know this. Things will shift constantly. So you’ll need something to anchor you.

Know why you’re doing it. Then remind yourself often in whatever way works for you. A print out. A wallpaper. A regular calendar reminder. Keep it front of mind.

That clarity will be your resilience when the inevitable ups and downs come along. And they will.

But strangely, that’s half the fun. We live in a world increasingly focused on the destination - reach this goal, exit for this, scale to that - but actually the joy of this industry is the journey. Creating great work. Working with great people. Visiting cool places.

So yes, focus on goals - of course, but have fun while you do.

And if you are anchored by that clear sense of why you’re doing it then that will make it a little easier too.

PS: Looking to grow your eCommerce agency? We support ambitious founders through both our Agency 360 growth programme and as a Board Advisor. We’ve been there, done that and got the t-shirt (so to speak) having started, scaled and exited one of the first Shopify Plus agencies in Europe.