It takes a considerable amount of resources to run a full-service, brick-and-mortar advertising agency. First, you need a staff of dedicated employees. Then, you’ll need an office where your team can collaborate (not to mention a comfortable, inviting area where you can meet with clients).
Then there’s the essentials like employee benefits, computers and software programs, not to mention a budget for travel and for snacks and coffee for the break room. And just who ends of paying for all this? More often than not, it’s the clients.
The bottom line is that it’s expensive to operate a successful, full-service advertising agency, and that’s why most charge more for their services than sole proprietor agencies do. But are full-service agencies better? Not necessarily. In fact, the larger the agency, the less likely they are to deliver fast and efficient work, especially if they’re at (or beyond) their client capacity.
Working with a sole proprietor agency like Friedrich Advertising comes with considerable advantages, and we’ve broken them down below. What it comes down to is having the flexibility and the means to serve clients quickly and creatively without needing to charge for things that have nothing to do with the job at hand.
Here are our top seven reasons to choose a sole proprietor advertising agency over a full-service agency.
You’ll only pay for services that you need. The only coffee you should be paying for is your own. With a sole proprietor agency, a portion of your bill won’t be for overhead costs that larger agencies tend to have in order to keep their office running smoothly.
You’ll get upfront, project-based fees. Your business needs change every day. That means your advertising plan has to change, too. One-person owned marketing agencies usually charge fees per project which allows them to revise efforts and reevaluate costs on a regular basis.
Firm fees, not price ranges. It’s easier for sole proprietor agencies to offer firm fees rather than a vague price range. Since staff at full-service agencies are usually helping a large group of clients, it’s usually easiest for them to put a general plan in place for a company or client, and then work until the maximum price within the range is reached. That’s because it takes time to revise plans and budget, and it’s time they usually don’t have.
Better timelines, and work completed faster. If there’s one thing that ruins a deadline, it’s getting called into a meeting. At sole proprietor agencies, meetings are few and far between. That leaves more time for freelancers and contractors to focus on completing a job. And the approval process is faster at sole proprietor agencies, where there’s no “red tape.” Proposals are less likely to sit on someone’s desk or in an email until they get approved.
Service is personal. There’s nothing wrong with account executives or managers, in fact, they’re essential at full-service ad agencies. But usually, they aren’t able to answer your questions or help you directly with an issue, so you have to wait until they can reach out to the person who can. Need to talk to the owner or director? At a sole proprietor agency, that’s easy. In fact, the owner may be the only person you’ll talk to.
You’ll be dealing with experts. Most sole proprietor agencies hire freelancers for everything from copywriting to social media management, web development to graphic design. Often, these freelancers have more than two decades of experience and an extensive list of clients they serve.
Full-service agencies, on the other hand, tend to hire those with less experience so they can learn and grow at the company. This gives the agency the opportunity to pay lower salaries to offset the cost of health insurance and other benefits.
One size does not fit all. Every client has different needs. Sole proprietor advertising agencies are able to create creative and completely customized campaigns tailored for each client. At full-service ad agencies, there’s often less time to truly get to know a client and their needs. That’s why you may notice that all the work done at a large agency tends to look the same.
Ready to get started with advertising and marketing that elevates your business? Contact Friedrich Advertising, a sole proprietor agency that’s committed to delivering creative, results-driven ad campaigns – without any hidden coffee fees.