Busy? Profitable? Burnt out?
When we ask creative agency owners how things are going we often hear the same answer.
“We’re busy, not profitable enough and feeling burnt out”
Busy and profitable don’t mean your business is healthy.
You can have a full pipeline, a stressed team and shrinking profits all at the same time. Equally, you can have people working late, feeling overwhelmed and still discover your studio’s productivity is well below where it needs to be.
In our work we see agencies looking at financial performance and team wellbeing as two completely separate issues.
They’re not.
The numbers behind your business often tell the story of what’s happening inside your team.
- If your billable productivity is consistently above 80%, there’s a good chance your people are overloaded and heading towards burnout.
- If your project margins are getting thinner, your team may be over-servicing clients, doing unbilled work or struggling with inefficient processes.
- If utilisation is too low, the issue may not be your people at all. It may simply be a lack of consistent work.
The numbers don’t just tell you how the business is performing; they tell how your people are coping.
That’s why the Design Business Council and Streamtime are in Sydney to bring together two conversations that are usually treated separately: financial performance and people wellbeing.
During this free practical evening session we’ll show you the reports every creative agency should be reviewing and, more importantly, how to interpret what they’re really telling you.
We’ll cover:
- the key financial metrics every studio owner should track
- how utilisation, profitability and pricing affect team wellbeing
- the early warning signs of burnout hidden inside your numbers
- practical ways to build a healthier, more profitable studio
Join us for drinks, canapés and two practical presentations followed by an open discussion with people who understand the realities of running a creative business.
Because healthy studios aren’t built by accident.
They’re built by measuring what matters — for both the business and the people who make it successful.
As always, happy to discuss further, just email Greg
Greg Branson
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About Greg
Most business consultants come from a finance background. That’s where I differ. My background is firmly in the creative space. I have degrees in photography and education and my extra-curricula love is a dark room, analogue photography and vintage cameras – a money pit if ever there was.
That’s why my interest in the business of design. Carol and I loved running a design studio but were adamant it was a commercial business and our energies should be well-rewarded. I started research into working smarter not harder early in my career.
Since then I’ve sat with hundreds of Australian creative business owners and discussed what’s working and what’s not. I understand the practicalities of a studio, and have empathy for the challenges but I know good profit margins are attainable.
Always happy to chat, I can be contacted here.
