Launching an agency at any point is a huge, scary, exciting and potentially life-changing step. This is especially true in the current market. The team at Fearless Union needed to truly live up to and embody their name when starting their new creative agency. Six months into their journey, Al Fayolle, Founder and Chief Executive, gives his learnings so far.

You really do have to be pretty fearless to launch an agency right now. The world looks very different to how it did a decade ago (or even a couple of years ago); politically, economically, socio-culturally, environmentally, and technologically; the world and the advertising landscape that reflects it is messy. Very messy. This makes our market complicated, hyper-competitive and more dynamic than it’s ever been. What’s more, you have a lot of very smart agencies in all shapes and sizes contesting briefs and budgets.

Gulp. But, it also means you have a fantastic opportunity. You are not encumbered by the processes or politics of the past. You can be hyper-flexible and move at a pace faster than everyone else. You don’t have to live inside structures, and if you do build them for a specific project or reason, you can break them down quickly and move on.

There is nothing quite like the intensity, the seat-of-the-pants shit-yourself excitement or glowing satisfaction that launching your own business brings. I would recommend it to anyone. And, if you should fancy taking the plunge, hopefully, the learnings and insights below can help you on your way.

Be ready to move fast

Perhaps my biggest learning is being ready for when the moment comes. When opportunity knocks be ready to move fast. This might be a once-in-a-career moment; don't miss it. We started Fearless Union off the back of one incredible founding client. They gave us our break and the rest - some 6 months of it now - is history. Our window for making that particular meeting and pitch happen was 24 hours. We committed completely and went for it.  Whether it comes to you, or you go to it, a window of opportunity can be extremely small. It’s at this moment you need to have courage and take whatever leap is necessary. 

Get your ducks in a row

Everyone’s circumstances are different. Personal savings, an idea of where the first client's work (and income) will come from, and how you’ll deliver against that work (your team) are hygiene factors, before even considering starting a business. Do you need investment? If you haven’t got your house in order, you’ll struggle to get off the ground; you can’t focus on paying your personal bills or delivering a compromised creative product because you don’t have a team. We had to move exceptionally quickly at Fearless Union - both beginning something and tying something else up at the same time. You need to be ready personally and professionally, and have an operational plan before you pass the monopoly board’s “GO”.

Don’t sweat the small stuff

Prioritise like crazy. You’ll have an impossibly long to-do list; deciding where to focus is super important. At Fearless Union, in the very early days (yes, it’s still early days!), we liked to say choosing what you don’t do is harder than what you choose to do. Especially when you don’t have the time to do it all. Our first priority was securing clients and then delivering work for those clients. We let nothing get in the way of that. Everything from our agency positioning to an office and website had to wait. Of course these things are important but sometimes you have to build the plane while it’s flying.

Do you need a team?

I am a team player, not a soloist, and I doubt I would have made the leap alone. That’s why I have three talented business partners with complementary skills. Try to recognise your skills and weaknesses and bring in people you trust who can help. Sharing the highs of running a business with your partners is one of the joys for me.