People often ask me how do you structure a creative agency for growth. And after our own 13-year journey from startup to exit, I can tell you that there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Every agency is different and the answer is based on the founder’s strengths, the services offered, and the market they serve.
But today I can share what worked for us and what I’ve discovered working with over 50 agency owners since.
The Evolution of Structure
When I started, I had no blueprint. No strategic growth plan, no business mentor, no agency management books. I just hired people when I spotted gaps in our service delivery or when clients weren’t getting the attention they deserved.
It became this cycle of getting new business, maxing out the team and then hiring. Rinse and repeat.
But from day one we had a structure that worked. And it’s one I see working in agencies daily. I think of the primary structure as two interconnected teams:
The Client-Facing Team
This team owned all client relationships and project strategy:
- Sales: Either inbound or outbound but wholly focused on customer acquisition and retention
- Strategy & Discovery: Understanding client objectives, audience, and goals through structured discovery sessions
- Project Management: Breaking down projects into phases, assigning tasks, and managing timelines
- Client Communication: Regular updates, feedback loops, and relationship management
The Creative Delivery Team
This team focused purely on execution:
- Graphic Design: Brand identity, marketing materials, digital assets
- Web Development: Wireframing, design, development and deployment
- Copywriting: Messaging, content creation, brand voice development
- Specialist Services: Photography, videography, animation (depending on project needs)
Why This Structure Worked
The separation was crucial when structuring a creative agency. The client-facing team could focus on understanding business objectives and maintaining relationships, while the creative team could concentrate on producing excellent work without the constant interruption of client calls and changes.
Initially, everyone was involved in both sides of the project – strategy, client communication, creative direction, and project management. This created a massive bottleneck. As we grew, we had to set boundaries for each of the teams and allow them to focus on the core functions that they supported. There was always crossover, but the handoff between teams became much more efficient.
The Bottleneck
The biggest problem in growing founder-led agencies is that the owner is often the person with the best historic client relationships. But if you’re the only person clients can speak to, you’ve built a business that can’t grow without you. We implemented clear communication protocols and empowered project managers to make decisions within defined parameters.
I’ll admit some clients didn’t like this at first. But when they saw a better, faster service, they were happy with the changes. It’s important that those taking over from you share the same ethic in customer service you do.
But, in managing this process properly, it freed me to focus on what actually mattered: business development, strategic planning, and high-level company direction.
How to Structure a Creative Agency When Working Solo
If you’re working solo, the principles remain the same. You’re essentially the entire client-facing team, but you can still structure your work when setting up your creative agency:
- Handle strategy and client communication yourself
Make this as efficient as possible and build yourself a process for onboarding, brief taking and feedback that is as automated as possible. Dedicate time every day to business development. Speak to existing and new clients to ensure your pipeline is always full. - Outsource creative execution to trusted freelancers
I get it, no one will design like you, but when you are growing your creative agency, you will need support. Provide them with systems and processes as well as guides on your way of doing things. It might feel a bit like duplication now, but when these guides are written/recorded, they will support everyone who joins your team and maintain the level of quality you expect. - Use a CRM for sales and comms and project management tools to maintain clear workflows
Systems become your second brain and when you scale the number of clients you are working with, you cannot comprehend the amount of knowledge you will be storing. Something will be missed if you don’t use tools to your benefit. - Set boundaries around client communication (specific hours, response times)
I can’t stress enough how important it is to stop answering client questions and requests in WhatsApp. At least 50% of my clients do this and it’s fine until it isn’t. Set normal business hours and standard response times now! Always reply in your emails where possible to keep all of your client comms in a single location.
What I’d Do Differently
Looking back, I’d document our processes much earlier. We eventually created standard operating procedures for everything, but doing this from the beginning would have saved us significant time and reduced errors.
I’d also implement the £50 rule (anyone in our team can solve a problem under £50 without asking permission) much sooner. This simple framework prevented most of the daily interruptions that were slowing us down. Letting go of decision making at this level was one of the most pivotal changes we made both for ourselves and the mindset of our team.
The Bottom Line on Creative Agency Structure
Your agency structure should serve your business objectives, not the other way around. Start simple, document what works, and evolve based on where you’re seeing friction.
The goal isn’t to copy someone else’s structure – it’s to build something that lets you deliver exceptional work while maintaining your sanity.
What matters most is that your clients get brilliant service and your team can do their best work without unnecessary complexity.
If you want help setting up the structure in your creative agency to benefit you and your business, click here and set up a discovery call with me.