Getting Started – Five Things to Do in Your First Week of Running a Web Design Agency

When you start your own web design agency, most of the planning and preparation can go into just getting the business off the ground. But what do you do once you’ve actually launched, especially in that first week of running your new business?

If you’ve come from being in a full-time job, then it can feel strange to suddenly be in charge of your own schedule and to not have anyone else to answer to, especially if you’re starting out on your own.

Hopefully, you’ll have a few projects lined up to keep you busy, but even if you don’t, there’s still plenty you can do to get your fledgling agency off to the best possible start. In this article, I share five things you should do in your first week of business.

01. Go Networking

Networking isn’t for everyone, and I know some people see it as a little old fashioned. Not everyone is comfortable talking to strangers or getting up in front of people either. But in business, personal relationships are critical to achieving success, and networking is one of the best places to build those personal relationships.

You can certainly generate new business through other channels, like broader marketing activities, SEO, advertising, and social media (and you definitely should do all of that too) but networking can be one of the quickest and most direct ways of meeting people who either might need your services, or who know someone else who does.

The most important thing to remember about networking is that it’s full of other business owners just like you – people who probably feel a bit nervous and uncomfortable, but they do it because they want to grow their businesses.

This means that local networking events can be a great place to not only meet people who might need a new website for their businesses, but also other likeminded people who can help and support you as you get your new business off the ground.

Even if the idea of going to a networking event fills you with dread, I’d strongly recommend that you give it a try, and the good news is that there’s no shortage of local networking events, so a quick Google search will probably reveal quite a few in your area.

Aim to visit at least one in your first week. It takes time to build those relationships, so the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll start reaping the rewards.

02. Make Sure Your Software, Systems, and Social Channels Are All Setup

To run your business successfully, you’re going to need to rely on an array of software and systems, as well as maintaining a strong presence on social media. As such, you’ll want to make sure you have these all setup on your first week, if you haven’t already.

I’ve already put together quite a detailed article on all the different software you’ll need, so if you haven’t read that yet, you should definitely check it out, but let’s do a quick recap on the basics:

Design and development software

If you’re going to be handling this kind of work and you come from a design or development background, then you’ve probably already got a good idea of which software you’ll use, but now could also be a great time to revisit this and try something new, so don’t just assume that the software you’ve been using for years is still the best option.

Figma and Sketch are probably two of the most popular web design tools nowadays. For coding there’s a huge choice, but I personally use Nova.

Productivity software

You’ll need this for everyday tasks, so things like emails, spreadsheets, documents etc, so think Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or Apple’s suite of apps.

Time tracking software

I talk about this a lot in my second book Grow, but tracking your time is important. It’s data that will help you understand how long tasks and projects take, and how that aligns to what you’re charging.

Without this data and insight, you could end up spending too long on projects or not charging enough, wiping out any profits and meaning you don’t earn enough.

I use Toggl, but there’s no shortage of other options out there.

Accountancy software

You’ll need this to manage the finances of your agency, as well as creating things like quotes and invoices.

I use Xero, but again, there are other options, with QuickBooks also being a popular choice.

Social media

You’ll want to make sure all your socials are up and running – and that you actually start posting to them.

Which socials you use will largely be driven by who your target clients are and where they spend their time, but if you’re planning to target business owners (or professionals within businesses) then the usual suspects are LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, and maybe even a YouTube channel if you want to present yourself as a thought leader.

Again, if you can get these up and running in your first week, you’ll be much more likely to fall into the habit of using them, and this will put you in good stead moving forwards. It also means you won’t be scrabbling around trying to set these up when you actually need to use them.

03. Get the Word Out

As I mentioned earlier, personal relationships are important for getting your new business off the ground and making it a success. If you haven’t done so already, then reaching out to people you already know can be a quick and easy win.

Remember, even though starting your agency will have been at the front of your mind for a while, it doesn’t mean it would have been for other people, even if you already told them. Sometimes, people need to be reminded of something before it sinks in. Plus, there’s usually a big difference between someone who says they’re going do something versus someone who actually does it.

So, spend some time reaching out to people you know, and let them know that you’ve now gone out on your own and have started your business properly. This could be former work colleagues, people from school, college, or university, or even more informal settings like social clubs, gyms or fitness classes. Again, you never know who may need your services, or who they know who does.

04. Work On Your Agency Brand and Website

If you read my previous article about preparing for launch, then you may already have at least some of this done, but even if you haven’t, then your first week in business is the perfect time to make a start on your new brand and website, or to carry on working on it.

The subject of how to actually brand your agency and create your website is broad – more than we can cover in this article (though I have covered it in some of my other posts, so be sure to check those out if you need more inspiration), but it’s important that you create a brand that is both unique to your business and also reflects you and your story.

However, creating a brand and agency website is time-consuming, so don’t worry if you don’t have it all done straight away. In fact, from my own personal experience, the chances of getting it all done in the first week are low, as there will likely just be too much to do.

What’s more important is that you just make a start, and it’s more likely that your brand and website will grow and evolve over time. Instead of thinking about it like it’s just something you need to get done, it’s better to think of it as a continual process.

Having that mindset means that you can dedicate a set time each week to work on it, starting in your first week. It doesn’t need to be too much time, and how and when are up to you. When I was first starting out, I used to enjoy downing tools on paid client work on a Friday and spending the last few hours of the week working on my brand and website. I always found this was a nice way to end the working week.

05. Prepare a List of Target Clients

We’re now getting into the more strategic aspects of running an agency, but if you want to start growing your client base, then it won’t hurt to take a more targeted approach in how you get those clients.

If you take a random or scattergun approach to new business, then you’ll probably always be at the mercy of random events.  To be fair, this will always be the case to a certain extent, but if you can start to think about specific clients that you want to work with, then this will allow you to have more control over your new business.

The first place to start is by putting together a list of potential clients that you’d like to work with. I’m sure there are probably some big-name brands that spring to mind, and if you can get on their radar then great, but those are also the same brands that dozens, if not hundreds of other designers and agencies are trying to target, so don’t be surprised if you find you’re up against stiff competition.

But as much as those brand names can look great on a portfolio page on your website, there’s actually a whole world of lower profile but equally rewarding, everyday businesses and charities out there who are probably crying out for a new website. You just need to know where to look.

So, let’s break it down into a practical approach:

1. Think about your specialisms. Do you have experience in a certain sector, like sport, or accountancy, or agriculture?
2. What types of websites will you offer? Low cost, or premium? Content brochure sites, or eCommerce ones?
3. How will you price what you offer? Lower cost websites will naturally align to smaller businesses or sole traders, whereas more a premium offer could enable you to target larger businesses.
4. Where will you operate? Modern technology means you can work with clients all over the world, but you’ll probably find that there are more than enough in your local area. Plus, it’s harder to build those long-lasting relationships when you only talk via Zoom.

Once you know all this, you should find it easy to put together a list of potential targets to approach. They probably won’t all respond, but start by reaching out to them. You’ll need to do your research first though:

1. Who will you need to speak to? How can you find their contact details? Are they on LinkedIn?
2. Why do they need a new website? Why isn’t their current website working for them?
3. What can you offer that will improve this? Why should they buy a new website from you? What problem or challenge will you overcome? How can you help them grow their business?
4. Why should they choose you? You probably won’t be the only web agency they’ve considered, so what makes you special?

You’ll need to do your homework for each one. If you just email them asking if they need a new website, you probably won’t get much of a response. But if you can create a compelling reason as to why their current website could be holding them back and why investing in a new website with you can address their challenges and unlock new growth and opportunities, then this could help you to at least get your foot in the door.