An Agency didn't have "time" for growth

When I first started my legal firm, I always valued money over time.

It didn't matter how many hours I worked, as long as I got paid for it.

But it was never really in proportion to the time I worked.

I quickly realized how much time I was wasting on projects.

I realized, that no matter if I worked 5 hours or 10, I was getting paid the same.

But I am glad I did that.

Because that's when I learned the importance of time.

Time is more valuable to me than money now.

And whenever I take on a project, I always have a strict deadline for it.

But sadly, this is not the case for everyone.

The software development space is notorious for this.

Project delays are quite common in this niche.

And one of the clients we worked with recently had a similar issue.

No project could ever be completed on time.

So I took them on a discovery call, and soon realized the main issues:

(1) Their clients often delay providing necessary information, feedback, or approvals.

And that led to project stalls.

And without clear contractual obligations, it was challenging to hold clients accountable for these delays.

(2) Their project timelines did not account for potential delays caused by clients.

And that led to unrealistic schedules and missed deadlines.

This affected their ability to manage resources and meet other project commitments.

(3) The delays obviously caused frustration on both sides.

Their clients were unhappy because the project kept pushing back.

And our client was unhappy because they couldn't take on more projects without finishing the current one.

The agency needed a way to set clear expectations and improve client communication.

Now that we figured out what the issues were.

The only thing that was left was to solve them.

To have something in the contract that tackles them one by one.

And overall improves their onboarding process.

(1) Clear Client Responsibilities:

Our first step was to revise their contract to clearly outline client responsibilities.

We did this by specifying the requirement of providing timely information, feedback, and approvals.

We also included specific deadlines for client deliverables and responses to make sure there was accountability.

(2) Realistic Project Timelines:

We updated their project timelines to include buffer periods for client-related delays.

We also set realistic schedules that accounted for potential delays, to ensure more accurate project planning and resource management.

If you believe something can be done in 30 days, then say it will take 40 days.

That's how you plan better.

(3) Delay Clauses and Consequences:

We added clauses that specified the impact of client delays on project timelines and deliverables.

To do this, we added provisions for pausing work if clients failed to meet their responsibilities, along with potential additional costs for extended timelines.

The whole logic behind it was simple - if you are working MORE because of the client's fault, then you should be paid more.

(4) Better Communication Protocols:

We added a clause for regular check-ins and status updates to keep the agency's clients informed and engaged throughout the project.

We also added a clear escalation process for addressing delays and issues promptly.

Most big agencies use this, and we thought it was time they had something similar.

Now once we did all this, here's what changed.

1) The agency reduced the impact of client-caused delays.

2) The agency's clients also understood their role in the project's success and the consequences of delays.

3) Overall communication between the agency and its client was improved, for smoother execution of the project.

In the end, the agency was able to manage the project more efficiently, meet more deadlines consistently, and have a good relationship with its clients.

The problems are easy to solve if you learn the cause of them.

But most people don't really take any action, even after learning the cause.

Now you have to ask yourself here if you face these delays in your projects.

Then what is more important to you?

Your time or money?

Because if your time is more important, then I can help you out.

Just reply to this email "DELAYS" and I will send you details on how we can work together.

Have a good weekend!

-- Akhil Mishra