One of the stats that stood out to us in the Barometer was that “for half of small agencies, nobody is dedicated to new business”. We were guilty of relying heavily on referrals and repeat work. Having just delivered on a long-term contract, we found ourselves in no-mans-land, with a flaky and unpredictable pipeline and a more competitive market. We were doing great creative work, but treating new business as something squeezed in around production deadlines.

We realised we needed to become far more intentional about relationships, positioning and visibility.

So we reshuffled internally. One of the founders stepped away from being heavily involved in day-to-day creative delivery and focused more on new business, outreach and partnerships. We refined our positioning as a strategic creative partner helping organisations communicate clearly. That shift also meant having earlier and more honest conversations with clients, focusing on longer-term partnerships and being more visible about our process and thinking.

It definitely hasn’t been easy.

For a small agency, moving founders away from billable creative work can feel risky, especially when pipeline already feels uncertain. The results are slower and less tangible at first, and there’s a vulnerability in putting yourself out there before you feel like you’ve fully figured it out.

We’ve essentially had to learn sales and business development in public.

But it’s already changed the quality of conversations we’re having.

We’re finding ourselves earlier in projects, involved in more strategic discussions, and speaking to clients who are looking for a long-term creative partner rather than just occasional support.

It’s also helped us build a clearer sense of who we are and where we add the most value.

Don’t wait until you feel “ready” to start being intentional about new business.

For smaller agencies especially, new business can’t just live in the gaps between delivery. Even small changes in positioning, visibility and relationship-building can completely change the kind of conversations you attract.

And you don’t have to pretend to have it all figured out, honesty and clarity go a long way.