Guides for independent agencies
Short answer: These are practical guides to the business side of running an independent agency: finding new clients, answering briefs and RFPs, and staying close to the clients you already have. Each one starts with a method you can use this week with nothing more than a spreadsheet and an inbox, then shows where yaven can take some of the work off your plate.
Finding new clients
- How to find clients for a design agency. Pick a focus, build a short list of companies with a reason to talk now, and write notes that get replies.
- How to get new clients for a branding agency. Branding work follows moments of change. How to spot them early, and how to turn a first conversation into a paid discovery.
Briefs and proposals
- How to respond to an RFP as a small creative agency. A go or no-go score, how to break an RFP into answerable questions, and how a small team can stand out against bigger agencies.
Past clients
- How to win back past clients. Why clients go quiet, when to get in touch, and what to say so it feels like a conversation rather than a sales email.
Tools and stack
- Agency new business software. What buyers mean by the category (prospecting, CRM, proposals, keep-in-touch), and when to pick yaven, Apollo, Proposify or a CRM.
- Best project management tools for small agencies. An honest shortlist, how to pick one in a week, and a one-page handoff so context survives from won deal to kickoff.
More from yaven
If you'd rather see how yaven helps with each of these jobs, start with finding new clients, briefs and RFPs or winning back past clients. There are pages for design, branding and marketing agencies, and a plain explanation of how we handle data on private AI for agencies. You can also compare yaven with other tools.
Questions
Who are these guides for?
Founders and new business leads at independent marketing, branding, design and creative agencies, from solo studios to larger teams.
Do I need yaven to use these guides?
No. Every guide works on its own with a spreadsheet and an inbox. We mention where yaven can save time, but the method comes first.
How often do you publish?
We add a new guide when we've learned something worth sharing from working with agencies. Each one is written to be practical enough to use the same week.