Knowledge for agencies
Articles on CRM, project management and agency operations, written from the day-to-day practice of an agency and freelancers with multiple clients.
What Is the Best CRM System for Agencies?
Most CRM systems are built for sales teams selling products. An agency sells something different. What should you really look for when choosing one?
Recent articles
Capacity Planning for Agencies: How Much Work Can You Really Take On?
Every capacity planning guide assumes you have clean timesheet data. Most small agencies do not, and that is not the real reason their planning breaks.
AI Powered CRM: Which Features Are Actually Worth Paying For?
Almost every CRM now sells an AI tier. The half that reads and writes for you is worth the money. The half that predicts needs a deal history most agencies do not have.
AI Project Management: What AI Actually Does for a Small Agency
Every project tool has grown a sparkle icon. Most of them read a system that is almost empty, which is why the suggestions feel impressive and change nothing.
CRM for small businesses: do you actually need one?
The lists of the best CRM for small businesses all name the same five tools, and never ask what kind of small business you actually are.
Following up on quotes without losing any
Almost every article about following up on quotes is about the right timing and the right script. The real reason it goes wrong is simpler: you forgot the quote was out there.
Looking for a Teamleader alternative: start with the reason, not the list
Every list of Teamleader alternatives is written by a company that puts itself at number one. The useful question comes earlier: why do you want to leave?
Project planning in Excel: how far does it actually get you?
Almost every article about project planning in Excel is written by someone selling planning software. For many agencies, Excel stays good enough longer than those articles suggest.
Writing a meeting summary after a client call: what actually works?
Most advice on meeting summaries is about formatting. For agencies the real problem is not the formatting, it is that the summary never gets written.
ERP vs CRM: What Is the Difference and What Does an Agency Need?
Almost every article on the difference between ERP and CRM is written by someone selling ERP. For a five-person agency the answer is usually simpler and cheaper.
Free CRM system: what do you actually get and where does it break?
Free CRM systems genuinely exist, and for some agencies they are enough. The question comparisons skip is at what point it flips, and what you lose then.
Project management as a freelancer: keeping an overview across multiple clients
The lists of project management software for freelancers are written as if you work on one project. The real problem for a self-employed person with five clients is something else.
Proposal template in Word: when do you switch to proposal software?
Search for "proposal template" and you mostly get download pages with an empty Word file. Almost nobody tells you when to move on from that template, and why.
CRM in Excel: when does it still work and when does it stop?
Most articles about a CRM in Excel jump straight to the conclusion that you need to buy software. That is too fast. Excel lasts longer than vendors tell you, and it fails at a predictable point.
Project management tools for agencies: generic tool or something specific?
Most "best project management software" lists are written for internal teams, not for an agency juggling ten clients at once.
Does your agency need separate time tracking software next to your CRM?
Not every agency needs separate time tracking. The real question is not whether your team logs hours, but whether you bill or steer based on them.
HubSpot alternative for small agencies: what to know before you switch
HubSpot starts free, but agencies regularly find the bill climbs fast once they need more contacts or features. What are the alternatives?
CRM system for freelancers with multiple clients: what do you actually need?
A freelancer with three clients does not need an enterprise CRM, but a spreadsheet of contact details breaks down fast too. Where is the line?
Automating client reports: what can an agency actually hand off?
Every Monday, agencies cut and paste numbers from ad platforms into a spreadsheet. What can actually be automated, and where do you still need to pay attention?
Gripp vs Simplicate vs Teamleader: which fits your agency?
Three names that come up in almost every Dutch agency searching for business software. What is the difference, and what does it really cost?
Trello vs Asana: which fits an agency with multiple clients?
Most Trello vs Asana comparisons are written for a generic audience. An honest comparison for anyone serving multiple clients at once.
Weekly Planning for Agencies That Are Always Fully Booked
You build a plan every Monday, and by Wednesday it is already wrong. The problem is not your planning, it is that it sits disconnected from your work.
The Hidden Costs of Free Tools for Your Agency
Your agency runs on five free tools and that feels smart. Until you add up what the switching and the limits actually cost you.
Get Proposals Signed Faster as an Agency or Freelancer
You send a solid proposal and hear nothing for three weeks. Not because the client says no, but because nobody follows up anymore.
Stop Taking Meeting Notes: How Meetings Turn Into Tasks on Their Own
Someone has to take notes, and yet three days later nobody remembers who was supposed to do what. The problem is not the notes, it is the step after.
Why Clients Never Log In to Your Client Portal (and How to Fix That)
You built a beautiful client portal, and nobody uses it. The problem is not the client, it is what you are asking of them.
How Do You Scale an Agency Without More Chaos?
More clients and more people mainly means more handovers. Without fixed ways of working and one system, you scale the chaos right along with it.
Sales Pipeline Stages: the Five That Work for a Marketing Agency
Most pipelines have too many stages nobody keeps updated. Five stages are enough for an agency, if you choose them well.
How Do You Keep an Overview of Multiple Clients at Once?
Ten clients, ten boards, and still no idea what matters most today. The problem isn't your team, it's how your boards are set up.
From Won Deal to Client Project Without Losing Anything
The riskiest moment in a client relationship isn't the pitch, it's the week after the signature. Here is how promises, scope and deadlines survive the handover.
Pipedrive as an Agency: Where Do You Run Into Trouble?
Pipedrive is popular for good reason: it's a solid sales tool. The friction for agencies only starts after the deal is won. An honest analysis.
What Does a CRM Cost for an Agency?
The number on the pricing page is rarely what you will actually pay. The real cost of a CRM is in seats, separate modules and the tier where the good features live.
Why Agencies Use Too Many Separate Tools (and What It Really Costs)
Nobody ever decides to use eight tools, it just grows that way. And the real bill is not in the subscriptions, it is in what that stack does to your workday.
Combining a CRM System and Project Management Tool: Why You Want That as an Agency
Sales documents in the CRM, delivery works in the project tool. Right in between, at the handover, the promises and the context disappear.
Why a Normal CRM Often Isn't Enough for an Agency
A normal CRM celebrates when the deal is won. For an agency, that's exactly when the real work begins, and that CRM has no answer for it.