How We Run a Fully Remote Creative Agency

Starting and managing a creative agency is bound to bring about a great deal of challenges – after all, it  means leading a team of 7 people who work remotely, in different parts of the world. In spite of this, the technology we have at our disposal has made our jobs considerably easier. Read on to find out more about how we run our business strictly online.

How do we put the work in teamwork?

Being spread out in various countries and having to manage different time zones might be one of our biggest challenges. Making it work starts with focusing on solutions right from the very beginning, by figuring out work intervals which are convenient for everybody. Further on, a communication program designed for businesses allows us to do just that – it is where we operate and store all relevant work-related information.

Another helpful tool is a team calendar, where everyone can be notified should the location of one of the members change. This means that we all know when to expect an answer from the other side of the world. Additionally, all of our meetings are scheduled in advance with a great deal of care. Everyone can plan their day around those so it is very easy and convenient for all those involved.

Right from the get-go we decided to have a weekly meeting with all the members of our team. It is essential that everyone is aware of what the others are doing and that everyone is up to date. Again, we do our best to stick to the same days and time slots so that there are no surprises for anyone.

If there was such a thing such as a key to success, it would be proper planning. We have team days once a year. It is an opportunity to return to our roots and work together to imagine and shape the future of the company. At least two full days of sessions and working on the goals of each department results in an elaborate plan for the coming year.

To ensure that we do not stray too far from our original plan, we hold ourselves accountable and we implement a system of monthly reviews, where we all go back to our plan and analyse our achievements and learn from our failures.

The key to running our business remotely

Emails, emails and more emails…

This is the primary way in which we communicate with our business partners. It is quite simple to keep track of everything, especially if one dedicates enough time to labeling and organizing their inbox. It is also very comforting to add an extra layer of safety and reliability.

We always go the extra mile to ensure that we use as little paper as possible. It should be of no surprise that handling paperwork can be inefficient and bring about all sorts of unpleasant surprises, not to mention the costs.

For this very reason, we have contracted an electronic signature provider. It is simple, elegant, secure and, of course, paperless. Signing contracts and sending them has never been easier. To top it off, we have an automatic audit trail with a copy of the agreement that is generated and then stored by our provider and which is then sent to both parties.

You must already be familiar with the fact that our content-creation company is registered in Estonia, a country that has invested heavily in transitioning to the digital age. For the administrative and financial aspects of our company, we use a service provider that offers e-residents assistance whenever they wish to register the company, and also provide the legal requirements for doing so. Mainly, they offer a person of contact and a legal address. They also manage our accounting and are always prepared to answer our questions and concerns.

The purchase of various creative tools and materials, such as editing apps and copyrighted material is, of course, part of being a creative company. We use one of the best fintech companies (also started in Estonia a few years ago) to manage our banking needs.

As you can see, we are doing everything in our power to maximize our possibilities and to run our company in the smartest way possible. If you are looking for guidance or want to learn more about what we do, you can drop us a message on social media.