Here are nine tips on how to start and run a marketing agency: 

1. Be optimistic

A positive outlook makes all the difference. Even when you're faced with problems and obstacles, optimism enables you to see the opportunity in every situation. When you reach a crossroads with a client or you didn't win a pitch, always ask why and then take a good, hard look at what took place to see how you can improve the next time. 

2. Surround yourself with people that you like

This doesn't mean surround yourself with people like you! You want people who complement you — not compliment you — so whether it's those who work for you or it's your suppliers or clients, the people who share your values are the ones who will hang around and help you make great things happen.

Even if you have a broad mix of personalities, skills and capabilities in your agency, aim to work really well together and have an amazing company culture.

3. Create an environment where the magic can happen

Let everyone be creative and allow everyone to come up with new ideas and new ways of doing things. Some of the greatest work is the result of an individual taking ownership and running with an idea.

Be the voice in the office that always asks 'Why are we doing this?' If you make your team think about and understand the bigger purpose behind a social media post, a press release, a new website or an SMS campaign, then the 'how' comes naturally.

4. Keep on learning

Three years ago, Stratitude became the exclusive South African partner of a global network of independent agencies called AMIN Worldwide, and the insights and ideas that it gets from them are priceless.

Strive for continuous training and exposure, and make sure that your team always learns about new trends and best practices from industry talks and courses. Also invest in learnerships, which always come back to benefit the business. You might not know all the answers but if you ask the questions, you'll be amazed at what you find out.

5. Sleep on it before you react

Don't react without first thinking things through. By taking some time and literally sleeping on it, the solution usually ends up being in a completely different direction to your initial reaction. While you might get this often wrong, it is worth working on because it works. Even tell clients to sleep on a creative concept or strategy before giving you their feedback.

6. Care about what you do

Anyone can prepare a plate of food, but you can really taste the difference when someone cares about what they are dishing up. Drive care in the agency; care about the work you do, care about the team you work with and care about your clients and their businesses.

Every time someone has stopped caring, others notice it immediately, and shortly thereafter there'll be a resignation letter or a performance talk. 

7. Build relationships based on value

Cherish your clients as if they are extended members of your team because then they will see you as extended members of their team. Do not take them for granted and always focus on helping them succeed.

This can include making your strategies align with their business strategies, how you work with them, how you develop campaigns or how you measure them. If you aren't making an impact on their business, you aren't adding any value.

8. Hire smart and then learn to let go

As an entrepreneur, you're hardwired to do everything yourself but, because you want to be involved in every single operation, the risk is that you start losing sight of the bigger picture.

Surround yourself with a team that you can rely on and then trust them to make the right decisions. This frees up your time to grow the business beyond what you could have achieved on your own.

9. You've got to love what you do — and love yourself

Running a business takes time and dedication, so you really have to love what you do.

But it's also about finding that balance and making time for your other passions and your family. Keeping a balance helps you to put things into perspective. 

For more information, visit www.stratitude.co.za. You can also follow Stratitude on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.