Freelance or Agency?
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🕓 7 Minute Read
TL;DR
There is no “best path” for creative business, only the format that you want. Freelancing is no less honorable or respectable than running an agency, and running an agency is no less creatively satisfying or flexible than freelancing, so long as your intentions are clear from the start. Get clear on what you want from your business, and thoughtfully craft your positioning to realize it.
Let’s get this out of the way: You’re free to call your business, and your title within it whatever you want, regardless of what anyone thinks. If you think “Founder + CEO, Multi-Disciplinary Creative Agency Worldwide” has a great ring to it, by all means, do your thing. But for the rest of us who have teetered on the edge of what to call ourselves in the eye of clients, our business cards, and the internet… here are a few thoughts.
The entirety of this topic can be summed up in one question: What do you want to be?
It sounds so basic, but this is what it comes down to. Do you want to be a freelancer that works alone and has total freedom to take on any client or opportunity that comes along? Or do you want to be an agency, where you serve as the creative director, employing other creatives to implement the direction you provide?
It’s arguably the most fundamental choice you need to make in your creative career, as either path requires such radically different methods of growth. By default, you’re in the middle of the two paths — trying to chase both will result in not getting far in either, and staying neutral just isn’t an option, which means it’s got to be your active, intentional choice.
Many creatives incorrectly view this as a linear progression rather than a choice — as if being a freelancer is simply step one in the journey of one day "leveling-up" to being an agency. This is simply not true. Both have equal potential of being profitable, enjoyable, and impactful in the businesses of clients, and are equally viable formats for running a creative business.
Freelancing is no less honorable or respectable than running an agency, and running an agency is no less creatively satisfying or flexible than freelancing, so long as your intentions are clear from the start. So, how can you tell what path is right for you?
Freelance
If you enjoy working for yourself (by yourself) with zero employees on payroll, and only get paid when you personally work… you’re probably better off being a freelancer, not an agency. And that’s a great thing — you’re living the dream, working without a boss and making your own way in the world!
A few attributes of freelancing:
You value freedom and flexibility, being able to take your skills and services wherever the opportunity finds you.
You enjoy the simplicity of business — want to change your pricing model and marketing strategy today? No problem.
You're great at adapting to different environments and teams, allowing you to work alongside other agencies and companies when the situation is right.
You like being fully in control of your finances at all times — with no employees or expensive office rent to pay, you’re able to keep your venture extremely lean.
You hate the idea of having a business persona to maintain. Clients work with you personally, so they know your name, and can easily recommend you to others.
Agency
If your ambition is to run a business that can run without you, operates as it's own standalone entity, creates opportunity for other creatives to step into, and delivers world-class results on a larger scale, transitioning to a creative agency model may be for you.
You appreciate the steadfastness of a business that’s not just you, and being planted in an industry or area, likely with a physical office space to call HQ.
You enjoy the nuance and strategy of running a business, and would love to hire other people to do the actual implementation work, while you handle the strategy.
You don't mind dealing with much larger amounts of money, both making and spending — hiring people is expensive! But, as an agency you're able to bring in the revenue to make it work in your favor.
You love the idea of operating as a brand, not just an individual — the sum of your collective work being much greater than if you were to work alone.
You're a natural leader, and find it inspiring and empowering to be able to make a real impact in the lives of your employees and coworkers.
In Summary
There is no golden rule for choosing between being a freelancer or an agency, only your intention — which route do you feel more naturally drawn to? Which is most in alignment with the way you work as a creative professional? Analyze your experiences, looking for clues about what might be best for you: What situations made you feel productive and most alive, and which ones were stressful and draining?
Once you've got an idea of the path that's right for you, start positioning your business as if it's 100% true today. If you decide to be a freelancer, get rid of that "we, us, and our" language on your website, and start leaning hard into your personal brand, creating an experience that's a clear representation of you and you alone. If you want to be an agency, do just the opposite: Start developing frameworks of a larger brand that can be filled in over time, such as a standalone brand identity and business name, positions you'd like to fill, and clients that you can only dream about working with now.
