Since our clients are usually looking for growth we’ve worked with many people who have built their business with their own blood, sweat and tears.

But inevitably as the business grows so do the demands on their time. They’ve achieved a lot on their own, but often the next big leap in growth is going to require some expert advice.

If you’ve never worked with a marketing agency before the fear factor can be huge. How can you find one you can trust? How will you cope letting a stranger see inside your business? What if they steal your ideas? And the big question… Is it really worth the money?

To help you out we listed the top 5 questions you should be asking any prospective agency. Whether you’ve never worked with one or you’ve been doing it for years we think they’ll come in useful.

1. Do you have an existing client I can talk to?

A good one for any contractor you hire. Any agency worth it’s weight will have a built up great relationships with it’s existing clients. Asking to speak to one to get a real insight into what it’s like working with them is a great way to sniff out trouble.

2. Do you specialise in a certain sector?

Many agencies specialise. For sectors like beauty or construction the upside is market knowledge and helpful contacts. The downside is having nothing innovative to offer you or working with competitors already . Ask the question and choose which works best for you.

3. How will the results be measured?

It’s true a lot of marketing and PR can be challenging to measure. But that doesn’t mean you can’t track performance at all. The key is that the agency should be able to give you a solid metric or at least a trend to monitor.

4. How can you help us embed what you do in our business?

Make sure what they do compliments what you’re already doing. Say you’ve hired someone to help with your social media, how is that going to link in with your PR or your events? You may be outsourcing but that doesn’t mean it should happen in isolation.

5. How will you update us?

This is a trick one. The real question is will they update you in the best way for you? If their process is to send out a monthly report by email but you prefer a weekly phone call then the onus is on them to change.

Our best advice is find an agency that cares as much about your business as you do. We grew our own business by helping our clients grow theirs. If you’d like to chat about how we could help yours get in touch.