What’s It Like AFTER Getting
B Corp Certified?

There has been a LOT of talk about the B Corp process and how to get certified.

The consensus? It’s a bit of a slog…

But at this year’s Good Agencies Summit, we’re exploring what happens after you’ve secured your big shiny ‘B’ badge.

“It’s the most amazing business tool as it covers everything,” says Helen Foord, CEO of ELE. “There isn’t a month goes by when I’m not checking our impact assessment – it’s become part of my management dashboard, in the same way as my P&L sheet.”

👉 Helen will be joined by other B Corp-certified founders to share what they’ve learned over the last few years, and the impact the certification has had on their businesses.

How Can You Maximise Your Agency’s Impact Through Partnerships?

When an agency sets out to achieve purpose in the world, it can be difficult to know where to start – or how to make the impact you really want.

For some agencies, the answer is in leveraging purposeful partnerships to ensure they’re maximising the impact they’re making – while balancing commercial incentives too.

👉 We’ll be hearing from three agency leaders who are partnering externally to improve everything from D&I and neurodiversity, to sustainability and digital poverty.

What Alternatives Are Out There If You Don’t Want To Choose The B-Corp Route?

“There seem to be a couple of different camps. There are people who really like to personally give a shit about things – that’s the camp I’m in. And there are other people for whom, business-wise, B Corp is just something they need to be and should be doing,” says Katie Parry, director of Supercool.

It seems as though every agency in the country has gone for B Corp status over the past year or two. But is it the only option you have to show you’re a good business?

It’s a classic question: If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Do you even have to prove you’re doing good, to be good?

👉 There are all sorts of ways agencies can do better for their people, for the planet, and for their purpose – and this session at the Good Agencies Summit will explore all the other options besides Plan B (Corp).

How Do You Build An Agency That Is Accessible
To Everyone?

There’s no doubt that agencies lead the way when it comes to progressive workplace environments. But when it comes to being inclusive of disabled talent, there’s still a long way to go. 

The neurodiversity discourse is new to the table, but there are a plethora of other disabilities, both visible and invisible, that are still not catered for – leaving a whole pool of talent completely untouched. Could you be missing out because of your unconscious bias?

👉 In this session, our panellists will be taking us through some of the ‘dos and don’ts’ that agencies should abide by when it comes to accessibility and disabled inclusivity – and dissecting their own experiences of discrimination to give you an understanding of the hidden pressures that disabled candidates often face. [Read more]

Should You Be Taking On Pro-Bono Client Work
In Your Agency?

“Agencies arguably should be doing pro-bono work… it’s no different to volunteering, and leveraging your craft is way more valuable than litter picking
or planting saplings.”

Pro-bono work seems like a no-brainer for most agencies at the start of their purpose journey – especially those who want to give back but don’t know where to start. 

But do the risks outweigh the rewards?

👉 In this breakout session, we’ll be posing the question: is pro-bono work worth the hassle? Come along to share your own two pence, and hear from agency leaders who have tried and tested this tactic – with varying results. [Read more]

How Can Agencies Foster An Inclusive Culture That Feels Authentic?

What strides are you making to improve diversity and inclusion in your agency?

When it comes to making a conscious effort on the D&I front, the job never ends. Most agency leaders understand that – but are unsure where on earth to begin with this kind of stuff. And, more importantly, how to do it authentically. 

“It’s not your fault that these systemic issues are here, but you can be part of the solution. And we need you as leaders to drive positive change.”

👉 In this breakout session, we’ll be asking our panellists about how agencies can create an environment where diversity truly thrives – without the virtue-signalling and double standards – and how this mindset can begin to trickle into your creative projects. [Read more]

How Do You Balance Purpose and Profitability?

In an ideal world, it would be easy to prioritise your agency’s purpose. 

There’d be no obstacles, wages would pay themselves, and you’d have the stability to turn down clients who aren’t a good fit.

Unfortunately, 2023 has thrown more problems at independent businesses than we ever could have imagined. So how can you keep true to your values and still maintain a profit?

👉 In this session, Maddy Cooper, founder of Flourish, and Nick Kuh, Director at Asquared, will be sharing the tough decisions they’ve had to make to keep their agency purpose as a top priority – whilst making sure the business is still making money. [Read more]

How Can You Reduce Your Digital Footprint?

We’ve been talking about digital sustainability for a long time – but is your agency doing enough to make a difference digitally?

“It all trickles down to the way we consume digital,” says Rich Brassett, founder of Long Live King. We stream tonnes of stuff every day, we have video calls all the time, emails are constantly going back and forth – at least 10% of that isn’t necessary.”

This session will spotlight three agency leaders leading the charge on this front – from websites and client work, to video production and sustainable working practices on digital campaigns.

👉 We’ll also be talking about how the sustainability landscape has changed over the years, and what agencies can do to tackle digital – including the rise of AI and its potential effects. [Read more]

How Transparent Should You Be?

More and more agencies are beginning to bear all – from open salary bands to sharing data and slack channels with clients.

Leaders quote all sorts of benefits, from building trust with clients, team accountability, and your agency’s credibility, to ensuring everyone is on the same page.

“We’ve even had candidates join us and take a slight pay cut on the basis that we’re so upfront and fair,” says Zoë Ogden, people director at Impression Digital.

But where is the line? Is there such a thing as being too transparent?

👉 We’ll be speaking to several agency panellists about how they champion transparency in their businesses, the impact it makes on teams and new biz – as well as the parameters they draw to make sure it doesn’t cause problems. [Read more]

Winner of the 2022 ISPA Best Hosted Service award, Krystal is also the world’s first B Corp web hosting and public cloud provider.

Formed in 2002 as an “Honest, Reliable & Personal” alternative to large faceless hosting corporations, it offers discerning businesses master-crafted solutions and intelligent support, backed by an ethical approach. Krystal runs on 100% renewable energy, has pledged 1 billion trees by 2030 and offsets the lifetime carbon footprint of its workforce.

Today, Krystal is a key partner to ambitious agencies looking for premium, performance-led hosting that protects the planet.

Teamwork.com offers complete operations control and powerful project management in one place to drive efficiency, improve profits, and scale your agency in confidence.

Headquartered in Ireland and founded by a team who started as an agency, Teamwork.com has more than 20,000 customers around the world and is uniquely positioned to help agencies:

• Eliminate chaos by tracking performance across every project, team, and client
• Maximize capacity and utilization with integrated time tracking and resource management
• Simplify operations with pre-built templates, intake forms, process automation, and integrations for the tools you love.

Find more more about the only project management and operations platform built specifically for agencies.