How to Make The Shift From Freelancer to WordPress Agency

So you’re ready to go bigger, yes? Ready for speed? Ready to make even more money? Excellent and congratulations! We’ve been waiting for you!

TL;DR Thinking About Becoming an Agency: Do it!

As a freelancer, you enjoy a lot of freedom.

• Flexible work hours
• Ability to decline projects
• Freedom to adjust schedules and take time off

However, transitioning into a WordPress agency owner drastically changes your responsibilities.

• Your freedom becomes limited
• You’re the ultimate responsible party
• You serve as the backup for all roles

And don’t forget: the stakes as an agency are higher than a freelancing gig.

• Meeting payroll becomes a constant concern
• Client satisfaction extends beyond just your work
• Financial risks increase substantially

The shift from freelancer to business owner is not just about scaling up—it’s a fundamental change in your lifestyle and responsibilities.

Launch an agency to grow professionally, not just financially. Consider it if you want to expand your skills and take on new challenges.

The Debate: Freelancer or Agency?

If you’ve worked successfully as a freelancer over the years, you may be considering starting a WordPress agency. Or maybe you just want to seem like an agency. Before you do, carefully weigh the pros and cons.

One of the main advantages of running an agency is the ability to handle larger projects — and more of them. You can have employees to manage marketing or accounting. This frees you up to focus on the core business of website development — and sales. 

Freelancing, on the other hand, offers more independence; you’re only accountable to your clients. And you hand pick just the good ones. As an agency owner, you have greater responsibilities — and not just for yourself. You’re responsible for the well-being and financial security of your team. As an agency owner, pursuing projects that are more fun but less profitable becomes a luxury.

How to Scale from Freelancer to WordPress Agency

You can scale from freelancer to agency in two easy steps: Step 1: Get a million dollars. Step 2: Open your office and hire all the cool kids you know from other agencies. That’s it! Wouldn’t it be great if it were that simple? It’s going to be a bit more work, but you can do it.

Step 1: Growing Your (Own) Agency

You have probably heard this term before. It’s important. Agency is the capacity for independent action and decision-making. It is also the ability to influence your circumstances. Having agency encompasses autonomy, self-efficacy, and personal responsibility. This is where you start.

“To exercise agency is to acquire significant control over your outcomes in life’s various arenas, including school, work, sports, physical health, and psychological well-being.”

Psychology Today

Key strategies for developing agency include:

• Cultivating self-awareness
• Taking responsibility for actions and outcomes
• Adopting a growth mindset

Having agency is important for growth. Agency transforms you from a passive service provider into a proactive business owner — without opening a WordPress agency. It empowers you to make strategic decisions, overcome obstacles, and continuously evolve your freelance career. Agency is your rocket fuel!

Step 2: Growing from Freelancer to Freelance Hub

There are a lot of freelancers who could do larger projects if they partnered up with one another. You might already be doing this. You and your partners might be ready for the move to opening an agency. Excellent!

If you aren’t ready for the jump, other ways allow you to scale your freelance work. Partnering with other freelancers is a good step toward the scaling process.

Freelancers collaborating in a shared office space can significantly broaden their service offerings. You can tackle larger and more complex projects, and enhance your portfolio. An increased potential customer base can also lead to greater profit opportunities. By sharing resources, freelancers can reduce overhead costs while benefiting from a rented workspace away from home.

“Instead of thinking of others in your niche as competitors, think of them as potential partners.”

Rocket.net – 10 Reasons Why Niche Marketing Can Scale Your Agency

Step 3: 8 Tips for Going from Freelancer to an Agency

Lists are great for groceries and before a trip; planning your move from freelancer to agency might need a bit more time and thought. That said, you’re probably reading this on the move or between bites. Let’s cut to the chase.

Are you a successful freelancer who is ready to move to the next level? Here we go!

• Change your Mindset

We covered that in Step 1: Begin by shifting your mindset. There is no “I” in agency. Dress and act for the job you want. That’s the message.

“Are you ready for this multi-faceted role? it’s a steep learning curve, but one that can be mastered with patience and persistence.”

Pollen

• Become a Project Manager

As your own boss, you’re already familiar with managing projects. As an agency owner, you’ll be responsible for managing the entire business. If this isn’t you, then you’ll need to identify someone who is.

Define clear roles, responsibilities, and communication channels within your team to improve efficiency and ensure smooth project delivery. 

• Get ready to Manage Multiple Clients

Make sure you have a steady flow of clients before fully transitioning. A full pipeline is a sign that you’re ready to scale your operations. Ensure you have a diverse group of clients and not just one or two large ones. (See Financial Vigilance)

Implement a structured process for managing leads and onboarding clients. Focus on filtering out unqualified clients early to streamline your workflow. It really is okay to turn down work.

“Sometimes all it takes is a happy customer who gets all their expectations fulfilled.”

SmartTask

• Shift to a Sales and Marketing Focus

As a new agency owner, shift your focus toward generating new business. While delivering quality service remains essential, growing your sales pipeline should take precedence.

Are you better at closing sales than your partners? Start being the point of contact on those leads. Call precious customers and see how you can help them. You get it.

• Dollars and Sense: Financial Vigilance

Your business plan prepared you for working three years without profit. Keep a close watch on your financial data to maintain business health and avoid potential pitfalls — like losing your biggest client.

Job costing really is your best friend. Track your time and find out how you did. Doing post-mortems on past projects helps you more accurately price future projects. Profit is the key to agency growth. It isn’t evil. It is important.

“A small business financial plan (helps you) understand: How will the business make money? What does the business need to achieve its goals? What is the business’s operating budget?”

Oracle NetSuite

• Rethink your Hiring Strategy

Before expanding your service team, focus on hiring positions that drive revenue, such as sales roles or billable experts. Another option is to partner with other freelancers to form an agency of sorts. It doesn’t even need to be a formal LLC, though that is a great idea. When you are ready to add yourselves to payroll, you’ll be saving money even if you don’t need to hire employees. 

• Look at your Legal Structure

Once your business is financially stable, consider transitioning from a sole proprietorship to an LLC for better legal protection and organization.

You’ll need to have at least 6-18 months of work in the pipeline. Then again, it depends on your volume and built-in profit.

How do I change my Upwork profile from freelancer to agency? “If you like the freedom and flexibility of freelancing but the structure and collaborative environment of working at an agency, consider starting your own agency on Upwork.”

Upwork.com

• Don’t forget to Enjoy the Journey

Celebrate Successes and Failures: Don’t forget to enjoy the process and celebrate milestones along the way!

Reflect on what went well and what didn’t. Maybe you want to choose a niche. There are plenty of agencies that only work with roofers, or dentists, or accountants. 

We’re a WordPress Hosting Company, not a Business Coach, Jim!

If you’ve already had success as a freelancer and built a strong network, an agency could be the next logical step. There are countless agencies in every industry, so it’s crucial to define what sets yours apart. 

No matter what type of agency you decide to create, you should already have mastered your craft, be hyper-organized, and have a buffer in the bank. Also, be prepared for a lot of coordination work!

This is just us talking. We host websites – you’re the expert on your situation. The decision to grow is yours to make, so weigh the opinions of others against your knowledge and instincts.

That said, we want to be a part of your journey. As a freelancer, you might already be enjoying our Affiliate Partner Program. As an agency, you can enjoy our Agency Partner Program. We offer agencies a 15% MRR stake in your client’s hosting. That’s money just for being an agency.

Listen; going from freelancer to agency can be a smart move or a misstep. One common pitfall is launching a WordPress agency solely because you’re swamped with work. While it’s tempting to expand when you’re turning down lucrative opportunities, this alone isn’t a solid foundation for an agency.

There are compelling reasons to start an agency and equally strong reasons to reconsider. The key is critically examining your motivations and long-term goals before taking the plunge.

We’d Love to Show You What The Fastest WordPress Hosting Actually Means for Your Agency!

Grow your agency with lightning-fast, secure, and optimized websites that are easy to set up & manage. Top-tier agencies and online businesses choose Rocket.net as their trusted managed WordPress hosting provider – why shouldn’t you, too?