Agencies and freelancers are often guilty of chasing every opportunity. Every new enquiry feels like potential revenue, so every prospect gets a proposal. But the truth is, saying yes to the wrong clients, or trying to be everything to everyone, is one of the fastest ways to burn out and erode your profit.
Growth doesn't come from chasing all the business. It comes from focusing on the right business. And with peak season approaching, now is the time for agencies to take a hard look at where they're spending time, and whether it's where it really matters.
Work On the Business, Not Just In It
It's easy for agency leaders to get stuck in the day-to-day: client calls, project management, pitching, firefighting. But working in the business isn't the same as working on the business.
Stepping back to review your model, your positioning, and your systems is critical.
Are you clear on who your best-fit clients are?
Do your services deliver enough margin?
Is your team focused on profitable work, or spread thin across loss-making projects?
The agencies that thrive long term are the ones that treat strategy like client work: essential, scheduled, and consistently delivered.
Get Outside Perspective
When you're deep in the weeds, it's hard to see what's broken. That's why the most resilient agencies bring in outside perspectives.
Non-exec directors, mentors, or advisors can challenge assumptions, hold leadership accountable, and help identify blind spots.
For example, one agency I worked with realised through external input that 70% of its team's time was being spent on low-margin retainers. By restructuring packages and moving clients onto better terms, profit jumped within six months without adding new business.
Sometimes the smartest move isn't more revenue. It's a clearer model.
Grow From Within
Winning new SME clients is always exciting, but your easiest growth often comes from the ones you already have.
Upselling and cross-selling build deeper, more valuable relationships:
Adding SEO strategy to a website client.
Cross-selling email marketing to an e-commerce brand.
Expanding a successful project into an ongoing retainer.
The key is to focus on solving more problems for clients you already understand. Not only is it cheaper than acquiring new clients, it also reduces churn because your agency becomes more deeply embedded in their business.
Protect Profitability
Revenue growth means little if profit margins are weak. Agencies need to take profit as seriously as top-line income.
That means reviewing:
Pricing models: Are your rates aligned with your costs and market value?
Discounting strategy: Are you giving away too much margin without getting anything in return?
Time utilisation: Are you working on the right projects, most of the time?
BenchPress data consistently shows that the most profitable agencies aren't necessarily the biggest - they're the ones that keep a sharp eye on margins and protect them relentlessly.
Say No to the Wrong Clients
Not all business is good business. Some clients drain time, erode morale, and leave no room for profit. Others are simply a poor fit for your model.
Learning to say no is one of the hardest but most valuable agency skills.
If a prospect's budget doesn't align, walk away.
If their culture clashes with yours, don't force it.
If you sense they treat agencies as disposable, don't gamble on being the exception.
Every time you say yes to the wrong client, you take resources away from the right ones.
Follow your gut feeling, it's never wrong.
Re-Evaluate Your Model
Markets change. Services that were profitable two years ago may now be commoditised. Client expectations shift. New competitors enter.
Smart agencies like yours don't cling to models that no longer serve them. They adapt. That might mean:
Moving from project-based work to retainers.
Focusing on higher-margin services like SEO, where automation and AI create scalability.
Dropping services that drain resources but add little profit.
Re-evaluating your model doesn't mean reinventing your agency every year. It means being honest about what works, and having the courage to pivot when needed.
Prepare for Peak: Focus Where It Matters
With peak season around the corner, the temptation is to grab every opportunity. But the agencies that will finish the year strongest aren't the ones chasing every client. They're the ones doubling down on the right ones.
Work on the business to strengthen systems before demand spikes.
Get an outside perspective to make sure you're focused on profitable growth.
Grow from within by upselling SME clients who already trust you.
Protect margins use AI like Kit to increase your profit margin.
Say no to clients who don't fit.
Re-evaluate your model to ensure you're scaling what really works.
By focusing on the right business, not all the business, you'll protect profit, reduce stress, and create a platform for growth long after peak season has passed.
Conclusion
Agencies that chase every lead end up exhausted, underpaid, and unfocused. Agencies that choose their clients carefully, protect their margins, and double down on profitable services are the ones that thrive.
As peak season approaches, the question isn't "How do we win more?" It's "How do we win better?"
Focus your time and your energy on the business that matters most. That's how you turn peak season into a launchpad for sustainable growth - not just another scramble for survival.
Your New Best Friend for Agency Growth
Speaking of focusing on the right business, having the right tools makes all the difference. That's where Hike comes in. Hike is powered by Kit, your new best friend in the world of SEO. Kit isn't just a clever piece of tech, it's a fully-fledged AI agent that works behind the scenes to help you grow your agency revenue.
From building out keyword strategies to writing SEO-optimised content and fixing technical issues, Kit handles it all. You don't need to become an SEO expert overnight. You just need Kit.
About the author
Bryn Foweather
Vice President Marketing
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