Should I start an agency or sell my work online?

Seeking Advice
1

I’m thinking of starting a creative agency offering services like graphic design, animation, and motion graphics. Right now, it’ll just be me showcasing my portfolio, as I can’t afford to hire anyone yet. I know getting clients will take a lot of effort, like cold emails, marketing, and maybe hiring my friend who’s in sales (but I’ll need to pay him).

On the other hand, I’m considering selling my personal work online, like my abstract paintings, merchandise, and illustrations. I’m also starting a cartoon series on YouTube and thinking of selling premium content on my site.

What do you think—should I focus on running an agency or selling my products?

3

I’m actually doing both right now. You need more than one income source these days to stay afloat. I’m starting an agency, selling products, doing part-time work, and even driving for extra cash. Honestly, I just wish there were more hours in a day.

4

How’s your agency going? Have you landed clients, and how’s your product sales? I’m thinking of starting solo because I can’t afford to pay employees yet. Should I wait until I can save enough to hire a team, or just try to manage everything myself for now?

5

I’m doing WordPress services and have one solid client who keeps me busy. My last project with them involved email migration and setting up a booking plugin. While I haven’t gotten any new clients recently, I’ve billed around 280 hours at $100 per hour. Not bad for just me.

If you want to grow, hiring might help in the long run. But yeah, it’s definitely not easy.

6

Do you think I can combine both by adding a ‘Shop’ section on the agency site? Or should I keep them separate? Also, do you find SEO and backlinks help in getting clients, or do you rely on direct outreach?

7

Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr can help, but use them wisely. I’ve spent over $200 on connects there and only landed one client.

8

If you want your agency to look professional, keep the shop and services on separate sites. It’s better for branding.

9

Why not do both? Word of mouth can work wonders for your agency. Just one success story can attract more clients.

10

Do you think mixing services and products on one site is smart? Or should I make separate platforms?

11

Keep them separate. Use marketplaces to sell your products while focusing your agency website on services. What’s your target audience, and where are you based?

12

Start with selling services. Use that income to save up for expanding into products or hiring a team later.

13

If you enjoy helping businesses grow, an agency might be a good idea. But if you’re confident in your products, selling them can be faster to scale. Pick the path you’re most excited about.

14

I’m doing both—our agency provides ghostwriting and video editing services, and our product helps people grow on X (formerly Twitter). Offering services helps us understand client pain points, which makes our products better.

It’s not easy, though. Clients are hard to get, but we’re trying to build something valuable.

15

How’s your agency going? How many clients have you landed so far? I’m thinking of starting solo since I don’t have the funds to hire anyone. Is it better to wait until I can afford a team, or should I dive in now?

16

We’ve got two clients, with a third on the way. It took about three weeks to get started, and we’re splitting revenue instead of paying salaries.

17

That’s awesome! How are you finding clients? Do you focus on SEO and backlinks, or is it more about direct outreach?

18

It’s been a mix of personal connections, cold emails, and building our brand. No single approach works every time.