By Jay Neale 
There’s a common misconception that creativity and commerciality are mutually exclusive.
Most agencies are set up with the aim of producing great work, with a team of great people, for great clients... 'Making money' was never the real reason.
But, agency leaders who appreciate the value of operational efficiency and delivery excellence are the agencies who’ll really win.
And have the healthiest profit margins to grow.
Jay speaks with Creative Operations Consultant, Manish Kapur. With over 25 years-experience, Manish helps agencies implement growth strategies, establish productive teams, increase efficiency and raise profitability.
They discuss the key things agencies need to drive operational efficiency and enhance profitability to get where they want to be.
Your 'too-long-didn't-watch' takeaway (TLDW):
"An agency's biggest asset is their people, and you need to keep them motivated. Not just through good work but you've got to pay them what their true value is, and if you're not making a decent profit you're going to struggle to retain that top talent"
About Manish
Creative Operations Consultant
Manish has spent 25+ years helping agencies run better, including leading operations at Design Bridge and Partners. He understands the challenge of balancing creative excellence with commercial performance, and has helped agencies add 5–10% to their margins without cutting corners.
Manish works with agency founders and leadership teams to find out what's dragging margins down - whether it's delivery issues, pricing gaps, inefficient workflows, or a structure that can't scale.
Whilst being great at putting together a clear and focused plan to sort these problems, when working with Manish - he can always help you with quick and practical wins to improve profit and delivery, help you to find clarity on what's working and what's getting in the way and so much more!
Connect with Manish.
