Best Startup
Juan Pineda on LinkedIn
Agile Digital, founded in 2018, is a London-based independent digital marketing agency. Operating globally across the UK, Europe, and North America, our mission is to enhance online visibility and drive sales for professional services businesses in the UK through expert web design and SEO-focused digital marketing services.
Tell us about yourself?
I opted for Computer Sciences at university due to the promising career prospects, not because I was a geek. My professional journey began as a .NET developer for an Accenture-affiliated company in Spain, and I spent the next few years working for digital agencies in France and the UK.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
I go to a one-week yoga retreat every year that starts at 6 am and involves meditation, mantra chanting, philosophy lectures, pranayama, and yoga asanas until 10 am, with additional activities throughout the day. This morning routine leaves me feeling energised, happy, and relaxed. It’s amazing to think that it’s 10am and I have already taken care of my body and mind for the day.
So when I return to normal life, I aim to integrate this into my daily routine, but juggling family responsibilities and managing a business poses challenges. I try to condense the most crucial parts of that routine into 2 hours, but I find that, after a few weeks, some disruptions appear, and if I miss one day, it becomes hard to get back to it. I eventually do and get back on track… until the next interruption. So my advice to myself would be to ensure that I maintain this routine no matter what, because I know the benefits it brings to my life.
What problem does your business solve?
Agile Digital assists professional services companies grappling with digital visibility and growth issues. Whether they are uncertain about improving their online presence or dissatisfied with the transparency and results of their current digital agency, Agile prioritises trust and transparency to deliver effective solutions.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
I was employed by a digital agency in London during the Lehman Brothers collapse. Many businesses initiated cost-cutting measures, and simultaneously, securing technical talent became challenging. In an attempt to address this, we explored outsourcing to India and Australia. However, difficulties in communication due to time and cultural differences led to prolonged resolution times for seemingly simple issues. To overcome these challenges, we established a nearshore digital agency in Bulgaria, allowing us to access cost-effective technical talent within the same working hours.
Over the next years, our nearshore agency collaborated with many European agencies, revealing that we often possessed more knowledge about clients’ projects than the agency’s own staff. High turnover at these agencies resulted in frequent communication gaps, prompting us to relay crucial information to intermediary personnel. Since our agency was positioned as an outsourcing entity, direct contact with end clients proved challenging.
To address this issue, we founded Agile in the UK.
What is your magic sauce?
We are reliable, honest, and highly experienced in what we do. Our clients feel reassured because we fulfill our commitments, providing better and more cost-effective solutions than many of our competitors.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
The vision is to broaden our impact on more professional services businesses in the UK and the US, especially those seeking peace of mind in their digital endeavours. We aim to be the digital agency they can rely on, supporting and enhancing their online development. Simultaneously, we want to grow our staff and create a more positive work atmosphere, prioritising our family and health above all else, ensuring our employees feel truly valued.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
Our most significant issue arose when a large percentage of our revenue came from one or two key players, and from one year to the next, they decided to change their technological approach, significantly reducing our revenue.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
We want professional services firms in the US and the UK, such as law firms, consulting businesses, financial services providers, and tech startups, to know that there is an agency out there more concerned with helping you grow efficiently than with selling you our most expensive service. At Agile, we place a high value on collaboration and openness in our work.
Follow Agile Digital Agency on LinkedIn
