Playbook Agency Operations

Agency Operations Playbook

Use When

• Build or improve a repeatable Agency Operations workflow for a client or delivery team.
• Turn an approved objective into roles, controls, handoffs and measurable actions.

Do Not Use When

• The task is a single-channel presence plan; use the closest platform-* skill.
• The task is upstream positioning or channel choice; use the closest strategy-* skill.

Required Inputs

Capability and Permission Boundaries

Read supplied artefacts and search relevant evidence. Treat review, audit and planning as read-only. Editing the requested draft is allowed; publishing, messaging, production changes, personal-data processing, spending, destructive actions and certification claims require explicit authority. Use network access only for authorised verification.

Degraded Mode

If accounts, files, network, rendering or current evidence are unavailable, return the narrowest useful qualified Agency Operations playbook plus an evidence-gap list. Mark each unavailable check not assessed; never convert it into a pass.

Decision Rules

Workflow

1. Confirm the consumer, objective, market, decision owner and permission boundary; stop if the objective or owner is missing.
2. Inspect supplied evidence and verify volatile claims; record missing inputs rather than filling them with assumptions.
3. Apply the decision rules, preserve useful existing material and draft the Agency Operations playbook.
4. Test each action against platform, privacy, safeguarding, brand and approval constraints; stop and escalate a blocking risk.
5. Run the quality and anti-slop gates. If a check fails, correct the draft and rerun it before handoff.

Outputs

Evidence Produced

Quality Standards

Use British English and the specified market context. Recommendations must be executable with the stated capacity, current claims must be verified or qualified, and acceptance conditions must be observable. A worked example must use a labelled scenario, not fabricated client evidence.

Anti-Patterns

• Inventing a client fact, benchmark, budget or approval. Fix: cite the source or label the assumption and its effect.
• Copying one channel or client pattern unchanged. Fix: tie each choice to the named audience, objective and evidence.
• Stating volatile platform or legal details from memory. Fix: verify the current official source or omit the claim.
• Treating an inaccessible account, file or metric as healthy. Fix: mark it not assessed and bound the conclusion.
• Publishing, spending, messaging or changing production state from planning authority. Fix: obtain explicit action authority.
• Delivering actions without owner, timing or acceptance. Fix: assign all three or return the item as an unresolved gap.

References

• Anti-AI-slop production gate
• East African English standard
• Use the directly cited sources and companion skills in the domain guidance below; verify time-sensitive claims before use.

Required Input

Ask for the following before generating any output:

1. Consultant/agency name — trading name or personal brand
2. Team size — solo, 2–5 people, or 5–10 people
3. Current client count and typical retainer value range (UGX) — e.g. "3 clients, UGX 1.2M–2.5M/month"
4. Tools currently in use — project management (Trello, Asana, etc.), invoicing (Wave, Excel, etc.), communication (WhatsApp, email, Slack)
5. Primary challenge — client management, cash flow, team coordination, or quality control
6. New or existing operation — starting from scratch, or systematising an established practice

Use these inputs to calibrate the output: adjust tool recommendations by team size, flag the primary challenge section for expanded guidance, and note whether the consultant needs to build systems or refine existing ones.

Section 1 — Client Onboarding Checklist

Complete this checklist for every new client engagement. Target: all items done within 30 days of signing.

Day 1–3: Foundations

• Signed contract or engagement letter in place before any work begins
• Invoice for first month's retainer sent — require 50% payment before Day 3
• Access obtained: Facebook Page admin, Instagram account, Google Analytics, Google Business Profile, and any existing ad accounts
• Brand assets received: logo files (PNG + SVG), brand colours (hex codes), fonts, and photo library
• Complete the 01-client-brief skill to capture full client context
• Complete the 02-platform-audit skill to document the baseline

Day 4–7: Communication Setup

• Introduce yourself to the client's internal point of contact via WhatsApp and email
• Agree communication protocol:
  • Urgent matters → WhatsApp (response within 4 hours, EAT business hours)
  • Non-urgent matters → email (response within 24 hours)
  • Content approvals → Google Doc or Notion — never WhatsApp image by image
• Set up shared Google Drive: Agency/[Client Name]/ with subfolders: Content, Reports, Strategy, Assets
• Add client point of contact to the shared Drive folder with Commenter access

Day 8–14: Strategy and Planning

• Complete the 03-audience-personas skill
• Complete the 04-brand-voice-intake skill
• Draft Month 1 content calendar and send for client approval
• Confirm approval workflow in writing: client approves all content 48 hours before publishing; two revision rounds included per package

Day 15–30: First Publishing Cycle

• Publish first two weeks of content per the approved calendar
• Send Week 2 check-in message: brief status update, flag any blockers or client feedback needed
• Run quality control checklist (Section 5) on all content before publishing
• Prepare Month 1 report using the meta-reporting skill — deliver on or before the last day of the month

Section 2 — Retainer Structure

Standard retainer tiers for a Uganda/East Africa consultancy. Adjust pricing based on client size, industry complexity, and scope.

Note: Ad budgets listed above are client-owned spend passed through — they are not included in the retainer fee. Document this distinction explicitly in the contract.

Billing Protocol

• Invoice on the 1st of each month for that month's retainer
• New clients: require 50% upfront for the first month before work begins
• Accepted payment methods: MTN MoMo Business, Airtel Money Business, bank transfer, or Pesapal payment link
• Charge additional revisions at UGX 30,000 per post beyond the two rounds included in the package

Contract Essentials

Include all of the following in every engagement agreement:

• Statement of work — list exactly what is included (post count, platforms, reports)
• Exclusions — list what is not included (graphic design, video production, paid ad spend, web work)
• Term length — minimum 3 months recommended; month-to-month attracts a 15% premium
• Termination clause — 30 days' written notice required from either party
• IP ownership — client owns all content produced under the retainer
• Late payment clause — 1.5% per month on invoices overdue beyond 30 days
• Revision policy — two rounds included; additional rounds billed at the stated rate

Section 3 — Project Management System

Tool Selection by Team Size

Weekly Workflow Template

Apply this schedule each week for every active client:

Content Approval Protocol

• Send all content in a single Google Doc or Notion page — include caption, platform, publishing date, and image brief on each row
• Frame the approval request clearly: "Please review and approve by [date] so we can schedule on time. Items not approved by this date will be rescheduled to the following week."
• Two revision rounds are included per content package — document this in the retainer agreement
• Additional revisions beyond two rounds are billed at UGX 30,000 per post — invoice separately at month end

Section 4 — Invoicing and Cash Flow

Recommended Invoicing Tools

• Wave (free) — web-based invoicing and basic accounting; supports UGX; suitable for solo to 5-person teams
• Zoho Invoice (free up to 5 clients) — professional templates, automated payment reminders
• Excel or Google Sheets — acceptable for solo operators; ensure invoice numbers are sequential

Invoice Contents (Mandatory)

Every invoice must include:

1. Invoice number (sequential: INV-2026-001, INV-2026-002, etc.)
2. Invoice date and payment due date (standard: 14 days from invoice date)
3. Client name, trading name, and physical or postal address
4. Your agency name, address, and contact details
5. Line-by-line description of services rendered and the period covered
6. Amount per line item and subtotal
7. Any applicable taxes
8. Total amount due
9. Payment methods and account numbers (MTN MoMo, Airtel Money, bank details, Pesapal link)

Cash Flow Rules

• Never begin work without a signed agreement and first payment received
• Chase overdue invoices in this sequence:
  • Day 8 after due date: WhatsApp reminder — friendly, factual
  • Day 15: Email with invoice attached — reference invoice number and amount
  • Day 30: Formal letter — state that work may be paused pending settlement
• Maintain a float equivalent to one month of operating costs at all times
• Keep business and personal bank accounts separate — even when operating as a sole trader

Tax Obligations (Uganda)

• Consultants earning above UGX 2,820,000 per year are subject to Income Tax under the Income Tax Act Cap 340
• Register with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and file annual returns
• VAT registration is required when annual turnover exceeds UGX 150 million
• Retain all invoices, receipts, and payment records for a minimum of 5 years
• Consult a qualified accountant for personal tax structuring — this playbook is operational guidance, not legal or tax advice

Section 5 — Quality Control Checklist

Apply this checklist to every piece of content before sending to the client for approval. No content leaves the agency without passing all items.

• Spelling and grammar checked — use Grammarly or a manual proofread against the east-african-english skill standards
• Brand voice consistent with the 04-brand-voice-intake document for this client
• No banned vocabulary, Americanisms, or tonal mismatches (see east-african-english skill)
• All factual claims verified — no invented statistics, no unattributed data
• Hashtags reviewed — no broken, banned, or irrelevant hashtags; maximum 5 hashtags for LinkedIn, up to 30 for Instagram
• All included URLs tested — links open correctly and lead to the intended destination
• Image dimensions correct for the platform (1080×1080 for Instagram square; 1200×628 for Facebook link posts; 1080×1920 for Stories)
• Caption length appropriate for the platform — Facebook up to 400 characters for feed posts; LinkedIn up to 150 characters before "see more"; Instagram up to 125 characters before truncation
• CTA included and unambiguous — every post must tell the audience what to do next

Section 6 — Client Reporting Rhythm

Maintain a consistent reporting cadence for every active client. Use the meta-reporting skill for monthly and quarterly report content; route approved evidence to design-system-skills if presentation design is required.

Reporting Standards

• All reports must include: period covered, key metrics vs. prior period, top-performing content (with reason), what did not work, and recommended actions for the next period
• Use percentage changes and absolute numbers — not vanity metrics alone
• Apply the RACE framework (Chaffey, 2024) to structure metrics: Reach, Act, Convert, Engage
• Cross-reference meta-roi-framework skill to calculate return on retainer investment where the client has conversion data

Section 7 — Team Management (2–10 People)

Apply this section when the operation has more than one person. Skip for solo practitioners.

Role Definitions (Minimum Viable Team)

Delegation Rules

• Every task must have one owner — not "the team"
• Assign tasks with a due date and expected output, not just a topic
• Use the project management tool (Section 3) for all task assignment — avoid informal WhatsApp delegation for work tasks
• Hold a 15-minute Monday morning team huddle: each person states what they are delivering that week

Performance Standards

• Internal content deadlines are always 24 hours before the client-facing deadline — build in buffer
• Late internal submissions (missing the internal deadline by more than 2 hours without notice) are flagged and discussed in the weekly huddle
• Apply Section 5 quality control checklist before any content moves from Content Creator to Account Manager

Section 8 — AI Revenue Models: Database Reactivation and Android Upsell Stack

This section applies the Wardrope (2024) ROYA framework for agencies that want to add AI-powered revenue streams alongside or within social media retainers.

The Database Reactivation (DBR) Model

Every business client has a dormant contact database — past enquiries, lapsed customers, event registrants — that represents the fastest source of new revenue. The DBR model reactivates this database using AI-personalised SMS/WhatsApp before spending on paid lead generation.

ROYA 8-Step Process (Wardrope, 2024):

Key principle (Wardrope, 2024): Sell First, Build Later. Demonstrate the value of the AI system to the client using a live demo on the OpenAI Playground before building the full pipeline. Reduces sales cycle and eliminates the need for a finished product before closing.

AI Upsell Stack (Escalation Sequence)

Start with the foundational DBR service; upsell to each subsequent module only after the previous one is proven:

1. Database Reactivation — AI-personalised messages to dormant contacts (foundation service)
2. Fresh Leads Pipeline — AI qualification of new inbound leads from paid channels
3. Speed To Lead — instant AI response to opt-in within 5 minutes of enquiry
4. Out-of-Hours Android — 24/7 AI chat coverage when the sales team is offline
5. Document Collection Android — AI-guided collection of application forms, KYC documents, or intake information

Deal Structures (Wardrope, 2024)

Offer these structures based on client risk appetite. Zero Risk deals remove the price objection entirely:

AI Delivery Stack: HighLevel CRM (pipelines, SMS, workflows) → Zapier or Make.com (connects ChatGPT to HighLevel) → OpenAI/ChatGPT subscription. For Ugandan/EA deployments, adapt SMS delivery to Africa's Talking or Infobip; WhatsApp messaging via WhatsApp Business API.

5 Selling Principles (Wardrope, 2024)

Apply when pitching any AI or social media service:

1. Widen the Yes Hole — performance-based or zero-risk deals remove the price objection entirely
2. Be Ready to Walk Away — scarcity and confidence command premium positioning
3. We Are the Prize — the client should be qualifying themselves for the agency, not vice versa
4. Hell Yes or Hell No — do not accept lukewarm deals; low-commitment clients drain capacity
5. Show, Don't Tell — live demos (OpenAI Playground, content previews) close faster than decks

Section 9 — 7-Figure Agency Model: Positioning, Retention, and Scale

Principles from Nelson (2018) for building a recurring-revenue agency that reaches seven figures.

Rule of Five Ones (Nelson, 2018)

A seven-figure agency requires sustained focus, not diversification:

Recurring revenue principle: Never accept one-off project work. Auto-charge retainers only. A client that will not commit to a retainer is a client who is not ready — and not worth the operational cost of a one-off engagement.

Client Retention — 3-Part System (Nelson, 2018)

"Perceived indifference" is the #1 reason clients leave — not poor results. Structure the relationship to remove all ambiguity about the agency's ongoing commitment.

Part 1 — Strong Kickoff:

• Comprehensive client setup meeting (30–90 minutes) within the first week of signing
• Welcome pack: printed strategy summary, handwritten note, onboarding checklist
• 60–90 day onboarding email sequence — weekly touchpoints with educational value, not just status updates

Part 2 — Communication Rhythm:

• Monthly review calls: cover performance data, what is working, what is not, and one clear recommendation
• Weekly WhatsApp performance snapshot (for retainers UGX 2.5M+)
• Never allow 30+ days of silence — a client who has not heard from you in a month is already looking for a replacement

Part 3 — Seed the Vision:

• Every client meeting must include a forward-looking statement about the next 30–60–90 days
• Give clients specific homework (e.g. "Please send us three customer testimonials by Friday") — involvement increases psychological ownership
• Re-anchor the relationship regularly: reference the original goal and show progress towards it

CRR Formula: ((Clients at end of period − New clients acquired) ÷ Clients at start of period) × 100. Target: 95%+ monthly CRR. Above 95% compounds into seven-figure revenue. Below 90% means the agency is filling a leaking bucket.

Organisational Structure (Nelson, 2018)

Hire the Integrator role first — this is the most leveraged hire an owner can make. The Integrator converts the owner's vision into operational reality and frees the Visionary to focus on growth.

Agency Value Proposition in the AI Era (Vallaeys, 2019)

Saying "we use AI" is no longer a differentiator. Every agency has access to the same AI tools. The differentiator is how the agency deploys AI to solve client-specific problems.

Value proposition principle: "We leverage AI and automation in ways that bring your unique business data and context into the equation — producing results that generic tools cannot replicate." This framing positions the agency as a power user, not a reseller of off-the-shelf software.

Kasparov Principle (Vallaeys, 2019): A weaker human with a better process beats a stronger human with an inferior process. Build repeatable systems — then hire people who can execute and improve those systems, not rock-star individuals who operate outside them. Great processes outperform great people operating without processes.

Insight Broker staffing model (Vallaeys, 2019): The new value-add role in a digital agency is not the programmer or the media buyer — it is the Insight Broker: someone who understands what causes results, can explain it to clients in plain language, and knows which levers to adjust. Hire for attitude first; aptitude is trainable. A high-attitude learner who follows process consistently outperforms a high-aptitude individual who resists structure.

Quality Criteria

Output from this skill is considered complete and of acceptable quality when it meets all of the following:

• The 30-day onboarding checklist is present with day-by-day tasks grouped into four phases (Day 1–3, 4–7, 8–14, 15–30)
• Retainer tiers are presented in a table with UGX price ranges, inclusions, and target client type for all four tiers
• The content approval protocol specifies the 48-hour turnaround rule and the two-revision-rounds policy
• An invoicing tool is recommended and justified by team size; mandatory invoice fields are listed
• The URA tax note references the UGX 2,820,000 income threshold and the UGX 150M VAT threshold
• The quality control checklist contains all nine items and is formatted as a tickable list
• The reporting rhythm table covers all four report types with frequency, owner, and format
• Section 8 AI revenue models are included when the client is building or considering AI-augmented services
• Section 9 retention system (3-part: Kickoff, Communication Rhythm, Seed the Vision) is applied for any agency with 3+ clients

References

Link to these related skills when producing output. Read the linked skill before cross-referencing its deliverables in this playbook.

• 01-client-brief/SKILL.md — client context capture; required at Day 1–3 of onboarding
• meta-reporting/SKILL.md — monthly and quarterly report generation; required for Section 6
• playbook-social-media-policy/SKILL.md — internal content governance; relevant to Section 5 quality control
• meta-roi-framework/SKILL.md — ROI calculation for retainer justification; relevant to quarterly and annual reviews