The Resource Planning Challenge
Growing agencies face a constant tension: too few people means burnout and quality issues, too many means unprofitability. Effective resource planning is the skill that separates agencies that scale successfully from those that implode under their own growth.
Understanding Your Capacity
Calculate True Availability
Not all working hours are billable. Account for:
- Internal meetings and admin (typically 15-20%)
- Professional development and training (5-10%)
- Business development and proposals (10-15%)
- PTO and sick leave (10-15%)
A 40-hour week typically yields 25-30 billable hours per person.
Preventing Burnout
Burnout is a resource planning failure. Watch for these warning signs:
- Consistently high utilization (85%+) for extended periods
- Increasing overtime without corresponding project challenges
- Quality issues from previously reliable team members
Scaling Your Team
Hire Ahead of Demand (Slightly)
Waiting until you're desperate leads to poor hiring decisions. Aim to have new hires trained and productive before capacity becomes critical.