I am a solo business. I have hired people to work with me, but mostly, it’s just been me over the years. To be honest, I like it best that way, and I don’t plan on making changes to this model anytime soon. So why do I keep calling myself an agency?

After having been in the game for so many years, it is the right descriptor for my business. Yes, it’s awkward. And yes, it gets me eye rolls when I tell others what I do for a living. That doesn’t change the fact that saying that I have an agency feels correct.

Let’s talk about the reasons behind that.

Money

Money is always what I lead with when I’m talking to a new freelancer (or frankly anyone who tells me they’re a freelancer). When you’re negotiating a contract, will you pay an agency or a freelancer more money? It’s a no-brainer. Whereas someone may balk at paying what you deserve when you’re a freelancer, they’re just more likely to do it when you are an agency.

It’s psychology. And when you’re running a business you have to work with psychology all the time. There’s a reason why I refer to myself as a social media therapist for my clients, and it’s not just because I’m walking them through rough spots on social media.

Whenever I’m choosing what to call myself, I am always going to go with the one that is going to bring more money into my business. I’m not in the business of leaving money on the table, but I’m more than happy to leave the term “freelancer” on any table.

Respect

Yes, this is another psychological reason. Like I said, psychology impacts what we do in so many ways.

There is a completely different vibe when I introduce myself as an agency owner. When I’m a freelancer, I’m a normal person who is just getting by. There’s nothing to see here, so it’s okay for the person to move on by.

As an agency owner, on the other hand, all of a sudden people want to get to know more about me. I’m treated as someone who is more successful and interesting. Honestly it’s a much better way to put myself in front of prospective clients.

This is another one that you just don’t question and definitely don’t bother getting annoyed about. Do what will get you better results. In this case, calling myself an agency owner wins me much more respect than freelancer ever will.

Systems

I have a lot of systems that I use to maximize my time with clients and make myself more effective. I’m more than happy to personalize them to help my client work better with me, but overall, I try to stick with them as much as possible. I’ve just worked for over a decade doing this and have have found what works.

As a freelancer, the view is that I’m coming into my client’s company. That means I use their systems, regardless of whether they work for what I do. I’m looking at you, Microsoft Teams. I kid, I kid. Maybe. The point is that it’s about the client’s systems, and I have to fit into that.

As an agency, I have a bit more freedom to use what works for me and what I do. There’s just more of an assumption that it will happen that way. So in order to help me work in way that supports my life, I’m always going to call myself an agency owner.

Bigger clients

I’ve had some impressive clients over the years. Yes, most of them knew they were just hiring one person. And yes, there was a building process to get these bigger clients. But I’ll be honest that the building process felt a little easier when I started talking about myself as an agency owner rather than a freelancer.

There is just a level of client who thinks they need something a little more prestigious than a freelancer. Saying that you’re an agency owner gives them the feeling of that prestige, even if there really is not a lot of difference between you and a freelancer. It can make you stand out when you’re going after the business and can give you a better chance to actually win it.

Honestly, I’m taking anything that gives me a leg up and running with it, especially now that clients are even harder to win.

Is this lying?

The only pushback I usually get is that this feels a little like lying. It’s not.

If you sat down and really broke it down, you’d realize that you offer the same kind of services as an agency. And in a lot of ways, you probably do it better. What really makes you different in the end? Not a heck of a lot, especially since so many agencies are now virtual with no home office.

So why are we taking titles that bring us down? Why are we asking for less than we’re worth? I think the only thing you’re lying about here is about what you deserve. Take what you deserve. Call yourself an agency owner.

Do you call yourself a freelancer or an agency owner?