If you’re new to the world of dental content writing you probably want to know whether it’s best to build a dental content agency or to remain a solo freelancer.
In all honesty, it depends on where your priorities lie.
If you’re looking to earn enough money to quit the 9-5 and have a good business with a reasonable income that you can enjoy, then a solo freelancer might be the best path to take. It’s certainly far less hassle, as I explain later.
Alternatively, if you want a business with the earning potential to hit multiple six or seven figures and one that you can sell on when you feel the time is right, then a dental content agency might be for you.
To be honest, though, it isn’t always that black and white because most people who run content agencies begin life as solo freelancers. Often, they don’t intend to expand, it’s just a natural progression. Many of them reach the stage where they have more clients or more work than is physically possible for one person to handle and it’s at this point where they have to choose whether to expand or start turning away clients.
That’s kind of what happened in my case…
I was in this position back in 2016 when I took on a client who required somewhere between 50 and 60 dental blogs per month. It was a big undertaking and one that I wasn’t able to fulfill as a sole freelancer. So rather than turn the project down, I bit the bullet and hired a small team of dental content writers to help with the workload. Needless to say, I’d inadvertently become an agency owner.
Although I ended up partnering with the client for the next six years, I learned a great deal about myself during the process.
So, while there’s no right or wrong way to be a dental content writer, if you do want to build your writing business to an agency level, it’s important to know that it comes with its own set of unique challenges. Sure it comes with its advantages too, but challenges… well, there are plenty.
Before we dive into the drawbacks, however, let’s start with the positives.
Advantages of building a dental content agency
The ability to take on larger projects
One of the benefits of running an agency vs being a sole freelancer is the ability to take on larger projects. Having a team allows you to take on bigger, and potentially more lucrative jobs while still freeing up valuable time for other aspects of running a business like marketing.
Ability to scale quicker
Another advantage of running a dental content agency is that it gives you the ability to scale quickly. It doesn’t take much for a sole freelancer to clog up their workload, particularly when they’re hit with a couple of largish off-the-cuff projects. Before you know it, it’s impossible to take on any more work until the backlog has cleared. Often, this creates that all-too-familiar feast or famine cycle that many freelancers get used to living with.
Alternatively, as a dental content agency, the capacity to scale is much easier as work can easily be divided among your team, thus alleviating the workload on a single person.
Greater kudos
Sometimes, larger companies with bigger budgets prefer to work with agencies. While this isn’t always the case, (I’ve worked with large dental corporates as a sole freelancer) some companies flat-out refuse to work with freelancers. Maybe it’s just a snobbery thing, I don’t know, but when you read what other freelancers say, it’s suggested that you might stand a better chance of landing higher-paying corporate work as a dental content agency.
So, what about the drawbacks?
While having a team of writers at your disposal sounds like a dream position to be in, it comes with its own set of unique challenges, and trust me, it’s a big learning curve!
Potential loss of existing clients
There is a chance that some of your existing clients won’t like the fact that you now have others to write their content. While some won’t give a hoot as long as the content remains consistent, others may feel they’ve lost their unique voice and style. As a result, there is a risk of losing them as a client. That happened to me and is something that you should be prepared for if you are looking to transition into a dental content agency.
Extra pressure to keep work rolling in
When you work for yourself, there’s a certain pressure to keep your working pipeline full, but this is magnified significantly when you have a team of writers. Suddenly, it’s not just you who needs to put bread on the table. Now, your team are relying on you to land projects, and that can be a scary position to be in.
Getting the right people can be a struggle
Finding the right freelancers who are well-versed in dental content and their associated advertising guidelines isn’t easy. Ultimately, be prepared to go through multiple writers until you find the perfect match. Then, just when you think you’ve found a great dental writer who produces content that your clients love, they tell you that they have another job or they no longer want to be a freelancer.
It’s their prerogative of course, but it does leave you in a hole while also having to go back to the drawing board. That can be frustrating.
You’ll need to charge more
Basic economics dictate that you probably won’t be able to charge a client the same as you currently do while paying your team to write the content. Instead, you’ll need to up your prices while ensuring that:
- The writer doesn’t feel undervalued, and
- Your client doesn’t feel like they’re being ripped off.
That in itself is a real balancing act and one that isn’t easy. Charge too little and you’ll have nothing left after you pay your writers. Charge too much and you’ll have the client running for the hills.
You’re no longer just a writer
Perhaps the biggest transformation between a sole freelancer and a dental content agency is that you’re no longer just a writer; albeit a highly skilled one. Now, you have people to look after. So, along with that comes a whole host of other key skills you need to acquire.
For example, you may have to get good at providing constructive feedback when your writer hasn’t hit the project brief. But also, you’ll need to become chief mentor offering words of encouragement when they have a meltdown after finding out they need to write it again.
You’ll need exceptional organisational skills to keep track of who is doing what and you’ll also need great interpersonal skills to ensure projects remain on track.
Of course, all that is on top of your everyday freelancing traits of marketeer, administrator and writer extraordinaire.
So there you have it, dental content agency vs sole freelancer.
If you are considering building your business to an agency level, I hope I haven’t put you off. It’s certainly not my intention. In reality, running an agency is a lucrative option particularly if you can hire the right team, one that continually turns out quality work at a reasonable price.
Get this right, and that’s the backbone of a successful business right there.
But what if you don’t fancy expanding your empire? What if you prefer to go it alone? Is being a solo freelancer sustainable and worth it?
I would say, yes, absolutely!
With the right processes in place, you can still build a solid freelance writing business that supports you and your family for many years to come. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to being a solo freelancer but typically, you’ll encounter a different set of problems, some of which I’ve already talked about.
Dental content agency vs solo freelancer – The key takeaway
In all honesty, I’ve been on both sides of the fence. I’ve had teams of writers relentlessly producing content and I’ve been a solo freelancer writing copy and blogs for dental practices and dental businesses. I have to say, that both have been equally hard and equally rewarding for different reasons.
Besides, no one is telling you that you need to decide right now. Just start your business, enjoy it, and see where takes you.
If you’d like to find out more about how to start a dental writing business, Begin by downloading my free guide. It provides a detailed insight into what you need to do to get your business off the ground.
Here’s to your success!