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06/08/2025

DBA Members’ Forum | August Summary

By Design Business Association

At our DBA Members’ Forum this month, we were joined by Lucy Mann and Nick Farrar, Founder and CEO of Shaped By for a great conversation about how to use August to build momentum for your new business pipeline through September and beyond. The key message was start now. This is an August to do list!

Here’s a short summary of what we covered, prepared under Chatham House Rule — we explored much more during the session.

  • Check in with your current clients — book some time in with them for September, and use August to do the groundwork. Be proactive — research their business and consider where the opportunities lie for them.
  • Reading the FT and similar publications helps you spot trends that matter to your clients and frame smarter, more strategic questions. That kind of informed thinking is what sets great agencies apart.
  • What about your network — think about referrers and lapsed clients too. Don’t wait for referrals to come to you — reconnect and be deliberate. How can you reciprocate the value they bring?
  • Make your assets work harder — repurpose what you’ve already got. One member shared how they turned their insights into a downloadable guide, supported by an email flow, so it’s working for them while they’re away.
  • Reignite stagnant leads. Go back to the trigger that started the conversation and use that to reconnect. The same applies to lost pitches, check in and keep them warm.
  • Be personal in your messaging — engage on a human level, one blanket email isn’t going to cut it. 
  • If the challenge runs deeper — positioning, website, offer — don’t wait. Start making the plan now so you’re not in the same place next year.
  • Podcasts and webinars are a great way to re-engage with past clients — share your expertise, pique their egos and understand what’s on their radar. 
  • However you plan to spend your marketing budget — measure the investment you make. One member shared that at the start their marketing investment was bringing in enough work to cover the costs of staff and activities, and 4 years on a £7.50 return on every £1 invested.
  • Working internationally? Trust can be built without face-to-face time. If this is on your radar, check out a previous Forum’s notes on growing international business.
  • And don’t leave your out of office to the very last thing you do before your holiday — it’s a marketing opportunity — share an interesting case study or article. 

Our next DBA Members’ Forum is on Monday 1 September at 4pm BST.