GDPR – what do you need to know?

---

The sand is running out in the GDPR egg timer. There is no doubt that design agencies have to act in order to be compliant – but in what ways and just how complicated is it? Adam Fennelow, DBA Head of Services, has been finding out what you need to know.

Small Spark Theory: 10 things we’ve learned so far

---

Lucy Mann's spark of inspiration has, a year later, delivered a roaring fire of ideas on how to transform agency performance through marginal gains.

Get stuck in: Driving sustainability through design

---

Pret A Manger’s Paula Chin discusses getting your hands dirty, and other tips to drive sustainability through design.

Quit giving the client what they want

---

Steve Jobs famously said, “How will my customers know what they want if I haven’t showed it to them yet?” It sounds like arrogant bluster, but he was right.

Pitch perfect

---

To win bigger projects from bigger clients you need to excel at pitching. DBA Expert, Jonathan Kirk explains how you can sharpen your approach.

Benchmarking for sole traders and micro agencies

---

Using data from the 2017 DBA Annual Survey Report this short report looks at gross income, trend forecasting, charge-out rates, salaries and utilisation rates for agencies with five or less staff enabling an agency to benchmark against a variety of financial metrics.

DBA Annual Survey Report 2017 launch

---

Watch the launch of the DBA Annual Survey Report – an invaluable members-only business tool which enables you to benchmark your financial performance with those of your peers. Use your DBA member login to access the video.

The days of ‘packaging first’ brand design are over

---

A senior consultant of consumer branding at Dragon Rouge London discusses the future of brand design and details principles for driving holistic brand thinking.

Agency growth case study: Page & Page

---

Stephen Page, of Page & Page (9 staff, fee income of £700,000) details the growth of his agency, including challenges and aspirations, since its launch in 2014. With his 'large agency' experience Stephen is well placed to give advice on setting up a new agency with aspirations to grow.

Sparking a reaction: How to stimulate a prospect to become a client

---

DBA Expert Jeremy Paterson offers advice on moving potential clients through the narrowest and most difficult phase of the business development funnel, to convert their interest into a mutually beneficial commercial partnership.