Growing a Studio Ain’t Easy—This Book Actually Helped.
What I learned from Edgar Allan’s book " Growing a Service Business with Webflow" on building a creative business.
Hey Designers,
I hope all is well. It's been a while, but the studio is still running strong and serving clients. That said, things can start to feel a bit repetitive year after year. I've been looking for ways to re-immerse myself in the business of design, and a few months ago, I came across the preorder for Growing a Service Business with Webflow by Edgar Allan.
The title immediately stood out to me as someone who’s continuing to grow their studio and improve everything over time. After wrapping up the book, I can confidently say it’s incredibly useful for beginners and freelancers looking to evolve their practice into a full-fledged studio. That said, there’s plenty in here for seasoned vets too. Much of it acts as a solid refresher if you’ve been in the studio or agency space for a while—covering areas like building better client feedback loops, delegating with intention, and scaling your project management. I won’t dive into every detail here, but knowing this audience, I’m pretty sure the key takeaways I’ve highlighted will hit home.
It took me a bit to finish, but now that I’ve had time to digest the content, I’ve gathered some thoughts on why you should grab this book, who it’s for, and a few of my favorite quotes from it.
Who It’s For
Let’s start with the audience. As I mentioned, I think this book is great for:
Freelancers just getting started with Webflow
Freelancers already building their business who want to evolve into a studio format
Agency founders in the early stages
Seasoned agency founders
Who it’s not for:
Anyone who isn’t using Webflow
There are lots of Webflow-specific chapters, talking points, and lessons. You could still get value from the general business advice, but ideally, this book should help you connect the dots with what you’re currently doing.
Why You Should Grab This Book
As someone who freelanced for years, there wasn’t much knowledge being shared about transitioning from freelancer to agency—especially using Webflow as a tool.
My own journey has been mostly trial and error. Sure, there are plenty of traditional business books out there, but web design and development come with unique challenges as you grow. These aren’t unsolvable, but it helps to learn from people who’ve already been through it.
This book provides step-by-step guidance on everything from positioning and pricing, to selling and managing projects. I was genuinely surprised at the sheer amount of actionable advice packed into it. It felt like reading a long-form newsletter written by someone who’s built and exited an agency. Wild stuff—and I’m not hyping it up for no reason (not sponsored).
My Early Challenges Growing a Studio
Here are a couple of major challenges I faced early on that the book addresses:
Building a Dedicated Support Team and Plans
This was tough due to the balance between budget and time. I wasn’t charging enough for support, so I ended up spending all that budget doing the work—with no margin left. Sometimes I had to either give the contractor the entire support budget or come out of pocket to cover the gap.
The solution? Setting up tiered monthly plans based on hours needed. Here’s a rough idea (not exact figures):
$2,400 (20 hours)
$3,600 (30 hours)
$4,800 (40 hours)
The plan scales depending on client needs. Before, I was setting a flat fee that ended up being way too low. As you can imagine, that nearly crushed me—and the last thing I ever want is to underpay a contractor.
Writing a Change Order
So, what’s a change order?
It’s a written document that confirms both the client and your business have agreed to alter the original contract. This could involve added tasks, timeline shifts, or scope changes.
We’ve all done extra work for a client post-contract, probably in good faith that they’d cover it. But when they don’t, a change order is what protects you.
When to Send One:
As the book points out, every project should have a beginning, middle, and end. Change orders, honest communication, and clear boundaries make sure those stages actually mean something. Early on, I got stuck in a never-ending hell of a project. Never again.
Now, I include a clause in my Scope of Work saying that if changes happen, we’ll issue a change order. That way, it’s expected—not a surprise. Since adding that clause to my contracts, I haven’t had a single issue.
Quotes & Quick Tips from the Book
Diversify and differentiate with Webflow:
A solid and compelling answer to “Why should we work with you?”
Use services, knowledge, and tools to support that “why”
Know which clients are the right fit for you
Finding your value proposition:
“What is the problem my agency solves, and who is it for?”
“The tools support you—not the other way around.”
“Not every client is right for you.”
If you’re going to niche down, pick a few sectors that make sense and continue to bring opportunity.
Negotiation Tips That Stuck With Me
Negotiating with clients doesn’t have to feel like a battle. The book breaks down a few smart strategies that can help you navigate tricky convos and keep both sides happy:
Get ahead of the annoying stuff: If you know a client is about to ask for something that might be a headache, use a smaller request to steer the conversation and head it off before it becomes a bigger deal.
Spell out the impact: A lot of clients don’t realize how one change can affect the rest of the project. Walk them through the cause and effect. Sometimes just laying it out clearly is all it takes for them to understand why something’s a no-go or needs more time.
Trade for a win: If you’re going to give up something, try to use that as leverage to get something else you actually want. A compromise doesn’t have to be one-sided.
Neutralize discount requests: If a client’s asking for a discount, offer to bundle in a smaller add-on or service instead. That way, it still feels like they’re getting value—without cutting into your bottom line.
Bottom line: negotiation isn’t about “winning.” It’s about finding that middle ground where the client feels heard and you’re not sacrificing your business in the process.
Final Thoughts
All in all, Growing a Service Business with Webflow felt like a much-needed conversation with someone who’s been through it all. If you’re serious about building a design business—not just freelancing, but actually turning your craft into a systemized, sustainable studio—this book is 100% worth your time.
It’s not full of fluff or abstract ideas; it’s hands-on, real, and speaks directly to the problems we actually deal with. If you’re in that weird in-between stage—no longer solo, not quite a full agency—this book might be the nudge (or blueprint) you didn’t know you needed.
Give it a read, keep what works, and toss what doesn’t. Peace.
If you check it out, I’d love to hear your take so leave a comment below!