Sorry for world's longest post title!
I'm setting up my own website for my freelance services and am tying myself up in knots.
To date, most of my freelance work has come through two specialist agencies. They market and offer as part of a package my line of work, but they have no one in house who does my line of work so they use me on a freelance basis.
Obviously if I start actively marketing my services through my website I am taking away potential business through them.
To date, my work has been fairly re-active rather than pro-active, the same two agencies contact me and also a few friends have suggested me where relevant.
I need the agencies to keep giving me work, as they have a bigger marketing budget and more contacts than me. But I can't develop any other contacts/work without a website.
So do I have to just bite the bullet and piss them off?
And can they stop me using veiled references to the clients I've worked with through them? I haven't signed a contract with either agency and I can't just not list any details of past clients. I also have references from clients, when the agency have introduced us and have billed them but paid me themselves. Can I use these?
Any experiences/ advice would be hugely gratefully received.