Re: Going Solo

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Solo to be:

JF had some good advice about getting face time and getting exposure. Copy,
paste it and put it on your wall, and never forget it. It is the secret to
making it in any business. It is real hard to do though, because the
results take time to see.

Some advice from me:

Get an office that is easy to get to, free parking, safe, and near other
professionals. Go knock on every attorney and accountant within 5 miles of
your office and give them your card. Tell them you are available to help
them with anything.

Avoid the Yellow Pages!!!!!! As has been discussed often here, it is a
dying medium. Google, Yahoo, and MSN offer internet advertising that is far
better than anything you could get out of YP. (And a little secret, clients
who use the internet are almost always better clients. They tend to be more
intelligent and sophisticated, and brought up better.)

Make a good cheap website. Netsol.com has good packages. Link your paid
search ads to the website.

As I said before, make your local bar the center of gravity of your
practice. Be very active with it. Go to as many functions as possible.

Make sure you have plenty of money saved. Not necessarily for start up
costs. Your start up costs should be less than $3,000. You need the cash
to cushion your first year. Plan on making your first year a break even
year. Any profit is just gravy.

Keep asking questions here.

On 10/24/06, JF wrote:
> Time of year, to me, doesn't matter.
>
> Point in career - well, when you're ready. Experience is invaluable, so if
> you can get at a minimum of one year under your belt before you start,
> that would be helpful. Something that helped me was that I worked for
> another local office for a while and earned my reputation. I moved on
> without stealing any of their clients.
>
> A practice in Kansas City is probably much different than in Boston where
> I am, but the basics are always the same.
>
>
>
> On 10/23/06, Solo to be... wrote:
>> I'm from Kansas City, Missouri, and I'm going to make it. One more
>> question: any idea on when to make the jump? Time of year? Point in
>> career, etc?
>>
>>
>> On 10/23/06, Avid Church-Goer wrote:
>>> Networking is important. Getting face time is important. What JF
>>> said is key. The problem with it is that it is very hard to keep
>>> doing and it has a long term impact only. I like the seminar idea,
>>> but they cost money, and who really wants to go to a seminar on
>>> getting a divorce. Also, be very careful you are not out there
>>> soliciting clients. The best idea I have heard yet is to network
>>> heavily at all bar functions. Another good idea, join your bar
>>> referral. Make your local bar the center of gravity of your law
>>> practice.
>>>
>>> You probably will not make it. Most small businesses fail. But if
>>> you do, you are in store for a happy life.
>>>
>>> On 10/23/06, JF wrote:
>>>> Here's some advertising/marketing ideas (glad there's someone
>>>> willing to listen):
>>>>
>>>> 1. As Carol said, informational pamphlets. Cheap and effective.
>>>> Check your local bar association.
>>>>
>>>> 2. Also check your bar association(s) for legal referral programs.
>>>>
>>>> 3. Join Hyatt legal plans, Signature legal plan, and ARAG. These are
>>>> legal insurance companies that don't pay a lot, but they produce
>>>> good clients who usually give you repeat business. It's free to
>>>> them, so why not? If you conduct a closing for them, for example,
>>>> they'll almost always follow up with a will, since they don't pay
>>>> for it. Just keep on top of them. Again, persistence.
>>>>
>>>> 4. I don't like yellow pages advertising, but if you do it, make
>>>> sure you're in the front. One trick that's worked is to list your
>>>> self as "Attorney so-and-so". That way, you're name will be with
>>>> the "A's (the only problem being that many yellow pages companies
>>>> have caught on to this and won't allow it). If your first name
>>>> happens to begin with "A", then you can list yourself that way. You
>>>> don't need a big add, but you should display the type of law you
>>>> practice prominently. If you state "ESTATE PLANNING LAWYER - John
>>>> Smith", you will obtain some estate planning clients. If you
>>>> state "JOHN SMITH - Estate Planning Lawyer, you'll get people
>>>> looking for John Smith. In other words, nobody. Personally, I think
>>>> your money would be better spent with a small ad in the local
>>>> newspaper, because you have a better target audience with less of a
>>>> financial commitment.
>>>>
>>>> 5. Consider AARP's legal panel, which is a referal program even
>>>> though they won't call it that. It's a little pricey (about $600.00
>>>> a year), and you get a lot of elderly people looking for free
>>>> advice, but you do pick up some good work, and the good clients tend
>>>> to refer you to all of their friends.
>>>>
>>>> 6. Internet advertising seems to work. Do a lawyer search for your
>>>> practice area and town and see what sites come up (findlaw being one
>>>> example). Then, join that site, if it's in the budget.
>>>>
>>>> 7. Do be careful in taking cases other lawyers don't want. These
>>>> are usually dog cases that can kill you. I don't think they lead to
>>>> good cases, either. If they did, one of two things will happen: 1.
>>>> the referring lawyer would want the case, or 2. You would take the
>>>> case and earn the reputation of a client-stealer.
>>>>
>>>> 8. If you do rent space with other lawyers, find a suite where
>>>> nobody practices in your area. Then, the referrals will be
>>>> legitimate.
>>>>
>>>> 9. There's no substitute for networking & volunteering.
>>>>
>>>> 10. Run a seminar. If you can team up with another professional (a
>>>> real estate agent, financial planner, CPA, etc.), all the better,
>>>> because you'll be forging another relationship.
>>>>
>>>> 10. Finally, I've found it incredibly easy to get published. Call
>>>> your local paper and ask to write a guest column. Many small papers
>>>> are always looking for something to print. Writing an article for
>>>> the general public is a lot easier than writing something for a
>>>> legal journal, because you'll be writing about basics rather than
>>>> some scholarly law-review type article. Being published is free and
>>>> effective.
>>>>
>>>> 11. All of the above: all the clients you gain will refer you,
>>>> assuming you give good service (unfortunately, many people don't
>>>> know good service when they see it, but this problem is unavoidable).
>>>>
>>>> 12. Whatever area of law you concentrate in, tell everyone willing
>>>> to listen that you're an expert. Have a big mouth. Of course, make
>>>> sure to back it up!
>>>>
>>>> Good luck, Solo to be, and keep us informed And btw what state are
>>>> you in?
>>>>
>>>> On 10/23/06, Solo to be... wrote:
>>>>> I've heard consistent references to Foonberg's book, which I've
>>>>> just ordered. I look forward to reading it. In your opinion, is
>>>>> sharing office the space the (only) way to go? Also, what kinds
>>>> of
>>>>> advertising, if any, do you reccomend to spread the word that I've
>>>>> gone solo? A mailer, add in the bar journal, etc.?