Hiring an Assistant | Norton Internet Security 2011 | Mastermind - Networking

I talked a little bit yesterday about a mastermind session, about a law firm printer, and about nolo.com. Today, I'm going to talk about hiring an assistant, norton internet security 2011, and some things I learned from my mastermind session regarding law firm marketing.

Starting a Law Firm | Hiring an Assistant

If you read the last post, then you know it was time for me to get some help. I didn't realize that more than today when my law clerk came in and helped me out. I gave her a bunch of stuff I'd usually be doing and for a fraction of what I can make an hour she did it all and did it well. So I'm moving forward hiring an assistant. And I'm going tell you exactly what I did (and what I'm doing) to get there.

First things first, I posted an ad on craigslist. Here's the ad:

When running a small business it is critical to have a wide range of skills, and a willingness to perform both menial and advanced tasks. When a small business is poised for growth, hiring someone with a similar skill set is critical. This role is a combination of executive admin, marketing expert, technical assistant, and more. If you're interested in helping to grow a small criminal defense law firm dedicated to protecting its clients, this may be a good fit for you. The optimal candidate will have a passion for these subjects, but will be willing to "pay their dues" in order to help grow a business. In other words, the pay may not be great to start with, but you'll have the opportunity to focus your efforts on growing the business, and will be rewarded with pay that is commensurate to your efforts.

To be considered, a candidate must offer the following:
- Fast learner
- Conscientious
- Honest
- Hard-working
- Entrepreneurial spirit
- Strong attention to detail
- Focus on exceptional customer service
- Ability to prioritize tasks
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite of applications

Even better, the ideal candidate will offer the following:
- Bachelor's Degree
- Strong grammar and spelling skills
- Strong customer service skills
- Ability to work independently
- Strong organizational skills
- Comfortable and familiar with technology

In short, someone willing to act as an executive admin but interested in marketing and working to grow a business to mutual benefit would be the ideal candidate.

Typical tasks for this job will include:
- Answering the phones - scheduling client meetings
- Managing the office calendar
- Preparing and filing court and other required documents
- Assisting in firm marketing efforts
- Handle incoming and outgoing mail
- Responding to client inquiries
- Managing schedules for travel and deadlines
- Being the "go-to" person for all manner of work related to managing and growing the business

The reality is that the right candidate will be a very unique individual, who will stand out from the crowd. Quite likely, the best candidate will be someone who is worth a big paycheck, but who is willing to work for a small paycheck in recognition of strong upside potential. In other words, the right candidate will have confidence that they're able to assist in creating growth for a business to the extent that they'll be rewarded financially in the process. That also means that someone who is looking for an easy ride shouldn't bother applying.

In the interest of helping you succeed, a small hint is offered: The best candidate will submit their resume with a note explaining something about them. If you are going to simply submit saying "attached is my resume" and nothing else, you probably shouldn't bother applying.

Interviews will begin next week.

This is a part-time job, 8-noon, Monday through Friday, with the opportunity for full time work when it presents itself.

In about a day and a half I got around 150 responses. And a large majority of them were qualified. I had several things in mind that I was looking for for my particular situation, used those to cut the list down to 5 or 6, and then scheduled them each for individual half hour interviews (at least I gave them half hour time slots). After that I will probably have a follow up interview with the two or three best candidates and choose the best one. I'll let you know how it goes.

I must admit, however, that I'm a little bit nervous. I've never really interviewed anyone for a job (though I've interviewed many witnesses and clients) and I want to make sure I pick the right person. So if you have any good advice, let me know.

Norton Internet Security 2011

I think one of the things lawyers are most concerned about when they open their practice and think about using technology to leverage their time and money is security. Maybe it's just my generation, maybe it's just me, but I was never really too concerned about it. For one thing, I think people who are stealing things that might be stolen from my firm (client files, etc.) aren't really snooping around for people like me. They've got bigger fish to fry. And for another, the security that's set up automatically by the web browsers and your operating system is not too bad.

But I finally caved (or wised up, depending on who you ask) and bought some security for the computer. I think a little bit of it had to do with having the additional staff come in. I know that I wouldn't be dumb enough to open suspect emails or go to suspect websites, but I don't know that about them (yet). So I bought Norton Internet Security 2011. I didn't really buy it because of anything in particular. It just looked like it would provide the protection I needed, which is help against things that come at me over the internet. So I've got it, and it seems to be working. If it doesn't I'll be sure to let you know.

MasterMind and Law Firm Marketing

If you haven't realized it yet, a key ingredient of a successful law firm is having clients. And the way you get clients is through law firm marketing. This includes internet advertising, website conversions, referrals, and everything else you can think of. In some way, shape, and form it's all advertising.

When I wrote down my three biggest problems with my firm, one of the problems was getting more consistent phone calls. So we talked about that for a long time. One of the things we discovered was that my website wasn't converting as well as it should have (this is the DUI site we're talking about primarily). We started talking about what the site looked like and how it could be made better. And this is what I learned, when you are doing law firm internet marketing, particularly on your website, it is important to know who your ideal client is and let them know how you can help them.

What this meant for me was not only having a DUI only site, but breaking it up further into 1st DUI, 2nd DUI, and 3rd DUI information (because the strategies for each are so different). And then within those deviations make sure that I am appealing to my target audience and answering their questions. Another thing RJon encouraged me to do was put up videos discussing each of the categories.

My plan, then, is to incorporate this into my next round of website updates (coming soon). I'm going to create some videos and put them on the site. I'm going to tell people how I can help them. I am going to market my law firm in a way that increases calls. And I'm going to let you know how it turns out.

Remember, if you have any questions or comments about starting a law firm, let me know!

Starting a Law Firm | MasterMind | Printers | Nolo.com

As you can see from the title of this post, there has been a lot going on around here lately. And, there is actually more to come (I just don't have all day to write on this blog, so I'm going to break it up). There's a lot of good information in here, and I hope you enjoy it.

Printer Review - HP OfficeJet Pro 8000 and HP LaserJet P1102w

I may have written a printer review on here before, but I am required to do so now. My printer quit on me on Monday, and as luck would have it, it was at a time when I really needed it. The printer I used to have was an HP OfficeJet Pro 8000. I think I've probably had it for about 16 months. It had been acting up nearly the whole time, failing to recognize paper in the chute, not knowing which tray to print out of (I bought an extra tray) and generally being a pain in my ass. But I'm not paper heavy, so I dealt with it.

Finally on Monday it just quit working. It told me it had a paper jam, but it didn't. It told me to do all of this stuff to fix it and it didn't work. Then I got online and found out that many other people had been having exactly the same problems I was. So, this is a negative review of the HP OfficeJet Pro 8000. Stay away from it if you can.

In search of a new printer, I knew I wanted two things - ease of use and reliability. Believe it or not, one of the major pains I had with my old printer was having to take the paper out whenever I needed an envelope and inserting an envelope. I wanted to avoid that time suck with my new printer. So I did.

I've only had the HP LaserJet P1102 for about 3 days, and so far it's working like a dream. It's got a wireless set up, and so far I've had zero problems. And it has a letter feed built into it, so every time I need a letter I just slide one in and print away. I'll update the review later, if necessary. But it looks like this one's a keeper (and it only cost me $100).

MasterMind Session in Seattle

If you read my last post (and I know you did!) then you know that a colleague and friend of mine, RJon Robins, was in town doing a CLE on starting a law firm and law firm management. I'd actually never me him before, though I'd spoken with him many times via email and telephone, so we decided to meet up, and while he was here, we decided to do this mastermind thing. I must say I had a great experience.

We did the mastermind session over dinner with two buddies of mine, RJon, and his wife. A mastermind session is in essence a meeting of like-minded business owners who get together to discuss, without reservation, their businesses and how to make them better. When you're in it it kind of feels like you're facing a firing squad. A lot of your empty assumptions are questioned and put to the test. But when you emerge from the session you have not only a fresh outlook on your business but some real world ideas and solutions to help your business flourish and grow.

Want more details? Okay.

The three of us (RJon didn't face the firing squad, only my two buddies and I) started out by writing down the top three problems we have with our business right now. My top three were: (1) too much time doing administrative tasks; (2) no working system to effectively manage cases/time; and (3) increasing the regularity of potential client calls. I told the group this, and then we dove in.

But the key here is that we didn't start with solutions. We started by diagnosing the problem. Why am I spending so much time doing administrative tasks? Because I don't have anyone else helping me? Why don't I get help (obvious)? Because I'm afraid of expending the money on help and then not making the money to pay for that person. Why am I afraid of that? (and this is where the real breakthroughs come in - changing your business and way of doing things won't happen unless you get to the root of the problem and work on that) Because I have an idea in my mind that money is something to be held onto tightly, not parted with easily, and I want to make sure I'm getting value for what I'm paying. Ding - light bulb moment, because this isn't the most beneficial way to think about money and your law firm.

After identifying the underlying potential problems, we talked about what our relationship with money should be like. And, to be honest, it's something I know, but not something I can easily put into practice. And this is something we can all be cognizant of (which is why I'm writing about it here). We should think of money like a drug dealer does. Yeah, I said it.

How do drug dealers think of money? First of all, I'm not talking about the guy selling dime bags on the corner. I'm talking about your higher ups. Think Johnny Depp in the movie Blow. He got into the drug business as a low level drug runner. But, instead of taking his money and stashing it away (or blowing it on drugs) he used it as leverage to make more money. Then he used that money in the same way. For him, money wasn't something to be hoarded, it was something to be put to work.

And that's what I need to do. Put my money to work, to free up my time, so I can make more money. Think about it like this. I can have someone help me out administratively for $15/hour. If someone is doing this work, I can do work that brings in at least $100/hour. That means by spending $15 an hour I can make $85 an hour. Those are numbers I like to see.

I bet you're wondering what I'm doing about this aren't you? Don't worry, I'll talk about it tomorrow.

Nolo.com Update

By the way, if you've made it this far in the article, thanks. I appreciate the reading. Up next, as you can tell from the headline, is an update on my experience with nolo.com. I'm writing this because I received an email from them probably a month ago inquiring as to the status of my subscription to them. They wanted to know if I'd noticed any more leads coming from them.

Sadly, I have not.

Here's the thing about using services like this, though. It's impossible to really know exactly where your leads are coming from. If you ask people, they rarely remember ("the internet" is a common response) because it's not that important to them how they got to you, unless it's a referral. In a different market with a different kind of practice it might really pay off for you.

But here's another thing to think about - and this goes to the mastermind session. If you are paying $130 a month (which is about what I'm paying) and that gets you one case a month (which it might), then you've potentially paid $130 to make $3000 or whatever your fee might be. Is that worth it? It probably is. Every law firm marketing tactic doesn't have to hit a home run. A bunch of singles will still get you a bunch of runs.

Starting a Law Firm in the Northwest? Then You Must Check This Out

If you are here, reading this blog, then you have already taken one great step toward starting a law firm. You are thinking about it, you are researching it, and you are dreaming about it. Good for you. But at some point in time rubber must meet road. And there is no better time than the present if you are thinking of starting a law firm in the northwest.

I've talked about this guy before, but next Friday, October 15, in Seattle at the Rainier Square Conference Center Rjon Robins will be giving a day long presentation (broken up into two parts) about how to start a successful law firm. He is joining up with the King County Bar Association to put this presentation on, and if you have any thought of opening up a law firm you must attend.

I won't make you go back and read the original post I wrote about him, but about a year ago I purchased from him a revenue doubler system. I like to refer to it as starting a law firm in a box. It came with a bunch of manuals, a bunch of CDs, and a once a week group telephone meeting with him to discuss what was going on. I give him and his information and advice a lot of credit for helping to get me to where I am.

The presentation is broken up into two parts. The morning session is called "How to Start a Law Firm" and the afternoon is called "How to Grow a Law Firm." Honestly, no matter where you are in the state of your law firm, it would do you well to attend both sessions.

Oh, and by the way, just to make things clear, I am not being paid in any way whatsoever to promote this seminar, though if you go I will probably be there. I just know what a great help it can be to those starting out and I wanted to take the opportunity to let you know about it. You've been so informed.

Hope to see you there!

Starting a Law Firm | This and That

Starting a Law Firm | Demand For Posts

I'm back. I actually got a comment today that asked if I could update what I was doing or try to get on a more regular writing schedule so they knew when to check back. I'm trying to write every week, but sometimes I just get too busy to do it. When things pile up, the less important things get pushed back. Sadly, this is a less important thing. With that being said, however, there is this nifty little thing on the right side of the screen that says "subscribe in a reader." Click on it and follow the directions and it will let you know every time I write something new. That way you don't have to keep checking back in all the time.

Postage and Copying Fees

Had a request about postage and copying fees. I buy stamps when I need them. Usually use a book or two per month, depending on what's going on. If I need more I just go buy more.

As for copying, I don't do any copying. If I need a copy of something I scan it into the computer and print it out. That rarely happens. If someone wants a copy of something I try my hardest to let me email it to them so they can print it out if they want to. Part of starting a law firm is controlling costs. This is an easy way to do it.

As for the rest of the office supplies, I go through a package or two of paper a month, and that's about it for office supplies. But you have to remember, I'm a criminal attorney and we don't have a lot of paper flying around like you crazy civil lawyers. We prefer to pick up the phone or send a nasty email when we have a problem instead of filing a bunch of motions (joking...sort of).

New Law Clerk at the Firm

I finally did something I should have done a long time ago and hired a law clerk. She's been working for me for two weeks and it's been awesome. She doesn't really spend any time at the office. I know you're dying to hear about the set up, so here it goes.

I pay her $15 an hour. She just keeps her time and gives it to me. I pay her like a contract employee - so I don't have to worry about taxes. She just gets a 1099 at the end of the year like any other contract employee would. We meet on Mondays for an hour or so. At the meeting we go over what she's been doing and I tell her about new cases I have and new projects I have for her. Then I email her more detailed instructions and any materials I have that can help her get started.

I have a rule that she can come to any court hearing that she wants to. I've got a highrise account so she can see what's scheduled. If she has questions, I answer them. We talk a little strategy here and there and I try to explain why I'm doing what I'm doing. She does her work where ever she wants (she has access to the office but it isn't necessary) and emails me her work when it's done. I use track changes to make comments and suggestions until a final product is created.

Here's the great thing about having a law clerk, though, it cuts my work time in half. If you've been practicing for any amount of time you quickly learn one thing - spotting the issues is the hard part, doing the research is the easy part. But, with that being said, doing the research is the time consuming part. Law clerks love to research and write - it's all they know how to do so far. So it's a great trade off for me. I get to teach a law student how to be a lawyer, and they get to create some great work product doing something they know how to do.

And I guess that's the starting a law firm lesson of the day - learn how to leverage your time. Sure, you could do it all, but how fun is that? And, with the time you save on research and writing you now have that much more time to devote to marketing your law firm, which is just as important (and something your law clerk definitely can't do).

Here's an old post about hiring law clerks. I have no idea what it says!

Phone System Changes

Also wanted to let you know that I have signed up for a free trial with receptionhq.com, a virtual reception company. I found that I was missing too many calls with court and things like that and needed someone to make sure I didn't miss those. I just signed up with them this week and have been pleased with the service so far. The rates are reasonable, and they seem like they know what they are doing, which is nice.

I know you all love hearing about law firm phone systems and the nuts and bolts of starting a law firm so I thought I'd throw you a bone.

Ads on the Site

I decided to put ads on the site, and you may have noticed that. I didn't do that for those of you that actually read these posts, I did it for people that are just passing through and like what they see. Please only click on the ads if you are interested in the product. That's the whole point right?

Have a great weekend. And let me know if there's anything you'd like to talk about specifically.