When I ask young professionals how they plan on building their reputations, the answers that I usually hear range from “do whatever I’m told” to “don’t screw up” to “incessantly self-promote”. Of course, there’s more to it than that.
Tax season often illuminates financial management philosophies we could – and should – revisit. For me, reviewing revenue and expenses has illustrated a year’s worth of daily activities that really added up. Here are some considerations I plan on checking more often.
Start with structure
Many professionals still practice without a clear financial goal for the year. My wise accountant once distilled the goal-setting process down to these questions: Read more →
I’m a fan of Basecamp, a web-based project management tool. It has just the right number of features, it’s simply structured, and, most importantly it’s effective. The same can be said of Rework, a book written by the creators of Basecamp, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson.
We could learn something from these guys
Fried and Hansson founded a small, Chicago-based web design company called 37signals in 1999. The team soon noticed the need for an online tool that would help people “get work done” without heavy investments in commitments, resources or time. Basecamp became that tool.
Sole practitioners often struggle to find and interpret meaningful practice data that points business-building efforts in the right direction.
New practice management software with great reporting features helps many lawyers find personalized information in an instant. But old habits – such as not bothering to look at the data on a regular basis or do anything about it – can be difficult to overcome.
Ah, September. The leaves are falling, the air is crisp and most of us feel motivated to learn something new.
Stanford University offers several online learning options for lawyers and legal professionals* interested in sharpening their business skills, especially in the areas of entrepreneurialism and innovation. The videos and podcasts in their Entrepreneurship Corner are professionally produced, available for view at any time and presented by top faculty from several departments. I’ve especially enjoyed the interviews with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs such as Mitch Kapor who talk about lessons learned, developing “people skills” and learning to be comfortable with business risk. Read more →
Merriam Webster defines “schmooze” as a verb meaning “to talk with someone in a friendly way often in order to get some advantage for yourself”. Sounds unctuous, doesn’t it? I was recently interviewed about modern methods of getting to know clients and colleagues in a more sincere way than a lot of people associate with schmoozing. Read more →
UPDATE – September 23, 2014–I’ve just finished reading “Invisibles”. It was a breath of fresh air amidst what sometimes seems like a lot of hot air filled with non-stop social media, amplified tweeting and frenzied calls for attention. This book is well-researched (some might say meticulously so, in keeping with the conclusions Zweig has drawn about Invisibles). If you have ever wondered how to balance career fulfillment with the pressure to self-promote, you should read this book. Read more →
Spring has sprung here in Vancouver with its bounty of networking events and opportunities to reconnect with colleagues.
In between fun appointments in my social calendar, I sat down to read “Give and Take” by Wharton business professor Adam Grant. If you’ve ever felt anxious about networking, skeptical about selling your services or burned out from fielding non-stop requests for help, this book is for you. Read more →
A young accountant recently asked how she should prioritize her limited marketing time: should she meet more potential clients at lunches, cocktail parties and golf tournaments, or should she build a reputation among existing clients for her niche services and expertise?
I advised her to do the latter. Here’s why: Read more →
“Unchecked Hourly Fees = Absurdity!”, “The Great Pyramids: Ancient Wonder or AmLaw 100 Business Model?”.
To read most practice management publications, you’d think that national and multinational law firms are on the path to destruction. To read Bruce MacEwen’s book, “Growth is Dead: Now What?” you might think again. But you’d better steel yourself. The journey off-course could be bumpy. Read more →