Just A Quickie: Making Every Penny Count
Posted on December 31st, 2010 by Chrissie
Hiya…
Just thought I’d share a quickie post with you to tie up 2010.
I’ve been in Spain over the festive season catching up with R&R; that’s Rest & Recuperation btw, just in case you thought it was something or someone else 
Inevitably some of my time has been spent slobbing in front of the television; unusual for me but heck, variety is the spice of life eh?
I don’t know about you but have you noticed how many darn adverts there are on the TV shouting about ‘BEAT THE VAT INCREASE’? Hence, it’s kind of the sellers’ way of saying ”buy our stuff now before we pass on the VAT increase to you post 4th January by raising the final cost of our goods and/or services”!
It occurred to me that for most of us we need to make every penny count when we’re considering what we spend our hard earned spondulicks on, particularly as we’ve just had a really tough couple of ‘finance stretching’ years and it’s likely to continue going forward in 2011. It got me thinking about you…
So, here’s my 3rd and final gift from The Naked Lawyer this festive season and for 2010…
Heads up all ye readers who have kindly been in touch and expressed your interest and desire to buy The Naked Lawyer eBook over the festive season. Here’s my honest and open-hearted tip…
HOLD OFF BUYING The Naked Lawyer eBook UNTIL AT LEAST 4th January. Use your 2011 budget!
Why?
Because the rise in VAT means The Naked Lawyer eBook may well be cheaper for you. You’re maybe thinking, ‘huh’?
Permit me to briefly explain. As you know there is VAT on eBooks; albeit print books are zero rated. At present The Naked Lawyer RIP to XXX is £96.00 for the paperback and £96.00 including VAT for the RIP to XXX eBook version; ergo the eBook is cheaper than the paperback if you can reclaim the VAT (because you’ve bought it through your business / firm / company perhaps) or if you are a buyer from outside the EU.
In essence, the net price for The Naked Lawyer RIP to XXX eBook at present is only £81.70. You only pay the VAT (present rate@ 17.5% = £14.30) if you are a buyer from the EU (whether as an individual consumer or corporate client); hence the gross price is £96.00 for EU buyers.
As you know, as of 4th January 2011 in England the VAT rate increases to 20%. Meaning, the net price for The Naked Lawyer RIP to XXX will reduce to £80.00 for ALL buyers. Remember, you only pay the VAT (which will be @20% = £16.00 on 4th January) if you are a buyer from the EU; gross price will therefore remain £96.00 for EU buyers.
Now, if you purchase The Naked Lawyer RIP to XXX eBook through your company then you do of course reclaim the VAT you’ve paid. Albeit your firm will have paid out £96.00 for each eBook it will reclaim £16.00 every time meaning the cost of the RIP to XXX eBook is actually only £80.00. The saving is £1.70 by buying on 4th January rather than pre 4th January. It will soon tot up where multiple purchases are involved. Some of you, I know, have expressed an interest to purchase in excess of 20 copies for your ambitious lawyers and leaders of tomorrow within your firm / practice / company, (to benefit from the CPD hours also) therefore I respectfully leave you to work out the total sum saving, the benefit to your cash-flow and your overall CPD budget.
Albeit the gross price of The Naked Lawyer RIP to XXX eBook will not change, all in all, it will be cheaper for you to wait to buy the eBook if:
- you are not subject to VAT because you’re buying from outside the EU – it will be £80.00 as of 4th January (presently £81.70); or
- you are subject to VAT because you are a buyer from within the EU and you can therefore reclaim the VAT (which will be £16.00 on 4th January 2011 rising from £14.30 pre 4th January 2011) if your company / firm is prepared to buy it on your behalf.
In true Meerkat advert style… Simples.
It goes without saying that 2011 is going to be yet another tough year on the purse-strings and corporate coffers for most of us; whether we’re buying for business or pleasure! Accordingly, I reckon when every penny counts, let’s make it count…
For most things in life, timing (and time) is everything…
“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” (Carl Sandburg).
I’m urging you NOT to spend on The Naked Lawyer eBook as an individual or as a decision-maker within your firm until January 4th 2011 onwards, at which point ‘time’ (and the VAT man!) will be on your side.
Hear hear! Ring in 2011 by keeping more jingle in your purse.
It’s my pleasure that I can gift you this saving; genuinely, I don’t mind standing the VAT for you (as obviously the actual monies that I receive from each sale of The Naked Lawyer eBook will reduce as of 4th January) for I know that YOU will benefit greatly from the content within The Naked Lawyer when you buy it, read it and action it – it’s a message and blueprint that will both touch and benefit you, those whom you care about and your firm, a great deal - AND you will actually receive the benefit from a TAX increase…
It’s not often we can say that now, can we?
Warmest as ever
Chrissie Lightfoot
The Entrepreneur Lawyer
(of the naked kind)
Who are you working for?
Posted on December 28th, 2010 by Chrissie
Is your hard work going to benefit you professionally and privately?
Guest blog post by Andrew Neligan, Informed Choice Ltd.
What will make you happy and fulfilled? Getting your training contract or pupillage? Making partner? Being head of Chambers? Sitting as a judge? Perhaps, leaving the profession either by retiring (early?) or seeking a new path? Or, is your career simply a route to the attainment of personal goals and ambitions that will offer true fulfilment?
In Chrissie Lightfoot’s must read autobiographical rainmaking/client relationship manual for anyone in the legal profession she candidly explains how through her career, initially outside the law and then within it, she has made conscious choices that ensure that she would be, in Jack Welch’s words, “master of her own destiny”.
It was this philosophy that led her to establish EntrepreneurLawyer and decide to use her experiences to help those within the legal profession achieve their personal goals and ambitions by making themselves more valuable to their clients and firms. (“The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become.” Jim Rohn). And, by being more valuable you acquire the earnings to enable you to achieve in life whatever matters most to you.
Understanding what it is that you want, what it is that will make you more fulfilled; being self actualised in terms of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, will put you in the right direction to achieving your goals. It may be that your real motivation is to progress through the legal profession but for the majority of us success in our careers is the conduit to achieving our personal goals. Such goals are many and wide ranging; from the financial security for our family to having the financial freedom to allow us to work when and where we want. Or, it may be either from the acquisition of material possessions to giving (time and money) to the world’s poor and vulnerable.
Chrissie’s book will provide you with the blue print and the skills to make yourself more valuable to your clients but how do you ensure that, when you are harvesting the fruits of your labour, you will have the financial freedom to achieve your personal financial goals? This is where a comprehensive Financial Plan fits in.
Financial Planning is simply having a strategy that will allow you to achieve your financial goals and ambitions. It:
- Ensures financial security for you and your family.
- Allows you to live the life you wish (realistically; we’re not alchemists).
- Ensures you never run out of money.
- Helps you make more astute financial decisions.
Financial Planning achieves this by:
- Helping you to define your goals and when they must be achieved by (SMART objectives).
- Comparing your income to your expenditure and your assets to your liabilities to determine whether your goals are achievable if you continue what you are doing.
- Providing steps that can be taken to make your goals achievable if they are not going to be, based on your current financial position. This may be a target income to achieve each year, better use of your savings and investments or adjustments that need to be made to your annual expenditure.
- Answering the ‘what if?’ questions you may have: ‘What if I lose my job?’ ‘What if I can’t work due to sickness or disability?’, ‘What if I die? Will my family be OK?’, ‘What if I retire early? Will I run out of money?’, ‘What if my children go to private school? Will I be able to afford it each year?’
Financial Planning therefore should be the first step everyone should take when making financial decisions.
Too many people have no plan for their money and make ad-hoc financial decisions without understanding the impact of their decisions on their future lifestyle. For example, if you have established a pension plan or set up an ISA do you know whether the amount you are contributing is enough? Is the risk you are taking in your portfolios too much or too little? Are you paying more in charges than is necessary? Is inflation the biggest threat to you living the life you wish?
If you have savings and investments you should regularly review them to make sure they are consistent with your personal goals so that you can achieve your hopes and avoid your fears. If you have no plan for your money or haven’t reviewed it regularly you should speak to a Financial Planning expert before you make costly mistakes.
Andrew Neligan is a Chartered & Certified Financial Planner who helps legal professionals achieve their financial goals by establishing bespoke Financial Planning strategies. Contact him today to understand how Financial Planning can help you by clicking here.
fuzzy reason, season or lifetime?
Posted on December 23rd, 2010 by Chrissie
Hi there !
In Volume 7 of The Naked Lawyer I talk about nurturing fuzz to get more buzz. Simply put, it’s all about relationships… and friendship. I don’t know about you but I feel truly blessed due to all of the wonderful people who have come into my life, particularly this year – YOU.
As I reflect back on 2010 I can only smile when I think about all of you… the new people in my life who have brought me much happiness… as well as challenges. But you know I love it!
My 2nd gift to you this festive season is an excerpt from The Naked Lawyer: RIP to XXX which just may touch you in a special way. It goes something like this…
“I’d like to leave you with something to think about until we dance again…
Every person with whom I come into contact with, in either a professional or personal capacity, I ask of myself the following.
‘Have you come into my life for a reason, a season or a lifetime’?
Why?
I’m curious. I’m hungry to know. I desire to continually learn…
And I enjoy building relationships, for however short or long they may last.
I engage in relationships, not knowing the answer to the above question, but I go about developing the relationship trying to figure out whether it is for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When I do figure out which one it is, I know what to do for each person, and realise what they have done for me… and for that, I am grateful.
‘Are you a reason, a season, or a lifetime’ is a poem of unknown origin. Here it is:
When someone comes into your life for a REASON… it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realise is that our need has been met, our desires fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.
Then people come into your life for a SEASON. Because your turn has come to share, grow and learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.
Lifetime relationships teach you lifetime lessons: things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
For those of you who are in my life (past and present), THANK-YOU. You can probably hear my cogs turning!”
And so, I shall now leave you to figure out your own reason, season, lifetime conundrum; or is it enigma?
One final thing. In true Naked Lawyer style, I wish you the most fun, outrageous and sexily serendipitous Christmas ever… with a dash of karma, of course. Enjoy!
Warmest festive wishes… with whistles and jingle bells…
Chrissie Lightfoot
The Entrepreneur Lawyer
(of the naked kind)
The Naked Lawyer wishes to dance with YOU! New Proven Easy Sexy Bargain…
Posted on November 25th, 2010 by Chrissie
Hi everyone!
It is I, your host. Scarletta Pimpanellous. Apologies that I haven’t been blogging a great deal of late. I’ve had writer’s cramp (sort of). Please permit me to explain…
But first of all I wish to thank you for being patient with me… and for being in my life, whether it was/is for a reason, a season or a life-time…
NOW…STEP OUT OF THE RAT RACE… PLEASE… GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK and just sit back, chill out and allow yourself to share a few personal minutes with me. I would be delighted and feel truly honoured if you would. Also, it just might bring some (more) positive things into your life…
I wish to be one of the first people to wish you a wonderful holiday season; and for my American friends, I truly hope you’ve just enjoyed a splendid Thanksgiving.
* GREETINGS *
The run up to Christmas is upon us. Freezing temperatures, the smattering of snowfall, ice and subsequently things (as per usual) grinding to a halt as a result of such force majeure here in the UK may have something to do with this feeling of course. I can feel it. Can you?
Over the Christmas and New Year period I tend to reflect on the year gone by and the year yet to come. I look at what I’d like to see improve, what I could do better, what I could do with ‘more’ of (or ‘less’ of), what I could give more of, and what will make me feel more fulfilled in my business, career and life. Not just with myself in mind, but for those whom I care about too (in business and life). Do you?
If so…I just might have something that may help you and those who are special to you…
Some of you may be aware that I’ve been holed up in a cave beavering away to bring The Naked Lawyer: RIP to XXX – How to Market, Brand and Sell YOU! to life. OK, so it’s taken me much longer than I had anticipated. I had Shakespeare in mind when he wrote “Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.” I don’t enjoy crashing to the ground with a SPLAT. Do you?
And so, I’ve been scribing away carefully, gently, thoughtfully and diligently… with passion, energy and enthusiasm, driven by a vision and a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)…
For, what I desired to produce was something that would be of real VALUE to all my friends and acquaintances and those whom I and they care about too. Namely, YOU and YOURS.
Drum roll… tttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt… at last, The Naked Lawyer is alive and ready to dance to YOUR tune.
The Naked Lawyer is my REAL-LIFE STORY, a SALES BLUEPRINT, a LIFE MANUAL and a WORKSHOP all wrapped up into one delightful little package… for YOU. Fast paced and provocative, it provides a NEW, idiosyncratic, exhilarating and memorable approach to
‘how to get more clients, sales, referrals, income, value, growth and success.’
Simply put, it’s a red hot sales blueprint laid bare for bottom line impact in YOUR business, YOUR career and YOUR LIFE. If you’d simply like to try a refreshingly NEW way of marketing, branding and selling yourself so you get more CHOICE, CHANGE and CONTROL in your career and life, then The Naked Lawyer is a must read for YOU and those who YOU care a lot for.
Albeit it’s written by a lawyer and an entrepreneur (yours truly) it doesn’t matter whether you’re a lawyer or not, or an entrepreneur or not, for this eBook to be of real VALUE to you. Literally, The Naked Lawyer is for everyone. Certainly, it will be if you are interested in any or all of these:
Sales, marketing, branding, social media and social networking, ethics, emotional intelligence, communication and behaviour, customer service excellence, CRM, business development, innovation, work-life balance and creating a strategy and mindset for success, whether you’re a seasoned lawyer, a lawyer2B, if you’ve had dealings with the legal profession, or if you are a consultant / advisor / educator within the profession or beyond, and you simply desire to achieve a successful career/business and fulfilling life.
It’s an easy read. The eBook is 369 pages (12 Volumes) of timely information, pure fun, a proven sales model and true value for money, which YOU can work through at your own pace. Work it Volume by Volume. You can do this all on your own. No one even has to know about it. Try it. Just in time for the holidays.
If you’re still not convinced RIP to XXX is worthy of a peek and your hard earned spondulicks then why not try the first Volume for FREE ?
I’d also like to share with you what a handful of readers already have to say about RIP to XXX:
“Whether a lawyer or not this book is timely. In truth, it is long overdue. For those who get “it” you will not read this once. It will be well worn because it will be a constant reference for you”
“…simple, novel and cutting edge”
“…practical, funny, inspirational and down-to-earth”
“I’m just going to say that the author of a book about sales and marketing who compels you to read it as strongly as the naked lawyer does clearly knows a thing or two about rainmaking.”
“It’s fun. It’s informative. It’s entertaining. It’s inspiring. It’s motivational. It’s sexy!”
“This well written and important work will change our lives for the better. It has already improved and touched mine”
For that something ‘more’ in 2011 and beyond for YOU and YOURS, be bold. Try out RIP to XXX…
I GUARANTEE you it will touch you like no other BOOK and WORKSHOP and the investment in yourself and/or those you wish to help and/or care for will be more than justified.
Make sure you add it to your Christmas reading list to start 2011 with a BIG BANG if you want to do some wonderful things next year for you, your family, your friends and your colleagues.
Oh, and when you do take the plunge and dive into The Naked Lawyer, you will find me there to greet you… and dance with you… and guide you throughout your course and journey…
Just a thought: feel free to share the news about The Naked Lawyer with those who you feel will benefit in KNOWING. They will thank-you for bringing some (more) sunshine, smiles, inspiration, positivity, choice, control and even change for the better into their life.
Just another thought: If you wish to purchase multiple copies of the eBook for your team / department / company then feel free to contact me direct. I’d be happy to discuss a (generous) DISCOUNT.
A final thought: The Naked Lawyer is available in both eBook and paperback.
Hope to see you there soon! Do come and join me !!
Warmest of regards (whilst shivering in this UK weather) with sprinklings of the season’s joy and sparkle in advance…
Chrissie Lightfoot
The Entrepreneur Lawyer
(of the naked kind)
Frustrated Lawyers R Us. Plan ‘B’ Mutiny?
Posted on August 28th, 2010 by Chrissie
‘The sun is out… the sky is blue… there’s not a cloud… to spoil the view… but it’s raining… (doodle doodle doom)… raining in my heart.’
You may recognise the lyrics from a song. I’m referencing it in relation to how all you frustrated lawyers out there may be feeling right now. Whether you’re frustrated as hell about trying to get into the profession, or whether you’re in it and desperately depressed and you want to get the hell out… but feel stuck… this article’s for you. For some of you, it may feel like a tornado is whipping around inside that legal beagle heart of yours.
I’ve just read in the Sunday Times (business section) last weekend that we’re in for a double dip as far as the economy and recession is concerned. And, the double-dip pessimist mongers say that ‘looking forward the wider economic picture is not so bright’.
I’ve also been chatting and meeting with tomorrow’s lawyers and partners in law firms over the past couple of months and law student, associate, senior associate and barrister clients. It’s partly why I’ve been a wee bit quiet on the blog post scene of late – my apologies; some of you may of course be thinking ‘thank God’ – my ‘anonymous’ commentator fan club in particular.
Bottom line… doom and gloom. The feeling is that there will be no boom for many years to come.
I’ve probably made you feel like jumping off the proverbial crumbling ivory tower roof (or equivalent). Jeronimoooooooooo!
But hey, don’t jump. Ever the eternal optimist I reckon there’s still hope. We just have to find the strength and courage to persevere.
For a start, we shouldn’t believe everything we read or hear. So, you can choose to stop reading this article right now if you’re thinking I’m talking a load of blond bimbo utter tosh (or about to).
I believe there is hope because we have choice. We have options.
For example, if you can’t get through the ‘no training contract here for you’ brick wall, are struggling to duck around it by applying for a paralegal and/or legal executive position and having no success there either because law firms are hoarding any cash they have and are reluctant to take on more staff as the global economy faces continued uncertainty, then here’s an idea: go and do something else with your life. For now, at least. While the economy and legal world is struggling and desperately trying to find its feet again and get itself on an even keel.
Reality check – there’s an obvious over supply of law students, an obvious under supply of training contracts available (and/or paralegal positions available) and a pool of highly qualified and skilled ‘give us a job’ lawyers already in the market who were ‘let go’ in 2008/9/10, ever hopeful of reclaiming a rowing position on the good ship legal enterprise.
Taking another path may well mean less risk of racking up debt. After all, there is no guarantee you will make it as a lawyer and have a legal career at the end of it; some things may well be beyond your control. The saving grace is that there’s always the chance you can come to the law later in life (as many lawyers have, successfully).
You may well find (like most people) that you will have more than one career during your working life. There’s a whole range of exciting career paths for an intelligent, hard-working, ambitious young person such as you. Remember, you are one of the top 5% in the world (as an educated budding professional). Even in a recession there are industries and niches doing rather well. Go seek and ye shall find… because it just may turn out that the dream you once believed as being the holy grail might actually turn out to be a paper cup. If you don’t believe me then go and talk to all those frustrated lawyers who remain in the industry and all those who have since left (out of choice).
Whether you’re a paralegal, legal executive, assistant solicitor, associate solicitor, a senior associate, attorney, lawyer, partner or barrister you may well have already reached the point, mindset and realisation which Jim Rohn speaks of:
‘Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you.’
Being unhappy in your role/job/career is akin to being unhappy in your marriage. When you’ve reached the point that there’s more ‘bad’ than ‘good’ happening then you have to do something about it (for everyone’s sake).
So, if you want out now because in your case the holy grail you may have once searched for and found has actually turned into a paper cup, then how about these ideas:
1) Become a virtual lawyer – if you’ve got the network, contacts, collaborative relationships, wherewithal, personal marketing skills, personal sales skills… and guts, then go do it; or
2) Be a portfolio worker (be a lawyer and something else at the same time), for example, Tim Kevan: barrister (non-practising at present), the Guardian law blogger, writer, author of Law and Disorder; Marci Alboher: lawyer, journalist, author and writing coach; Denise Nurse: lawyer and weather presenter (Sky News); Shireen Smith: lawyer, marketing & website business owner (sources: Director magazine October 2009 and NatWest Sense magazine 2009). It might continue to rain in your heart as far as your lawyering role is concerned but the sunny joy the other roles bestow might actually be worth the juggling act; or
3) Go start a business – hook up with an entrepreneur who will complement your skills and needs your connections, experience and level head. Together you could be a dynamic duo – the Batman & Robin of the new legal and business dynamic (although I suspect there could be a battle as to who drives the bat-mobile).
4) There are plenty of entrepreneurs desperate to have esteemed professionals on board, who, dare I say it, already have finance lined up – their own or somebody else’s – but need someone of your calibre and ability to add value to the team. I have also read and hear of late that there are also plenty of cash rich entrepreneurs (business angels) who would rather put their money behind a sound new business venture than invest it elsewhere in the present economic climate, as there’s a chance that the yield will provide a much better ROI than sticking it in a bank or dabbling in the plum duck stock markets.
In my experience (as both a lawyer and an entrepreneur) some entrepreneurs have got all the ideas and whizzy gig oomph but no clue as to how to turn it into a viable business and make it work. They need you!
It’s worth remembering that great companies were born out of previous recessions – such as LexisNexis, Microsoft and Dell. And many lawyers whom left the profession have made a great success of their new ventures (and careers).
Take a look at Philip Vecht. He’s made an absolute fortune hanging advertisements in toilets.
Reported as ‘the lawyer who cleaned up with washroom adverts’ in the Sunday Times in January this year, Vecht began his career as a commercial lawyer at Nabarros. After two years he got out of the profession and co-founded Admedia. In Vecht’s own words ‘it was terrifying’. Surprisingly he wasn’t referring to making the leap of faith into his new venture… it was in reference to the toils and challenges of making the business work and if he failed he ‘thought (he) would have to go back to being a lawyer’. Turnover for 2010 is expected to be £7.5m.
I believe the world could probably do with less lawyers lawyering and more lawyers working in and on a business. You never know, this way ahead might actually just help the world get out of this long tail recession. There’s already a plethora of lawyers in the world and a technological, digital, consumer sovereignty trend that will inevitably see the need, want and/or desire for even less.
Problems on the job (or search for a legal job) could lead you to begin a search for something better. But it may well not be the time for impulsive action. Only you will know what’s right for you…where and when.
When all is said and done, if it’s raining in your heart then you could do something about it. You have a choice. You could be master of your own mutiny.
Of course, you will have to conduct a 360 degree personal talent, strengths, skills, knowledge, experience, fiscal, confidence and guts reality check. And an honest one at that. You’d be a fool not to. After all, if you’re going to walk the plank and jump into a stormy sea then you’d better have all the bits ‘n’ bobs in the life raft to ensure your survival. Otherwise, you just might drown!
Do you have a plan B, C or D? I ask because I’ve always lived my life as such that I hope for the best but plan for the worst. ‘It pays to plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark’ (anon).
One final thought. There may well be a market and a viable business model in the concept of ‘Frustrated Lawyers R Us.’
I wonder who of you reading this article will actually act on this idea.
If you do, please do let me know. I’d be delighted to hear about and witness your success first hand. In fact, I’d be honoured to swash-buckle alongside you in your personal mutiny
Tally-ho!
Chrissie Lightfoot
The Entrepreneur Lawyer
(of the naked kind)
What a box of frogs… traditionalists v modernists:business dilemma for law firms
Posted on June 17th, 2010 by Chrissie
Last week, Chris Roebuck, in his interesting post on making change happen in the Law Society Gazette ‘In Business’ blog, stated that ‘legal firms face probably their toughest challenges for years’.
In previous posts, Alastair Moyes and I also advocated that the legal industry needs to embrace radical change (‘Time for solicitors to reinvent their customer services’ ) and (‘The end of lawyers? Pah!’ ).
You’re probably thinking we’re all stating the blindingly obvious. I agree. But I’d like to run with this a little while longer…
The end of lawyers? Pah! This is the time of the ‘super lawyer’.
Posted on May 20th, 2010 by Chrissie
In March, Alastair Moyes stated that ‘law firms need to work hard in the face of commoditised legal providers’. Last month he bravely stuck his neck out and suggested that we, today’s lawyers, need to embrace radical change and reinvent customer service to avoid our industry ‘becoming the nearly dead dinosaur that the US car industry became’.
I reckon Alastair makes two very poignant points. Let’s face it, the 2008-2010 global recession combined with the Legal Services Act 2007 has given us a wake-up call. Throw the enlightened consumer, digital era and recent technological advances into the mix and what have we got? Our traditional way of life under threat.
We can no longer afford to be Luddites because the transformation of how the world of legal business operates is already underway. Competition from consumer-centric major players, ‘DIY free legal documents providers’ via the internet and virtual law firms are already challenging our established engagement model, increasing client confidence, levels of expectation and setting new standards in customer service.
If we consider Professor Richard Susskind’s predictions in relation to the role of lawyers and law firms in the new world of consumer legal services (detailed in his provocative 2008 book The End Of Lawyers?), there is further change on the horizon.
The predictions detailed in Susskind’s 1996 book The Future of Law have already come to fruition. Perhaps we should heed his recent prediction that the market is not going to tolerate costly lawyers for jobs that can equally or better be undertaken by less-expensive workers or through smart systems and processes. Enter ‘de-lawyering’ (passing work to paralegals and legal executives), ‘disruptive’ technologies (computerised systemising, packaging or commoditising), entrepreneurial alternative providers and streamlined law firms.
It’s now 2010. What Susskind wrote about in 2008 we are witnessing. Quoting Neuromancer author William Gibson, whether we like it or not ‘the future is here … it’s just not widely distributed yet’. It begs the question, will traditional lawyers be needed? The answer, you’re no doubt pleased to hear, is that it’s not all doom and gloom.
Susskind believes that some tasks, for example those requiring deep expertise or interpersonal communication, will still require the traditional lawyer. Furthermore, as to whether law firms can survive, he believes that entrepreneurial law firms will not see threats in all of these developments and some will actually find opportunity. I would add that entrepreneurial lawyers recognise this and have already begun to act. You will identify these lawyers as bastions of light blazing a trail in customer service excellence and innovation while doing battle with colleagues who are stuck in their Dickensian ways. Inertia and resistance to change always reminds me of Einstein’s view that ‘great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds’.
I passionately believe that traditional lawyers, entrepreneurial lawyers and the next generation have a wonderful opportunity in this enlightened, consumer-led digital era to become ‘super lawyers’.
What do I mean by ‘super lawyers’? Let’s propose that the most expensive piece of real estate is what lies between our ears (‘deep expertise’ as Susskind calls it – I call it ‘lawyerly intellectual capital’ (LIC)), and that there is LIC too complex to be commoditised (which there undoubtedly is), requiring interpersonal communication and intrapersonal communication. Accordingly, LIC is where the true value lies. Arguably, what we need to ensure is that we can effectively communicate that LIC is what the consumer needs, wants and desires of us. Enter ‘soft-skilling’ to improve our powers of persuasion, communication, relationship building, marketing, cross-selling, up-selling and selling per se.
If technology can take away as much grunt work as possible and leave the real LIC of value to the super lawyer then that should be something we welcome, right? To survive and thrive in the years to come I propose that a paradigm shift is required in the thinking, behaviour, actions, focus and expectations of both the law firm (partners/owners/directors) and the next generation of lawyers.
As both a lawyer and an entrepreneur (legal purchaser), I believe that the lawyer’s role is not just about being technically proficient in the use of words (drafting and advising) – it’s much more than that. Actually being able to truly relate and care about the client and his/her business and/or predicament is fundamental to what true lawyering and LIC is all about. Extraordinary relationships and customer service will be the holy grail at the heart of the successful super lawyer. Building an enduring value relationship with the consumer, utilising ‘fluffy soft-skills stuff’ combined with a total consumer-centric focus is where the real value will be for the lawyer, law firm and consumer of today and the future.
All of the above may actually just give the legal industry a raison d’etre. I came to the profession in later life (working in a mid-tier established law practice for the past three years) with prior customer service exposure, experience and responsibility having worked in the new media, management consulting and leisure industries. Consequently, I can wholeheartedly agree with Alastair that the legal industry needs to embrace radical change, reinvent customer service and work hard (and smart) in light of the inevitable commoditisation of legal provision. However, I seriously question whether established law firms and ‘traditional lawyers’ are geared up, positioned and truly prepared for the competitive challenges ahead. Are we confident that we already possess the skills required to become super lawyers? If not, the godsend is that with ever-increasing availability and acceptance of the delivery of soft-skill coaching to the profession there is help at hand.
Reinventing customer service will require every lawyer to embrace and action a consumer-centric mindset and behaviour – a paradigm shift in most instances. Scary as this might seem, failure to do the same may well mean that ‘the end of lawyers’ could actually come to pass – for some traditional lawyers. Perhaps the most famous epitaph in the world is the one alleged to be on the tombstone of WC Fields. As an everlasting reflection of the love-hate relationship with his ‘beloved’ hometown Philadelphia, his epitaph reads ‘all things considered, I’d rather be in Philadelphia’.
As I contemplate the threat of our possible extinction, all things considered, I think I’d rather be a super lawyer. Wouldn’t you?
Chrissie Lightfoot
The Entrepreneur Lawyer
(of the naked kind)
Penny A Brick – Why I became a lawyer
Posted on April 25th, 2010 by Chrissie
Often I have been asked the question ”why did you become a lawyer?” I bet you’ve been asked the same.
So, here’s my story. I’d love to hear yours too …
I hail from the North East of England and a working class family. My father was a chartered accountant by trade but an entrepreneur at heart. A sharp cookie. Frustrated and bored crunching numbers day in and day out he decided to go into the ‘commercial van hire business’ in the ’70s and rode the wave of the Thatcher years.
Being a frugal entrepreneur and having a way with numbers (being an accountant an’ all) he decided that the start-up period required investment in the company which meant selling the family home, ‘tightening our belts’ and living in a caravan whilst we built the next family home.
So, we “upped sticks”, as the North East saying goes, from the town and headed to the countryside.
The new family home was going to be built on a plot of land which at that time had a dilapidated farm house on the very same – a listed building – an old coach & horses residence (aptly named the Bread & Beer House).
Brainwave 1: To save money my father decided that we would ‘carefully’ dismantle the present building and build our dream family home using the salvaged bricks wherever possible.
Brainwave 2: My father needed ‘cheap’ labour. We (my older brother and I) were to be the chippies! You see, when you knock down a building and desire to reuse the bricks you have to chip away the mortar from the brick with a hammer & chisel to ensure a smooth brick for use to be ‘relaid’ with fresh mortar.
Brainwave 3: In order to persuade my brother and I that this was a good idea and worthy of our ‘buy in’ my father said that he would pay us a penny a brick. This was in addition to our ‘pocket-money’ that we received for our usual weekly chores which we were expected to continue to carry out (grass cutting, raking, sweeping, dog management etc).
So, (being our parents children i.e. appreciating the value of the £) my brother and I then spent our entire school summer holidays (6 weeks) chipping bricks from dawn till dusk. As you can imagine we weren’t exactly happy about this arrangement as our friends were having a jolly and we weren’t able to join them. However, with the delightful idea that at the end of the task we would have a small fortune we ‘got on with the job in hand’. It wasn’t without the typical brotherly sisterly fighting and sniping of course as we fought every day for ‘the best hammer’. Tears, tantrums, swearing, the lot (which I am not proud of I hasten to add but all part of the rich tapestry of the growing up process). Yup … we had a great time.
Now, the day arrived when we had chipped our final bricks and my brother and I asked our father for payment due. To which he promptly gave us half the amount we expected.
You see, at the outset my father had said that he would give us a ‘penny a brick’. My brother and I thought this meant that he would pay each of us 1 penny per brick (aka the cost of the labour was actually 2 pence per brick). My father retorted “no, I meant penny a brick between the pair of you” i.e. 1000 bricks = 1000 pennies = £10.00 between you, NOT £20.00 i.e. £10.00 each.
And so it was. For six weeks chipping bricks with all the bruises, calluses, new swear word additions to our vocabularies and lack of childhood fun I earned £5.00 and my brother earned £5.00 instead of our anticipated £10.00 each.
I felt cheated, stupid, dumb, ignorant, dependent, angry, void of knowledge and recourse. It was a defining moment.
I was 6 years old.
To add insult to injury the council promptly slapped a ‘stop build’ notice 2 months later due to the listed building wrangle and we ended up living in the caravan for 30 months (instead of the anticipated 6 months). Woo-Bloody-Hoo …
You’re no doubt thinking that there were lots of legal issues amongst this little experience, apart from the human nature element of course.
From this defining and unique episode in my childhood I learned a harsh lesson and vowed NEVER to be so trusting, stupid, ignorant or dependant. I figured I needed to understand and learn about ’the law’ … as well as human nature!
So, when someone asks me why I became a lawyer, perhaps they now understand.
Chrissie Lightfoot
The Entrepreneur Lawyer
(of the naked kind)
What’s your story? I’d love to hear it. Feel free to share and/or comment here …
In the beginning … calling all lawyers and entrepreneurs
Posted on March 28th, 2010 by Chrissie
Hi there. A huge welcome to you all!
Truly pleased you have taken the time to check out EntrepreneurLawyer’s blog. I do hope you will find something here of interest as the blog develops and you continue to return and get involved!
I am Chrissie Lightfoot – TheEntrepreneurLawyer – Founder and CEO of EntrepreneurLawyer Limited. I am a woman entrepreneur … and a recently newly qualified solicitor / lawyer. A strange mix you may think. I agree.
You may be thinking ‘why EntrepreneurLawyer blog’, ‘why TheEntrepreneurLawyer’ and ‘why EntrepreneurLawyer Limited’? So, I’d like to share something with you (a secret) and I’d like to tell you a story (penny a brick).
The secret …
Perception of an entrepreneur = risk taker, courageous, innovative, primarily right side of brain thinking (creative), unconventional, freedom, dynamic, pro-active/fast, communicative/available, energetic, commercially savvy, smart and thrifty; colour – red/orange/yellow; attitude - the world’s my oyster, I can do anything, let’s give it a go, ‘yes’ it can be done. Reality?
When faced with an entrepreneur as a client/customer the lawyer may be thinking ‘Eek, what planet is this nutter on? He’s obviously off his trolley. This is complicated and he doesn’t understand or appreciate what’s entailed. How am I supposed to tell him that he just can’t do that? It can’t be done in that timeframe and it can’t be done for that kind of money. I wish he’d stop changing his mind. Just trust me, I’m a lawyer.’ Reality?
Perception of a lawyer = risk averse, reserved, status-quo, primarily left side of brain (logic), traditional, regulated, re-active/slow (takes an age to do anything), uncommunicative/unavailable, commercial nous challenged due to restrictive environment/structure/experience, intelligent and expensive; colour – grey; attitude – the oyster’s my world, I’m a lawyer (period), I’ll stick with what I know thank you. Reality?
When faced with a lawyer providing legal advice and services the entrepreneur may be thinking ‘OMG, this is going to cost me an arm and a leg. He just doesn’t get where I’m coming from. I came here for a solution and now I’ve just got more problems (expensive ones at that)! Will he ever get off the goddam fence and give me a straight answer?! Lawyers – they’re all the same, expensive and arrogant.’ Reality?
The problem …
Major clash. And …
The trend – we live in a fast moving, constantly changing digital world where the numbers of self-employed, micro businesses and entrepreneurs are increasing year on year. As far back as 1982 philosopher and management guru Charles Handy predicted that in the 21st century more than 50 per cent of all jobs would be conducted on a part-time, freelance or self-employed basis. He was right.
However, entrepreneurs and lawyers are invariably at opposite ends of the spectrum on many counts. Clearly there appears to be a lack of understanding between entrepreneurs and lawyers in the kind of legal provision and service an entrepreneur expects and what the lawyer is able (or willing) to deliver.
And herein lies the opportunity. There is an obvious need to improve understanding between entrepreneurs and lawyers so that BOTH parties are happy with the outcome – improved cost effective and time effective legal provision which creates value for both the entrepreneur and the lawyer.
There are lawyers and entrepreneurs in abundance … but there are few entrepreneur lawyers and entrepreneurial lawyers.
The solution …
Arguably, for a lawyer (and a law firm) to be able to provide truly outstanding legal advice and bespoke customer solution services for an entrepreneur (s)he needs to be technically good ‘at the law’ (i.e. solid legal knowledge, skills and experience) AND must truly understand the entrepreneur i.e. (s)he must be able to ’stand in the shoes’ (in mind if not in body) of the entrepreneur. EntrepreneurLawyer Limited (“EntrepreneurLawyer”) was founded for this reason.
By having experienced 3 start-up companies to date (as owner manager, co-founder, founder) and experienced being a lawyer serving entrepreneurs after studying the law and training as a solicitor in a mid-tier law firm for the past five years (now a qualified solicitor (non-practising)) I know and understand what an entrepreneur thinks, feels and wants. I also know and understand what a lawyer thinks, feels and wants. I can wear two hats and I can wear two pairs of shoes. I’ve commissioned lawyers as an entrepreneur and I’ve advised entrepreneurs as a lawyer. Accordingly, EntrepreneurLawyer bridges the gap between the business world and the legal world providing services for both entrepreneurs and lawyers with the vision to create a movement to reduce the gap. Feel free to check out what EntrepreneurLawyer is all about to see how I (together with the experts) may be able to help you help yourself!
Your opportunity …
EntrepreneurLawyer’s blog is THE SPACE for you (entrepreneurs and lawyers) to come together and understand each other better so that lawyers are better able to provide the kind and level of services that entrepreneurs need, want, expect and demand and entrepreneurs are better able to understand and appreciate what is (and is not) possible from a lawyer. If the gap is to be reduced, we have to start somewhere … so it might as well be here. And you know how the saying goes – “there’s no time like the present”!
I encourage you all to share your knowledge, experience, information, news, thoughts and issues etc. (except confidential of course!) so that (arguably) the present Dickensian style legal structures and services are innovated and elevated to a level befitting for the ever increasing number of maverick 21st century entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurs, buisness start-up owners, self-employed people, owner managers, micro business owners, CEO’s etc. - tell the lawyers what you need, want and expect.
Lawyers, solicitors, attorneys, trainees, law students etc. - listen, hear and act on what the entrepreneurs share with you. It’s in your interest. Believe me. If you want their business now and in the future you’d better be prepared to get out of your rocking chair and strap a pair of roller blades on!
It’s time … this is your blog. Make it count … feel free to post comments and suggest topics for discussion.
Warmest regards … and welcome again !!!!!!!!!
The Entrepreneur Lawyer
The story: Penny A Brick – post 2 coming soon …
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