How to Scale a Law Firm

Too many lawyers stand in their own way of making their law firm a success. In today’s episode, my guest Ken Hardison and I will talk about what you are doing to impede your firm’s success and what you can do about it starting today. In this episode we discuss:   The top 3 barriers to growing a law firm. The key to hiring and retaining your team. The cost of making a bad hiring decision.   The responsibility to train that comes with hiring a new employee. Key reasons people leave a law firm and the first reason isn’t money! The seven levers of cash flow needed to have a successful law business. How small changes to expenses and fees can make large increases to profit. Staying compliant and dealing with complaints. Differentiating your law business from all the others without competing on price. Contact Info: [email protected] https://www.pilmma.org 800-497-1890 Bio: Ken Hardison From Website:  https://www.lawyernc.com After completing his undergraduate work at Campbell University, where he graduated with honors, Mr. Hardison enrolled in Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. Upon receiving his Juris Doctorate in 1982, he quickly went into practice in Dunn, North Carolina. In 27 years of practice, Mr. Hardison has acquired many accolades, which he attributes to his focused attention to each and every client he represents. Mr. Hardison’s ethics, integrity and standards have set the path for which the Firm operates on a daily basis. He is described by attorneys and staff as someone who puts the client first, is very experienced and is always willing to help no matter the problem. Allison Williams Allison C. Williams, Esq., is Founder and Owner of the Williams Law Group, LLC, with offices in Short Hills and Wall Township, New Jersey.  She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, is Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Law Attorney, and is the first attorney in New Jersey to become Board-Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in the field of Family Law. Ms. Williams is a member of the New Jersey Board on Attorney Certification (NJBAC) – Matrimonial Committee, a New Jersey Supreme Court committee that determines eligibility of candidates to be certified as a recognized practitioner in the field of matrimonial law. Ms. Williams has been named a Rising Star Attorney by the New Jersey Super Lawyers franchise continuously from 2008 – 2013, and has been named a Super Lawyer by that organization for 2014 – 2019. In 2016, she was featured in the Super Lawyers publication (Williams v. The Rubber Stamp), she has been named one of the Top 50 Women Super Lawyers in New Jersey from 2017-2019 and in 2019, was voted in the Top 100 Super Lawyers in the State of New Jersey. Ms. Williams is an accomplished businesswoman. In 2017, the Williams Law Group won the LawFirm500 award, ranking 14th of the fastest growing law firms in the nation, as Ms. Williams grew the firm 581% in three years. Ms. Williams won the Silver Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017.  In 2018, Ms. Williams was voted as NJBIZ’s Top 50 Women in Business and was designated one of the Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs and Business Owners. In 2019, Ms. Williams won the Seminole 100 Award for founding one of the fastest growing companies among graduates of Florida State University. In 2018, Ms. Williams created Law Firm Mentor, a business coaching service for lawyers.  She helps solo and small law firm attorneys grow their business revenues, crush chaos in business and make more money.  Through multi-day intensive business retreats, group and one-to-one coaching, and strategic planning sessions, Ms. Williams advises lawyers on all aspects of creating, sustaining and scaling a law firm business – and specifically, she teaches them the core foundational principles of marketing, sales, personnel management, communications and money management in law firms.  She received her B.S., magna cum laude, and her M.S., summa cum laude, from Florida State University. She received her J.D., cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law.  Snip-Its: 00:22:14 – (40 Seconds) Ken Hardison I just think that you've got to hire people that are stronger than you are, that complement your weaknesses. And what you need to do is take your strengths and leverage them. (Yeah.) And I think that's the way you're going to be happier. Because whatever you're good at but you've got a passion for, right, or you wouldn't be good at it. (Right.) And that's what makes you happy. So do the stuff that makes you happy and you've got a passion for, when you can afford to. I mean, I know sometimes when you're starting out, you gotta do, you gotta where, you gotta do some stuff you don't really like to do. And that's just part of life. You know. You got to crawl before you can walk, walk before you can run. You know, things like that. But the sooner you can get there, the more happy you're going to be. And I'll be honest with you. You'll make loads more money.