As an executive coach, I try to help the small business owner with their budget and find ways to cut costs but still maintain the services they need. It is imperative that entrepreneurs have legal representation but finding one that won’t break the bank can be a challenge. Recently, The Wall Street Journal ran an article that may just help some small business owners and entrepreneurs.
As a business coach, I’m very interested in how some law firms are now trying to win new business. Below is an excerpt from The Wall Street Journal, written by Rob Johnson.
The impetus for these deals is simple: Lawyers need to drum up more business, but many entrepreneurs can’t afford traditional payment plans these days. “The economy has melted down, and a lot of work we’re doing is for people on a tight financial budget who can’t commit to an hourly fee schedule,” says Mr. Gross, managing partner at Thav, Gross, Steinway & Bennett PC in suburban Detroit.
Mr. Gross, whose firm started offering flat rates to small businesses in 2005, says his small-business clientele in the first half of 2010 was quadruple that in the same period of 2005. “You have situations where people got buyouts and had little nest eggs of money,” he explains. “They’re trying to replace income from the jobs they lost.”
Sadly, he says, there’s another reason demand is booming: Many small-business clients, like Mr. Case, need help with debt resolution and bankruptcy-related matters, rather than with starting up.
This is a trend that hopefully will continue and will be able to help out many small businesses and entrepreneurs. Since ActionCOACH specializes in small business coaching and business consulting, this is something that we will keep our eye on.
To find out how your business can improve with the help of an executive business coach, contact ActionCOACH at www.actioncoachpinellas.com.