New Business Startup Questions

[Mr_Dalliard]

…Your clients and potential customers are not influenced in the least bit by any of those things, no matter how much you think they are.

I think this is the worst advice I’ve ever come across on this message board.

[Amateur_Barbarian]

jtgain, see PM. I can get you through every step of your plan (and others you haven’t yet considered) with three decades of experience doing just that. (Not to advertise, but anyone else reading this thread for cost-effective, fully professional solutions… PM me.)

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

@Colophon

Fax? Are you planning to do a lot of business with the 1990s?

@friedo

These are lawyers we’re talking about. They still haven’t gotten the memo that the Roman Empire is obsolete.

Around here, most lawyers have replaced faxes with email and electronic service, but some haven’t, and he’ll need to correspond with them. Besides that, even the most modern doctor’s offices largely still use faxes and if he’s operating a full service firm he will have a lot of contact with them.

[WilyQuixote]

[quote=“jtgain, post:1, topic:673827”]

So, I’ve decided to hang my own shingle and be a solo practitioner (lawyer).

Speaking as a recently admitted practitioner who went out on his own, albeit in a different jurisdiction, good luck. Some thoughts -but different jurisdiction, so YMMV:

1. Not a priority. It helps to look professional, but will otherwise will be barely noticed. See 5.

2 &3 Can you not buy a combination scanner / fax/ printer?

4. Such software is likely to be expensive. Do you have a large and established client base that will follow you from your previous firm? If yes, go for it. If not - wait until you are more settled. You won’t need such software initially and it will just drain your resources.

5. Get it professionally done. It doesn’t need to be expensive, it just needs to look professional, not like it was put together by some yokel inspired by 1990s era geocities pages. Its possible without spending a ton of money. Ask for a recommendation for #1.

[WilyQuixote]

@Really_Not_All_That_Bright

Around here, most lawyers have replaced faxes with email and electronic service, but some haven’t, and he’ll need to correspond with them. Besides that, even the most modern doctor’s offices largely still use faxes and if he’s operating a full service firm he will have a lot of contact with them.

The local Magistrate’s and High Court Rules still make provision for service by telegrams. :eek:

[tellyworth]

@jtgain

But I know from my personal experience that when I hit a site that looks like they did it by themselves in Word, then I immediately question the professionalism of the organization. I agree that I don’t need to have the Best Website Ever, but I want the design to convey a minimum of competency and have some useful features for the clients/potential clients to use.

Oh, totally - I’m not advocating DIY or getting a shoddy design. Quite the opposite. I’m recommending a ready-made, professional-looking and well designed template theme for WordPress/Drupal/etc. It won’t be exclusive to you, but for your purposes it will be every bit as good as a custom design costing 5-10 times the price.

@Mr_Dalliard

I think this is the worst advice I’ve ever come across on this message board.

Ok.

I’ve seen people run their businesses into the ground by forgetting about what they do while micro-managing a disastrous custom-designed web site/logo project. Don’t be that guy, is all I’m saying.

[Superhal]

Didnt read all the intervening posts, but simply ask for an assistant with basic web skills in classified ads. As income improves, you can then split the positions.

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

He’s not going to have an assistant for a while.