Fellow Entrepreneurial Lawyers Help Support Your Business Goals

Independent practitioners need others to keep them focused and motivated, and building a network of entrepreneurial lawyers now will pay off in the long term.

Here are just a few reasons to surround yourself with other independent lawyers:

They get it

Camaraderie and support are perhaps the biggest reasons to build relationships with other entrepreneurial lawyers. Many lawyers you know might feel perfectly content in a traditional firm structure. Other professionals don’t understand what it takes to run a business, let alone a successful independent law practice.

In contrast, other lawyers who have ventured out on their own have lived the nuances of serving law clients and running a small business. These people can serve as valuable thought partners throughout all phases of building your small law firm. They can offer words of encouragement or a reality check when you need it.

This entrepreneurial consulting firm notes:

“When you surround yourself with like-minded entrepreneurs, you create an environment conducive to growth and learning. Sharing experiences and insights with individuals who have faced similar challenges enables you to gain valuable knowledge and perspective. When you hear the experiences of seasoned entrepreneurs and the hardships they went through to reach where they are now in their lives, it helps you to understand that you are not alone in this journey, as you will clearly be able to make out that entrepreneurship requires hardships, sacrifices, and the ability to be calm during tough times. 

Collaborating with other entrepreneurs who understand the entrepreneurial journey can ultimately provide fresh ideas, solutions, and a support system to navigate the ups and downs of building a business.”

You will face challenges in your entrepreneurial journey and having other to call on will prove invaluable in those pivotal moments.

More brainpower

In addition to general support and encouragement, your entrepreneurial network can help you flesh out new ideas.

As you consider venturing into a new practice area or restructuring your billing, you can call on other independent lawyers to give you a gut check and to help explore the details of making such a change. Connecting with lawyers in non-competing or complementary practice areas gives you access to smart, experienced people who want to see you succeed.

In turn, you can offer your perspective and insight as they consider similar business questions.

Flexibility and scope

Once established, some of these relationships can pivot into opportunities to collaborate. When you want to pursue bigger cases or clients, a lawyer in a complementary practice area can become a short-term partner.

As this capital firm observes, collaboration amplifies each entrepreneur’s abilities and reach:

“In the business world, competition is often lauded as the key to success. But in recent years, collaboration has become increasingly essential to entrepreneurial success. In fact, many experts now believe that collaboration is more important than competition in the business world.

…collaboration allows entrepreneurs to pool their resources and knowledge. When businesses work together, they can share resources and knowledge, which can help them save time and money.

…collaboration allows businesses to reach new markets. When businesses collaborate, they can expand their reach and tap into new markets. This can help them grow their businesses and reach new customers.”

Creating connections with a handful of likeminded entrepreneurial lawyers gives you immediate access to these collaborative opportunities.

Now, where to connect?

If you want to begin building relationships with fellow entrepreneurial lawyers, try:

  • Shared office spaces and coworking communities. These nontraditional office settings help end isolation and foster community-building. Even better, lawyer-only coworking communities place you in contact immediately with others in your field.
  • Small law firm bar association groups. Many state bar associations offer groups for solo and small firm attorneys. (See the groups for Colorado and Nevada.)
  • Business conferences and associations. General business groups and conferences can help you connect with non-lawyer entrepreneurs and professionals who offer complementary services to yours.

When first connecting, Bloomberg Law offers this sage advice:

“At its core, networking is simply communicating with others to build professional friendships. So be curious about the people you are engaging with. Talk about careers, hobbies, passions, and lives generally. Don’t shy away from social or non-work-related topics – perhaps you will find that you both enjoy a particular genre of music, literature, or a certain sport, etc. These interests are as likely (if not more likely) to build a solid relationship as the fact that you have similar professional interests.”

Start connecting as a human first and save the shop talk for later, after you have established some common ground and trust. Seeing people regularly at your coworking space or monthly networking events can help build a sense of authenticity.

Ready to connect with likeminded entrepreneurial lawyers. Reach out to schedule a tour of our coworking communities for lawyers in Denver and Las Vegas.