Opting to scale down your law practice is about focusing your energy

To scale down your law practice doesn’t mean giving up. It means taking back your time and energy, which allows you to focus on efforts that boost business and your own peace of mind.

In business, we often hear the question “but will it scale?” That question implies that business leaders need to grow bigger, reach more people and, often, do more. However, scaling works both ways, and scaling down can lead to a more sustainable business – professionally and personally.

Here are some points to consider as you assess your own law practice and how you want it to grow or change in the coming year and beyond.

Energy management

Scaling down is all about energy management, and fall gives us a great opportunity to see this idea in action. As the trees change colors and drop their leaves, they begin an annual cycle of rest and renewal. They go dormant above ground as weather changes bring more stress, and they focus their growth in their roots. That cycle leads to a more resilient and beautiful tree over time.

Humans don’t follow the same seasonal cycles, but we too need those phases of rest and root-level growth. So, what does that mean for a business owner and lawyer whose work never seems to let up?

It means:

  • Getting back to your roots. Not your life story, but your values. Ask: What brought you to law and private practice? Where do you have the most impact and what brings you the most satisfaction?
  • Taking time to rest. Clock out at a decent hour. Take a vacation. Go to that concert you’ve been wanting to see. Work can wait a bit.
  • Focusing your energy. When you have reconnected with your personal values and purpose, you can focus your business efforts in the areas that best align with both.

So, starting today, how can you begin to reclaim some of that energy and redirect it toward your purpose?

Go deep and not broad

Continuing with the tree metaphor, think about how those deep roots allow the tree to reach higher. The branches grow thicker and stronger, eventually resulting in a lush canopy of leaves that can absorb more light and produce more oxygen. Plants with shallow roots, like grass or clover, cover much more ground, but never reach the height or strength of the trees.

As an independent lawyer, you don’t have the infrastructure to spread out and go broad. Attempting to do so by targeting too many practice areas and types of clients only leads to frustration and burnout.

When you choose a more narrow practice area and/or target client, you can go deep. You become the sought-after counsel in that area, you provide greater value and you preserve your own energy in the process.

How and where to scale down

Some practical ways to scale down your independent law practice or small law firm to create sustainable growth and strength include:

  • Creating a niche practice area that meets a specific, common client need
  • Setting office hours that allow for more rest and downtime, balanced with focused work time 
  • Automating some business functions using technology
  • Outsourcing other business functions to help preserve your time for value-added client work
  • Collaborating with other independent lawyers to provide more breadth without spreading your own time or energy too thin
  • Minimizing overhead by opting for a shared office or coworking setting
  • Networking selectively with other lawyers and business connections related to your niche practice area
  • Building true relationships with people who align with your values and purpose

One entrepreneur expert, Ken Gosnell of the CEO Experience, offered this advice in Forbes:

“Entrepreneurs like to say ‘yes.’ They want to say ‘yes’ to everything and often find themselves chasing after all the shining ‘yeses’ that inspire them. However, one of the best tools for any startup is the ability to say ‘no.’ Startups that have scaled too quickly should consider a season of ‘no.’ This is a healthy boundary for a set block of time that enables the leader to stay on track.” 

How can you start saying no more in an effort to say yes where it really matters? As an independent lawyer, you have the power to build a law business that redefines success according to your own values and needs, and scaling down might offer a healthier path to success.

To learn about creating an independent law practice or small law firm in a supportive community of likeminded peers, reach out to us. We offer coworking and shared office options to lawyers in Denver and Las Vegas.