The New Year is upon us and you’re eager to dive in and make changes in your practice, your finances and managing your time.

Consider some of these tips gleaned from your Women Owned Law colleagues as you charge into 2022.

1. Technology can be a game changer. Sara Austin, with a practice including employment, condo/HOA and civil litigation, in York, Pennsylvania, noted that using a virtual private network (VPN) gives her access to all her files from a remote location. In addition, she uses voice over internet protocol (VOIP), which means clients perceive her call as coming from her office line.
2. For Andrea Ewart, whose Washington, DC-based practice focuses on international trade and customs, integrating the Calendly app has helped her with hassle-free scheduling. You’ve probably seen a similar link; the invitee selects a mutually convenient time to talk and is automatically sent a link to the corresponding Zoom account for the call, which is added to their respective calendars.
3. Getting invoices paid is much easier for Wendy Samuelson, now that she uses LawPay. Clients pay the bills online to her matrimonial law firm based in Garden City, New York. Her staff saves time by not taking credit card information over the phone and not depositing checks.
4. In addition, some teams have found the Slack platform an efficient way to track all communications. Legal marketer Ashley Robinson in Fort Lauderdale, Florida created threads for each attorney client; all team members can share and comment on activities they performed on behalf of the individual attorneys.
5. Time management is always an issue for busy attorneys. Mandy Rosenblum, whose employment practice is based in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, keeps an ongoing to do list on the home screen of her computer; it’s always accessible and reminds her of agenda items.
6. Similarly, Carmen Hiers in Miami, Florida created lists for activities to be performed weekly, monthly and annually. Scanning the lists every morning has proven to be a powerful tool for staying focused. She had a 91% success rate in completing these activities for her legal and corporate translation business in 2021.
7. Executive business coach Ivy Slater in New York, New York schedules a routine of exercise and meditation every morning and diligently keeps the appointment. She counsels that you may stick to that type of schedule by having a friend hold you accountable.
8. Office management can occupy a lot of time. Kristen Prinz implemented Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) at her employment law firm in Chicago, Illinois. Her team has used it to streamline processes, ensure one person is responsible for each area of the business and, execute on initiatives, leading to strong growth for the firm.
9. Hiring a virtual assistant has been a good investment for Ewart to improve implementation of her business development ideas.
10. In terms of business development, many attorneys and consultants find speaking at webinars and on podcasts helps raise their profile and attract new business. In fact, Samuelson was making arrangements to speak at a law firm; before the date was finalized, the attorney organizing the program referred a client to her.
11. Slater notes she has attracted clients for strategy and leadership development following speaking engagements.
12. Robinson proactively looked on social media platforms for podcasts and webinars. She emailed the point of contact to suggest herself as a guest speaker and booked some dates.
13. Speaking of social media, Jessica Shpall Rosen recommends using social media as a way to show value to others. She engages with clients, referral sources and potential clients by commenting thoughtfully on their content. Rosen has an employment practice in New York, New York.
14. Let’s not overlook the subject of money. According to Austin, asking for more money as a retainer up front has paid off with improved cash flow. She also has withdrawn from representation sooner if not paid.
15. Finally, the pandemic has made this a tough year for attorneys and for clients. Rosenblum kept a note on her desk as a reminder: This isn’t about managing my practice but about client relationships. She worked to understand what clients were facing and expressed sincere empathy. Doing so gave her clients permission to let their guard down, which made the work more productive and strengthened the relationships.

Which of these tips will inspire you in your practice for the year ahead? Whether using technology, managing your office, business development or time management, try these proven approaches from your peers at Women Owned Law.