Make a fresh start this year with a focused team, a financial plan, organized files, and a decluttered computer. Here are some tasks you can accomplish this month to help keep your office running smoothly and profitably throughout the year. 1. Help staff set and achieve goals. Addressing staff issues in January gets people charged up for the year and gives you a roadmap for … [Read more...] about To-Dos: Your January checklist
Increasing profits
TO-DOs: Your December office checklist
Congratulations on making it through 2022! We hope it was a successful and satisfying year for you and your firm and that you take some time this month to celebrate your accomplishments. Of course, the work never stops, so here are some reminders for this month. Start thinking about the firm's taxes. Are there any bills you can pay this year to offset any unexpected income … [Read more...] about TO-DOs: Your December office checklist
7 steps you can take now to improve next year’s bottom line
Year-end is a great time to evaluate the firm's finances and make a plan to improve next year's bottom line. Even if the year went well, there are always improvements to be made and areas that can be trimmed without impacting employees or the service they provide to clients. Here are 7 steps you can take now to improve next year's bottom line. 1. Evaluate your advertising … [Read more...] about 7 steps you can take now to improve next year’s bottom line
Boost quarterly profits with this proven 6-pronged cost cutting plan
Every now and then, office administrators are forced to look for new ways to cut expenses. There are lots of dollars waiting to be saved, but many of them are in places so conspicuous they get overlooked. Go for the obvious. To save the firm money, begin with increasing staff productivity and continue on to reclaiming lost office supplies and capping what the firm pays for … [Read more...] about Boost quarterly profits with this proven 6-pronged cost cutting plan
TO-DOs: Your November office checklist
There's a lot happening this month—everything from Thanksgiving to budget preparations. Here are a few things you should address this month. Make your reservations. If you are planning a holiday party and haven't yet booked a venue, don't wait any longer. Certain restaurants get booked up quickly, especially if your firm wants to do a holiday luncheon instead of a dinner. … [Read more...] about TO-DOs: Your November office checklist
Haven’t prepared your 2023 budget yet? These 3 steps will help you get it done
By Elizabeth M. Miller bio No one likes to prepare a budget. Looking ahead a year and seeing what it's going to cost to run your law firm can sometimes be overwhelming, especially when you know that it's up to you to make sure the firm generates the revenues to cover the budget. And with so many year-end things on your plate, strategizing for next year is probably the last … [Read more...] about Haven’t prepared your 2023 budget yet? These 3 steps will help you get it done
Unique client communication approach gives small firm a huge marketing advantage
Like many small firms, one Michigan office operates in a precarious environment. With only two attorneys and four staff, it faces heavy competition from larger firms as well as from firms opening satellite offices. And because the city itself is small, the client prospect pool is limited, says the administrator of the office. So the firm devised a … [Read more...] about Unique client communication approach gives small firm a huge marketing advantage
If you’re ignoring these 6 rules, you can kiss your budget good-bye
It's that time of year when law firm administrators need to "calmly and carefully consider how they are going to invest their resources to meet next year's expectations," says business and financial management consultant Gene Siciliano, CMC, CPA, of Western Management Associates in Los Angeles. And the only way to do that is with a realistic and workable budget. Drawing … [Read more...] about If you’re ignoring these 6 rules, you can kiss your budget good-bye
The County Law Library: Don’t overlook this FREE and valuable legal resource
According to just about every legal management article, webinar, or podcast, the landscape of the legal market in the past few years has changed—dramatically. Clients, it seems, are firmly in the driver's seat. And with an abundance of legal service providers, these clients are demanding efficient and cost-effective solutions, leading many firms to rethink their … [Read more...] about The County Law Library: Don’t overlook this FREE and valuable legal resource
The top five reasons firms lose money and go out of business
"Lawyers become lawyers because they want to help people and practice the art of law," says Los Angeles financial consultant Gene Siciliano, CMC, CPA, author of Finance for Non-financial Managers (McGraw-Hill, New York). And once in practice, lawyers focus exclusively on their technical expertise, not the essentials of running a business successfully. "They think they can get … [Read more...] about The top five reasons firms lose money and go out of business