How to Start a Consulting Business
10 step complete guide for starting a consulting business from scratch.
We’ve met and have sat across the table from many lawyers who are deal-killers. Overzealous and often inexperienced, they focus on the wrong issues and forget that their client needs the deal to move forward. When you talk with lawyers you’re considering hiring, ask them about one or two complicated negotiations and how they were able to overcome obstacles.
Don’t make price your main criteria for hiring a lawyer. Often, the least expensive lawyers are also less experienced – especially in the areas where you may need help. Paying a cheaper hourly rate might feel good initially, but at the end, you may end up paying far more than if you hired an experienced (more expensive) lawyer in the first place.
Also – be clear about your budget and expectations. Your lawyer should understand that your budget is limited and that they should not waste that budget on irrelevant details.
Your lawyer won’t be very helpful if they’re not responsive when you need them. Because many deals and transactions are time sensitive, be sure that your lawyer will be there for you when you need them.
Before you start working with a lawyer, communicate with them using different channels. For example, call them, email them, fax them, etc. Are they responsive across all communication channels? Are they uncomfortable working electronically via email? How quickly do they return your phone calls when you leave a voice mail? Can you reach them in the evening? What happens when they go on vacation and you need their help?
Also, talk to current and former clients specifically about communication and whether they felt they were kept fully informed about the progress on their matters and whether they ever had problems reaching the lawyer when they needed her help.
Most business owners are frustrated when they finally start receiving bills from their legal counsel. Often, the bills include unexpected costs – something you thought would cost $250 ends up costing you $2,500. That’s quite a difference to a small business or a young startup.
Ask for fixed fees, especially if you’’re asking your lawyer to draft specific documents. For example, if you need a standard employment agreement, ask the lawyer for a fixed fee to draft and negotiate the agreement, so that you don’t have to worry about how much you’ll end up paying for that agreement.
Also, be clear about the scope of work you need from your lawyer. If you need a simple employment agreement or option plan, explain exactly what you need and be clear about the business terms that must be included in that agreement.
Finally, don’t ask your lawyers to do things you can easily do yourself. If you need to fill out some forms – fill out the forms and send the completed forms to your lawyer to review and file.
If you’re a small business or startup, hire a local lawyer or firm that typically works with small business and startups. Bigger, more experienced firms might seem attractive options, but if they’re not used to working with small clients, you’ll run into many issues (communication, high billing, responsiveness, etc.). Talk to some current and former clients that are small businesses and startups and be sure those clients are happy and comfortable working with the lawyer you’re considering hiring.
Remember that you’ll generally find more added value when working with local lawyers, as opposed to lawyers located across the country. A local lawyer will have local connections that will help you with funding, can make introductions to other business that can help you and will invite you to local events where you can meet their other clients and network.
Typically, the best time to start a relationship with a lawyer is before you start your company. This is especially important if you plan to be a venture or angel investor backed company (because the type of entity you create will impact many other things).
Too many people make the mistake of forming a company and reaching agreement among co-founders without consulting a lawyer. In some cases, some co-founders leave (retaining their interest) and the rest are left to try to make the business work. A good lawyer will help you structure the business – and ownership interests – in ways that will protect everyone and give you flexibility going forward.
Make sure your lawyer knows what issues are important to you and what issues are less important (or not important). You can also help by negotiating the business terms yourself – without involving your lawyer – and then asking your lawyer to put together an agreement that reflects the deal you negotiated.
Many mid-size and larger law-firms have associates do the bulk of the work for clients. This can be a problem because younger associates might be inexperienced and it might take them substantially more time than it would take an experienced lawyer to solve a particular problem for you.
Clarify in advance whether the lawyer you’re hiring or someone else in their firm will be working on your matter. Worry less about the lawyer’s hourly fee and more about their experience. Experienced lawyers charge higher hourly fees but can solve your problems much more quickly and for less money – than less experienced lawyers.
Many lawyers speak and write in legalese. This is a problem because it leads to more confusion, higher legal costs, and more difficulty in negotiating deals and agreements.
Before hiring your lawyer, ask them for a few sample letters and/or agreements they’ve written. Are these documents easy to understand and well-written? Are they filled with complex and hard to understand legalese?
10 step complete guide for starting a consulting business from scratch.
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