Your A+ Legal Office

The Business of Legal

Ashley J Spurgeon

• Publisher: Ashley J Spurgeon
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781087881515
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Negocios y empresa
• Subtopic: Comportamiento del consumidor

In the A+ Legal Office we look at how to create your A+ team, streamline your practice, and reclaim your life. How does a vacation without your laptop sound? With the onset of COVID-19 the working word has drastically changed. We discuss how to not just survive, but how to have a thriving practice in the new normal.

1

Welcome

Welcome to the A+ Legal Office. This book is written for Lawyers because that is the field I have most enjoyed. This information can easily transfer to any service-based business.

I have spent my whole life in customer service, front office management, and small businesses of my own or for others. I do know that I have become an expert. I also have my fields of study in marketing, management, and psychology. I have been working with the public since my first job as a 16-year-old high school student. Every job I had, they would put me on the phones and front desk because I have such a good phone voice and personable customer service style. I have run my own businesses (Some successful and others not so much). I had a web design company for ten years with clients from coast to coast. I was a real estate agent with great success. I learned organization skills from being a mother and running a household. I have worked as a counselor and ran a residential drug rehab. I have worked in marketing, sang in my church choir, and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, where I worked on fundraising on the board of directors in Lawrenceburg, TN. I have had a vibrant and fulfilling professional life. And a great personal experience as well. I have also been a waitress, receptionist, office manager, bookkeeper, the list goes on. My last boss just would laugh and ask, “What haven’t you done?”

I am also an author, speaker, and personal and business coach and consultant, mother of 4, a wife, and mom to my "Fur Baby" Dom a beautiful German Shepherd. I live in the Houston area and love it. Everything is green year-round. What is not to love?

Why am I writing this book? Everywhere I go, conventions, networking events, my doctor's office, I am asked advice on how to improve the functioning of people's office staff and management. I have been giving free advice for so long, and it just does not make sense. I am currently working as the Director of Marketing and Front Office Manager for a Houston Bankruptcy law firm. When I first started there, we would have maybe 3 or 4 people scheduled for the next day consultations now we are booked at least 2-weeks out. I spent 30-minutes in my driveway one weekend talking with a struggling attorney. He had a solo practice that just cost him money and now works for another firm, but the feeling in the office is not the most comfortable. After talking for a little while, he went home and wrote back that if I ever start consulting, he will hire me in an instant to come in and help create the business that leads to a successful firm. I thought to myself...."Why am I just giving away my hints, experience, and advice?"

I still work at a successful law firm in Houston, Texas, as I write this book, but I am also an author, speaker, and life/business coach with my own practice. The fantastic thing is that I can do all of that and still enjoy what life has to offer. I spend time with my family, we eat together every night, and I have time to pursue my passions and purpose.

I write to help others achieve the same dream. You can have the goal of a 40-hour workweek, travel without being digitally connected to your firm, attending the special events in your children’s lives without sacrificing your firm or profits.

Learning to work smarter, not harder; you can grow your practice while learning to enjoy your life. You are starting with having the best staff and moving to streamline your practice, all stemming from a clear vision of what you want for your life both professionally and personally. I hope you enjoy what I share. Please contact me with your questions. [email protected] or https://ashleyjspurgeon.com

Dedication

First, I want to say a BIG thank you to J. Thomas Black, Attorney at Law. I have learned so much from you in our time together. 6+ years at your firm have been so enjoyable. I wish you the best of retirement.

To the Staff of the Law Office of J Thomas Black; Alex, Rob, Lorinda, Stephanie, and Eddie. You all are a shining example of the A+ Team. I wish you all the best in your new endeavors. It was a fun 6+ years.

Sean Daley of the Rainmaker Institute. You have been a wonderful cheerleader and gave great input to the excerpts I sent your way. Thank you for your encouragement and enthusiasm to make this book happen.

My Family, all your love, support, and encouragement to keep going and create the dream life. Todd, Michael, Sasha, Erin, Rachel, Sue, Sandy, and My Daddy. I would not be who I am today without all of you.

1

The Work Environment

Introduction

You have a solo firm, small business, or just want to improve what is already in place. Do you know that no matter how big your dreams are, your staff can "Make or Break" your business? You could have spent years in school, networking, and building your dream practice just to find you have few clients, unhappy customers, or high staff turnover. How do you get off the treadmill?

The staff you have in your office can make a big difference. I know it seems obvious that these people are the first and most often contact with the people who will be or are your clients. If you have the wrong people in place, it can have a detrimental effect on your success.

We will discuss the core values you are looking for when hiring an A+ team, how to market yourself and your business to bring success to your field and how to organize your front office and staff so that you do not have to worry about them. They will be a well-oiled machine that does not need your constant supervision.

As I said, I am an expert in the field. I have dedicated my life, 30+ years, to learning, studying, and implementing so that people can have the great experience of enjoying what they do, and have pride in what they have spent years building. Cherishing the clients you have, having a cohesive team, and getting great reviews for being a remarkable firm or practice that changes people's lives. Not only that but to make the money you have dreamed of.

What do you want more than that? How about a staff that is so reliable and proficient that you can take extended vacations and know you can come home to a smoothly running firm? Doesn’t that sound like a dream? It is a dream that can become a reality. I am here to help that dream manifest into reality.

In a law office, employees should step into the office running. My philosophy is “on time is 5-minute late”. As soon as I get to my desk I am working. I plow through my tasks and projects every day, one after another, until everything is complete. When my boss asks me to do something it is completed right away. My inbox is empty every night when I go home, both the physical one and email. Anticipating the needs of my boss and handling them before asked is essential to me. Looking for ways to improve the functioning of the firm and save or make money is a priority. And believe it or not, I get all of this done in a 40-hour workweek. I will share here how to accomplish this.

I love my job. I have been there 6+-years, and I still love it. What makes my job so great? I believe in what we do. We genuinely help people achieve a new start in life. We provide help and answers to problems. My boss has a high level of integrity and honesty as a person and in practice. I have so much respect for him and who he is as a lawyer and a person. Everything in business does start at the top and trickles down. We are honest with our clients and honest in our time billing. We produce results, and each year I see our firm growing financially.

You will know what to look for and how to structure a practice to see these fantastic results. Know it takes time and patience, and a lot of work on everyone’s part of making this happen. By learning from experience, you can achieve this dream practice in a lot less time.

Thank you for joining me on this adventure. I know that at this point, you have already spent thousands trying different ideas and techniques, most failing. The goal here is to help you succeed and not have to worry about the office again. Just enjoy that your first contact ambassadors, and the rest of your staff, are allowing you to do what you always wanted to do. You do not have to spend so much time worrying over the "Business" end of your firm or office.

We will also take time to look at the cohesion between the front and back offices, and broach the subjects of your life outside of work, and how to not just survive dynamic changes in business but to thrive in them as well.

Let's Enjoy the Ride,

Ashley J Spurgeon

"You work to live….

Not Live to Work"

Table of contents

• Half-Title
• Full-Title
• Contents
• Part 1 - Welcome
• 1 - The Work Environment
• 2 - What Is Your Business Structure?
• 3 - Hiring The Right People
• 4 - What Is In A Name?
• 5 - The Onboarding Process
• 6 - Having A Dream Team
• 7 - The Attributes Of An A+ Team
• 8 - Working With Systems
• 9 - Hospitality Is Key
• 10 - Solo Practitioners – You Do Not Have To Work Alone.
• 11 - Medium To Large Firm Attorneys
• Part 2 - Your Personal Life
• 12 - How To Create More Hours In You Day
• 13 - A Work-Life Balance
• 14 - Eliminate, Delegate Or Automate
• Part 3 - Thriving Through Drastic Changes
• 15 - How The World Has Changed
• 16 - Thank You For Joining Me
• About The Author