Are you an attorney thinking of starting your own solo practice? Or maybe you are someone who needs legal advice as you start your own business? Either way, Clifford Helm is going to help you out! I like to think of him as a self-employment attorney because he helps get small businesses off the ground and growing.
Probably for the same reason as many of his clients, he decided to do out on how own because he wanted to design his own work. He wanted to choose the clients he would serve and how he would serve them.
A few lessons to glean from our conversation include:
1) How to design your work based on your needs and values.
2) The tactics he uses to find new clients including masterminds, mentors and referrals.
3) How he uses “stubborn flexibility” to guide the development of his business.
Life Skills That Matter In This Episode
- Building your community.
- Self-awareness.
- Connect with a self-employment attorney.
How Clifford Works and Thinks
- Wake up time: Between 8 – 10 am
- Ideal work environment: Moving between different locations.
- Book recommendation: The Entrepreneurs Guide to Business Law
- Regains focus by: Music or finding a place to work where he is able to ignore everything around him.
- 90-day business goal: Working on a new project not exclusively related to his law practice.
Inspirational Quotes
“Stubborn flexibility is knowing when to take a stand based on your principles and knowing when to adapt to new opportunities.”
Coaching Advice
Clifford shares the following questions to ask yourself as you are exploring what type of legal entity you want to set up for your business:
1) “Who” and “What” are the two most important questions for choosing a legal entity. Who am I working with? What am I selling? These questions provide the basis for how you will structure your business.
2) Determine how you are going to raise money from investors if your business requires outside investment.
Resources + Bonus Materials
Justice Entrepreneurs Projects