Law Firm Logos

I have refined my vision, got a better space, outfitted the office, and overall I feel like I am starting anew. With that in mind, I have been thinking about how to brand myself with a name and unique logo; something I can put on a website, letterhead, business cards, stationary, etc.

I will not be the first nor will I be the last lawyer to incorporate a visual logo. After all, how many times have you seen the picture of the scales on attorney advertising? And what about those scales? I too, thought about throwing them into the mix but realize I needed a little more information before putting my name next to this little icon. I knew they were the scales of lady justice and had generally to do with balancing competing interests but that is about it (and I think I knew that only because I went to law school). Does any normal person actually have a concrete understanding of what it represents, where it came from, or the message it is meant to convey? If not, why do lawyers use it? Anyway, as any person of the internet age seeking general information, I consulted Wikipedia. See my findings for yourself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Justice. So, I guess it makes sense for attorneys to dig the scales. I'm all for truth and fairness but I'm not convinced I ought to join the ranks and use this for my business brand.

I need something a little more unique to me and my practice.  There are so many ways to go. I could look to the name of the firm for my logo. After some thought, I am going to continue to practice under my own name - "The Law Office of Nathaniel A. Tripp" and "Nathaniel A. Tripp, Attorney at Law" (versus a DBA-Doing Business As "Guitar Picker Law" or forming an entity like the "Local Law Group, P.C."). From the name, I thought perhaps doing something with the letters NTL (Nathaniel Tripp Law) could work- maybe overlapping them a bit, kind of like the NY teams do for baseball. On the other hand, we live in a great area of MA in the Pioneer Valley. Maybe it could be something connected to the region like mountains and/or a river, or, something else. Perhaps I could use an arbitrary symbol - an abstract masterpiece done by my 16 month old, for example. If I went either of these routes, I could bring the symbol along to a new entity if I ever wanted to change my business name/form in the future and transfer some (hopefully) positive brand recognition. So many decisions; who knows what would be best?

So, not sure what to do here, or whether to do anything at all as far as a logo. I am open to thoughts, comments, insights, and suggestions from my many awesome friends who covertly read this blog. Also, if you happen to be one of those artistic/crafty/creative types looking for a project and want to take a stab at designing a professional's logo - well, give me a call and maybe we can try and work something out. 

Until next time, be well. 

Business Reset

So, I showed off the new office space in my last post. I really feel like this new space is a sort of "reset" for my business - a chance to start fresh, reboot, and do things better than I did the first go around.

Most importantly, I have a better vision for my practice. When I first began a few days a week last fall, I called myself a general practitioner. The thought of turning away clients seemed ridiculous and stupid. As I soon discovered, however, the law is just too complicated to accept whatever walks through the door. The amount of time it takes to study and learn the basics of a new area of law, not to mention subtle nuances and potential traps, can be exorbitant. If something is missed, one could open himself up to liability. Consequently, I have decided to develop my practice in landlord/tenant law and estate planning, and hopefully get into some real estate transactions also. Making this conscious decision is actually a big deal for me because I have always been a little too willing to be happy with whatever comes my way. Although being easygoing is not necessarily a bad trait, it has kept me from developing my goals for what I want this business to be and how I am going to make it grow to that point. Simply put, because I never made a narrow enough goal for where I wanted to go, it has been difficult for me to take real steps down a path toward success.

I will also have a little bit more time the next two and a half months. During the school year, I have continued to care for my son one day a week while my wife teaches. I love this time with my son and hope to be able to continue this in the fall. However, to have a couple of months with the additional day/week, and not have the stresses of getting everyone out the door and to daycare every morning will be a nice change of pace. With my wife happily home with our son for the summer, it will free me up to hopefully begin to create the building blocks for real success. I will have more time to further study these areas of law, establish better systems and procedures for my office, and network. Time will tell if the summer will work out as I am hoping it will. If you look back at previous posts, you will see that this blog has been and continues to be a place where I discuss my ideas for how to make my life better, as an attorney, husband, and father. Some things have worked; some things have not. Thoughts, prayers, good vibes, for success and further clarity and focus gladly accepted and appreciated.

New Office

Talk about a neglected blog. I notice I have not posted anything in quite awhile and my last post was on trying to incorporate exercise into my daily routine. That has failed but is something I still aspire to. We actually recently joined the local Y and so I am hoping the fact that we are actually paying money and I am cheap will be motivation for me. But that is is not what this post is about.

I wanted share that I have just changed office locations, with yesterday being my first official day in the new space. My previous space was off the main drag that was hard to find, located on a private way (so parking was not on the same street as the office address). It was above this amazing burrito bar in an isolated corridor with 3 other offices (2 social workers, 1 attorney). It was a great place to get my feet wet and start to feel things out as far as operating a business. It was cheap but, man was it lonely. I didn't think that being isolated would bother me. I was wrong. Instead, it made it tough to get out the door, knowing I would not likely converse with, let alone see anyone else throughout the entire day.

The old office itself was nice. It had good light through the window, nice, real wood paneling. It also had this unique painting on tile of a mountains, lake, and eagle (which grew on me). The price was right at the time but to me, it never had exactly the right feel/energy/aura, you get the idea, for an attorney's office. Better for a therapist or masseuse. My wife jokes that I am acting like a "serious lawyer" when she thinks I need to lighten up (and she is often right) but, all jokes aside, people entrust important issues to me that affect their life, income, and property and so it is only right that I have a space which reflects that. I want people to feel at peace knowing that I am the professional that will get the job done for them; not feel at peace because I have an eagle flying on my wall. (Why is that peaceful anyway? Eagles are ferocious predators!)

Check out these pics of the old office.

Isn't this peaceful?

The new office is in a building on main street, across from the courthouse (and law library), post office, and my bank. It is in a building full of accountants, lawyers, and financial planners. I am in a suite with 2 other lawyers, and adjacent to two other suites of 3-4 lawyers and an accountant. It's got the right feel. I also have a conference room to use. This means that if someone comes in, I can meet them in my office or in the conference room which overlooks main street. I am narrowing my practice to Landlord and Tenant law, at least for now, and hoping that I can get some referrals because not many other people practice this in town. The cost for the new office is a little bit more but I am optimistic that the slight increase in rent will be well worth the benefits gained from being in a better location surrounded by other professionals. Check out the pics below and let me  know what you think!

Main Street

Main Entrance

Waiting area

Conference Room

View from Conference Room

Office with new (used) desk

Closet with storage

New bookshelf and desk

Window View

Brought my guitar to distract me from work.

Somebody is a little too anxious to join the practice. I told him let's work on T-ball first.

So, with this new change I am excited, nervous, and cautiously optimistic that this is a good step toward really beginning to grow my practice. Please say a prayer, cross your fingers and toes, send good vibes, and/or do whatever you are inclined to do, that I am right.

I am not a runner.

I have an intermittent affair with running, but I am not a runner.

When I think about what it means to be a "runner" it conjures up an image of a skinny, gatorade drinking, powerbar eating athlete that I think some of my mother's homemade chocolate chip cookies might be able to benefit. No, I am more of a "big-boned," beer-drinking, lover of chocolate brownies and milk that suffers the periodic "condition" of wanting to run on a regular basis. I call it a "condition" because for me it is not a lot of fun, especially when I first get into one of these moods. In fact, the first week back in the mix I often think serious runners must have some undiagnosed psychosis. There's not only the struggle of getting out of bed early in the morning (which is my best opportunity), there are the physical aches of pains that come along with undertaking actual physical activity. These seem to be a little more prevalent with each year that passes. Notwithstanding all of this, I have recently gotten into the mood to do a little running.

I cannot claim an independent motivation this time around. Instead, a cousin said at Thanksgiving that we ought to train for a 5K when we see each each other again in February and maybe even try and do a sprint triathlon next summer. She is ambitious. It got me thinking, however, about how good I have felt in the past when training for certain events. It's hard for me to believe that I have actually managed to drag my body through two half-marathons. I even did a sprint-triathlon a few years back. Now some of you might be saying that I am a runner but you are wrong. I have not done anything in over a year, put on 15 lbs and just haven't felt quite like myself at least for a few months.

I have been guilty of using the excuse that I am too busy. In fact, I have used it many times over the years to justify "taking a little break" from exercise. What is originally intended to be a few days off turns into a few weeks, and then before you know it, a few months of inactivity has gone by. With obligations to building a law practice, spending time with family, church & community involvement, etc., time is by far my most precious commodity. I daresay the same goes for most people. For attorneys, time is our stock in trade. Although the tide seems to be changing to alternative billing structures, most attorneys still bill their clients based on the time spent on a matter so there is a direct correlation on time spent and money made. There always seems to be too much to do and not enough time and everything should have been done yesterday. With so much going on, it is easy to justify cutting a weekly exercise routine.  The interesting thing I have found which is contrary to common logic is that I gain back all the time I actually spent on the exercise (about 30 minutes) and then some in efficiency throughout any given day.

In addition to the net gain in time, there are of course the many well-known health benefits associated with exercise. For me, that is not the primary reason to run.  Instead, every time I start working out again I am quickly reminded that breaking a sweat makes me feel better. I am less stressed, more alert, and more focused. I eat better, my heartburn goes away, and I don't feel as chubby. My confidence increases, I am happier, and, as I mentioned before, I have an overall increase in that most precious asset, time. So, even if it hurts to get back into a groove, I know that when I make working out a priority I feel better, think more clearly, and am actually going to get more done than if I had hit the snooze button a few more times.


If I haven't sold you on running, well, I am not surprised. Remember, I am not a runner. Do me a favor though and figure out how you can incorporate some movement into your busy life, even a couple days a week. Then do it for 2-3 weeks. I guarantee you will feel better, and the people around you will notice.

Expanding into NY?

As I think my few readers know, I was fortunate enough to pass the New York bar exam which I took last July. I still need to submit some paperwork for the state to check-up on me but if all goes well (which I don't foresee any problems), I should be licensed in NY by early spring in 2012. Of course, I cannot give any legal advice in NY until then but it has got me thinking more about how I can expand my business once my license goes through.

Part of my reasoning for going through the entire process again in New York, including the exam, was so I could feel free to discuss simple matters with family. Both my wife and I grew up outside of Albany, NY and many of our contacts, lifelong friends, and extended families still live there. The more I think about it, the more I believe I might be able to accept clients at the very least in Columbia, Greene, & Albany Counties where we visit somewhat regularly anyway. Technology has made this much more more feasible. There are ways to set up a "virtual office" or other alternatives like renting space on an hourly basis from another firm. I heard about a couple that runs an office in Washington D.C. while living out of the country. That is crazy. If this is possible, I don't see why I couldn't figure out something for expanding my market into New York, once I am licensed to practice there.

There is a book out called "Virtual Law Practice: How to Deliver Legal Services Online" (http://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Law-Practice-Deliver-Services/dp/1604428287/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323270003&sr=1-1)  recently published by the American Bar Association that I plan to read soon. I am hoping that it will give me some great ideas on how to set things up. If you have read the book or have any other good links to sites discussing this subject please leave a comment so that others can learn from you.

Until next time...

FirmFuture Conference

Today I drove out to Boston to attend the FirmFuture conference (http://www.firmfutureconference.com/). I attended seminars on using social media marketing, work-life balance, start-up considerations, technology, etc. It was good. I am re-tooling and am going to be doing some things I should have set up in the first place. I would definitely recommend the conference to other attorneys next year.

The various seminars were good reminders on a lot of things I need to do better. Much of what I need to work on is keeping up with the times - technology, marketing, etc. I can't say I have been great at that the last few years. I'd be lying if I didn't  admit being a little intimidated by smartphones, tablets, apps, app stores, accepting credit cards, etc. As I have been seeing on a daily basis, this is the stuff I need to know and understand. I guess if I'm really coming clean, I'm a little cheap too and hate to shell out for a  better phone and the added expense of adding data to my plan. There is also the fear that being able to connect all the time will make it more difficult to find that balance that I am striving for. But, the encouraging words I heard today that I think can be tough for attorneys is that it is okay to unplug...in fact, it is necessary to keep your sanity and maintain personal relationships.

As far as marketing, in addition to some traditional techniques, LinkedIn is apparently being utilized effectively along with blogs in conjunction with Twitter. I already have a LinkedIn account but joined the ranks of Twitter today. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts and comments on how you have used these tools to build your business (not just a law firm).

Then come follow me on Twitter so I have someone to Tweet to. https://twitter.com/#!/NathanielTripp

Creative Marketing

I've been thinking about marketing lately and figuring out how to draw people to my business. The realization that I need to put in some time to marketing was after a phone call to a title insurance company where the very nice lady said that she could probably get me on as an agent for her company but I needed to come at her with a specific and targeted plan for how to get real estate business. She said, be creative!

For those of you that don't know, title insurance protects against property claims that arise out of prior occurrences with someone's property. For example, seller S conveys the property to buyer B, but then S also conveys to purchaser C. C moves in and B says you don't own the property and sues C to get off the land. C's title insurance would help pay to defend the lawsuit. To make sure claims like this are rare, an agent for the title insurance company will look back at the records and make sure nothing is off, that recorded deeds line up, that there are no outstanding mortgages, tax liens, or other encumbrances, and then the policy will be issued. It is typically required by a lender and homeowners may purchase their own policy as well. The attorney that does the research is often the one working for the buyer and the bank, and is present and conducts the closing (at least in MA). To get into real estate and actually make money on a closing these days, the attorney really needs to be one of these agents and get a cut of the fee for the research, hence my phone call, and hence this sudden (but overdue) focus on getting business.

Consequently, I need to market my business generally, and specifically figure out how to build real estate into the mix. Of course the best way to "market" is to pound the pavement and simply build relationships with people. Not solicit business but let them know what it is that I am all about. That way, when they are talking to someone else and a legal problem comes up, they will remember me and say "I met a lawyer, I think Tripp was his name. He seemed like a good guy. Why don't you give him a call?" Then when I get the phone call, provide the best service possible and make people want to recommend me to their friends, family, co-workers, etc.

As suggested by the title insurance lady, I am thinking about some "creative marketing" that entails getting involved with some local, non-law related volunteer projects. One idea was coordinating a food drive to benefit the local food bank. Maybe I could get the local bar association to assist or maybe my wife's school. If I could get my name out there as the attorney organizing a project like this, and getting some good press, not only could this be good for business, it would help people in the community that we live in which is even more cool. I am working out logistics in my head but it could be a great thing all around. I think some projects like this are especially important for a guy like me who is trying to establish a practice in a place I moved to just a year ago and still don't know anyone, not because I am antisocial but because figuring out how to be a Pop takes some time. I would love to hear other people's ideas on some ways to get my name out there. What might cause you to think positively about an attorney that you have never met?

My most promising and creative marketing strategy comes from a trip to the grocery store with my son yesterday. He is able to sit in the cart and happily looks around at all the lights and colors. I think he is a people watcher too, occasionally spotting someone and laughing. It really is pretty cute. People also love to talk to him, especially women that I would estimate to be in the age range of 45-65. He loves it and so do they. Now, what I am thinking is if I could make him a t-shirt that says "I'll smile at you if you take my Pop's card." Or, "Legal Problems? Talk to the bigger version of me." What about "My Pop's name is not Will but he can do yours." I'm sure I could come up with some more and would be open to other lighthearted suggestions from others. Not sure I would ever really make t-shirts but it is fun to think about.

I do have some of the more traditional marketing basics covered. I have a website which is still a work in progress (www.ntripplaw.com) and printed up some business cards that I pass out whenever I have a chance. Of course, there are all the different social media sites (facebook, linked in, twitter, avvo) that I have not actively engaged in. I am still trying to figure out how to approach connecting with some other real estate professionals. I'd like to get involved in the bar association a bit more and hopefully network with other attorneys that way. There is so much one can do and it can be a little overwhelming. I would gladly receive suggestions on how to improve my website or other traditional marketing techniques/ideas that I might be able to implement. I have never had to do this before. For now though, I think I just need to stick with what I know - getting involved, talking and listening to people, building relationships . . . and maybe making some sweet t-shirts too!



Update on Daycare: As you may have read from my previous post, we did put our son in daycare three days per week and he is still with me the other two. As we get to know and trust the woman we have him with, I like her more. She is down to earth and very willing to address any worries or concerns we may have. It doesn't hurt either that she is just starting her business as well and so our son is often the only child there, getting personal care at a normal daycare price. Whenever one of us shows up, he has big smiles, is happy, and seems well cared for - all a parent could ask for really. Once we have a little more time building our relationship, I told her I would be a reference for her so as to help her business grow but until we get to that point, I can't say that I am unhappy about my son getting more personal attention.