Chapter Six
Tips for Marketing Your Paralegal Business
Once you’ve started your business, you’re going to need to find clients. If you’ve got experience in the paralegal field, you probably already have plenty of contacts. Use those contacts to spread the word that you’ve started a paralegal business, and you are accepting new clients. Give everyone you meet two business cards: one for the person and one that person can pass on to someone else.
Naturally, as a business owner, you’re going to want to network as much as possible. You can start by joining your local Chamber of Commerce, which will allow you to meet and mingle with other business owners in your area. In addition to having the chance to meet other entrepreneurs in your area, you’ll have the opportunity to have your business name, web address, and phone number listed on the Chamber’s website and in their annual directory. Furthermore, some Chambers of Commerce offer advertising opportunities, at a discount, for chamber members that can provide you with valuable leads.
You also want to join professional paralegal associations, such as the National Association of Legal Assistants. Networking with other paralegals can bring you even more connections which could lead to clients. Word of mouth is an extremely effective way to add to your clientele.
Another essential marketing tool you must have is a website. You can hire a professional website designer to design your website, or you can create one yourself. If you have a program like Microsoft FrontPage or Dreamweaver, you can purchase a template and create the website yourself. Templates range anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars.
You can also either hire a writer to write the content for your website, or you can do it yourself. If you decide to write your own content, remember that you want to get your point across clearly, quickly, and effectively. Most people click out of a website within the first 20 seconds, so you must grab your visitor’s attention quickly.
Your website is your online calling card, so make sure you put the website address on your business cards, on your letterhead, and in the signature line of your email.
The good news is you can market on a shoestring budget and without having to hire an expensive marketing firm. Some excellent resources for marketing your paralegal business can be found by clicking on the following links:
Entreprenuer.com
Small Business Branding
Small Business Administration
SCORE
Duct Tape Marketing
Next: Chapter Seven: Conclusion and Resource List
Previous: Chapter Five: Required Equipment
Table of Contents for the Paralegal Career Guide:
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