Mind Your Own Business: National Women's Small Business Month
October is the official month of many things, breast cancer awareness and cyber security awareness, and now we can add something else: National Women's Small Business Month.
While the ABA does not keep tabs on the number of women-owned law firms, American Express states that women-owned business in general are "[t]he only bright spot in recent years with respect to privately held company job growth has been among women-owned firms. They have added an estimated 175,000 jobs to the U.S. economy since 2007," reports Forbes.
To celebrate National Women's Small Business Month, we decided to do a round-up of all the best FindLaw articles related to starting your own firm, and dealing with issues that are unique (or skewed) to women.
Starting a Firm -- Business Resources
Starting your own law firm means you'll be handling all the legal work, but you'll also be the one running the show. Handling the day-to-day affairs of a law firm is very similar to running any business; you'll need to deal with practical concerns like marketing and hiring. For more information on these areas, check out these FindLaw articles:
Hiring Considerations -- Tips on hiring your first employee, why you might consider hiring a contractor, how to spot a great paralegal, and considerations for hiring a legal secretary.
Law Firm Websites 101 -- Tips on the basics, why you need SEO and Google, and a primer on SEO.
Resources for Women Lawyers -- If you haven't already, look into joining theNational Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms and using the resources provided by the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession.
Starting a Firm -- Flexibility
One of the benefits of owning your own law firm is that you are the boss, and you create and manage your schedule. While women in the legal profession are lagging behind men in general, according to the ABA Commission on Women, women lead in the realm of part-time legal work. Rather than having part-time work be something that holds you back, you can use it to your advantage by starting your own practice. What's to stop you from finding other like-minded women to create the kind of firm experience that you want -- but can't find.
Here are some of our best articles that explore the issues of flex-time and women lawyers balancing family and career.
Deciding to Start a Firm -- Tips to help you decide what the next step is in your career.
Best Places for Women -- See what large firms and companies are doing to retain female talent, and get ideas for how to run your firm.
Child Care Costs -- Examine how other firms handle the soaring costs of child care.
Have you started your own law firm? Are you thinking about it? Let us know about your experience as a woman who owns her own law firm on Facebook at FindLaw for Legal Professionals.
Related Resources:
- Taking a Career 'Time Out'? 5 Tips for a Smoother 'Opt In' (FindLaw's Strategist Blog)
- Ladies Listen Up: Negotiate Your Way to Equal Pay (FindLaw's Strategist Blog)
- Best BigLaw Firms for Moms; How Your Firm Can Do Better (FindLaw's Strategist Blog)
- DuPont Women Lawyers' Network (Dupont)
