General Practice, Solo, and Small Firm Division
Solo
Winter 2003 vol. 9 Number 2
Now You See It, Now You Don't
By James M. Niemann
Want a better life? You'll find it in workplace independence.
I know. After eight years as a law firm associate and partner, I
was searching for a better way to operate. As a sole practitioner
I discovered how to minimize overhead and maximize life beyond
the office.
The biggest step was to locate an office-sharing arrangement that
let me choose how "present" I need to be. I selected HQ Global
Workplaces, an international network of office locations that has
a large suite of offices and conference rooms in a first-class
building near my home office. HQ leases fixed office space along
with a "business identity" program, which establishes my business
presence without my having to actually maintain a traditional
office.
Outwardly, it appears that I have a top-drawer law office. For
$250 a month, I get my firm's phone number and voice mail and a
professional receptionist who is equipped with state-of-the-art
computerized phone routing. Calls to my "office" prompt a
greeting on the receptionist's computer monitor that I can alter
at will. The screen lists my numbers, highlighting the one where
I want to receive calls at that time. I've had clients compliment
the professionalism of my "staff"-something that was sporadic, at
best, at my former firms. And my clients are unaware that I may
be on a sunny beach in Florida or attending an ABA conference
instead of at a desk in St. Louis.
Rent includes reasonable conference room usage, though many
clients prefer to meet at their offices so they don't have to
travel with several employees and volumes of documents. But when
I need a conference room, my office suite is equipped with the
latest telephone and video-conferencing capabilities and is
furnished as only the biggest law firms can afford. I can also
opt for pre-furnished business offices for my ad hoc use.
I have access to permanent office staff that performs word
processing and other administrative tasks for reasonable
additional charges. Other services included in the rent:
processing of incoming and outgoing mail; access to a fitness
center; free parking at the building and near the airport; free
bottled water, coffee, and teas; and invitations to complementary
office socials and luncheons.
When I think of the 90 minutes of billable time it takes to pay
my monthly rent and associated costs, I know that my practice has
forever changed from working to pay staff, rent, and other
overhead to the luxury of putting in a reasonable workweek and
still having time for my friends, family, and my faith. Workplace
independence allows me to honor these priorities-in a profession
that traditionally puts pressure on us to give them short
shrift.
James M. Niemann is a sole practitioner in St. Louis,
Missouri, and a member of the GPSSF Section. He can be reached at
niemannlawfirm @aol.com.
