Seminar ID

ION-2020-10-15

Date and time

Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 13:30 EST see it in calendar

Attendance

• recording

Languages

• in English

CPD hours

Venue

Webinar
Capacity: 150

Description

Are you a new regulated immigration consultant?
Are you a new lawyer?
Are you considering opening your own immigration practice?
Do you know what it involves? What needs to be done first, second, etc?
How to structure your business? How to organize the work flow? Where to get clients? How to protect yourself and your future clients?

All this and more you can learn from Pantea Jafari, a Toronto immigration lawyer who will share her own experience and give you great tips how to avoid potential mistakes.

This seminar will not qualify for CPD hours for ICCRC. It will, however, give you fantastic tool that you can use to start your practice the right way.

Learning to Walk: the A to Z of starting your own practice
1- Congratulations on deciding to start your own practice!...have you thought it through?
- Various motivations for starting your own practice and how it can impact your trajectory
- Honest evaluation of your own strengths and weaknesses
o Can you hustle?
o Are you a people person?
o Are you versed in the area of law you want to practice?
o Are you good with money?
o Are you good on your feet?
o Are you a good public speaker?
o Level of personal and professional ethics and its potential impact on business development
- Building a business model that is mindful of and plans for those realities
o Partnering with another practitioner
o Finding ‘pillar mentors’
o Referral streams
o Shared staff arrangements
o Shared office space, private office space, or working from home
- Develop a business plan
o Know where you want to go
o Know what you need to get there
o Who are your target clients
o How to get the work you want
o Plan for contingencies
o Get your financial needs in order
o Network!!!

2- Logistical needs and considerations:
- Office space
- Website, logo, business cards
- Printer, scanner, internet, data storage device/app
- Available resources for legal/office management support
- Time and Practice management softwares
- Software licenses
- Bookkeeper/Accountant
- Marketing needs
- IT needs
- Insurance
- Staffing needs
- Business registration
- Bank registration

3- Getting Started
- Policies are key!!!
- Client management policies
- File management procedures and policies
- Staffing needs
- Setting prices
- Managing intakes and policies surrounding it
- Essential business literacy skills
- Cash flow control!!!

4- Live in Action
- Communication is key!!!
- Adjusting communications based on audience, language ability and literacy level
- Competency, Candor and honesty – managing the legal “I don’t know”s
- Managing clients
- How to learn the ins and outs and tricks of the game while on your own
- Document everything – client can be your worst enemy
- Time and file management skills
- Effective writing based on audience
- How to treat support staff

5- Next Steps
- Network
- Get involved with the initiatives of your peers
- Serve on a board
- Write articles
- Etc.

Learning to Walk: the A to Z of starting your own practice
1- Congratulations on deciding to start your own practice!...have you thought it through?
- Various motivations for starting your own practice and how it can impact your trajectory
- Honest evaluation of your own strengths and weaknesses
o Can you hustle?
o Are you a people person?
o Are you versed in the area of law you want to practice?
o Are you good with money?
o Are you good on your feet?
o Are you a good public speaker?
o Level of personal and professional ethics and its potential impact on business development
- Building a business model that is mindful of and plans for those realities
o Partnering with another practitioner
o Finding ‘pillar mentors’
o Referral streams
o Shared staff arrangements
o Shared office space, private office space, or working from home
- Develop a business plan
o Know where you want to go
o Know what you need to get there
o Who are your target clients
o How to get the work you want
o Plan for contingencies
o Get your financial needs in order
o Network!!!

2- Logistical needs and considerations:
- Office space
- Website, logo, business cards
- Printer, scanner, internet, data storage device/app
- Available resources for legal/office management support
- Time and Practice management softwares
- Software licenses
- Bookkeeper/Accountant
- Marketing needs
- IT needs
- Insurance
- Staffing needs
- Business registration
- Bank registration

3- Getting Started
- Policies are key!!!
- Client management policies
- File management procedures and policies
- Staffing needs
- Setting prices
- Managing intakes and policies surrounding it
- Essential business literacy skills
- Cash flow control!!!

4- Live in Action
- Communication is key!!!
- Adjusting communications based on audience, language ability and literacy level
- Competency, Candor and honesty – managing the legal “I don’t know”s
- Managing clients
- How to learn the ins and outs and tricks of the game while on your own
- Document everything – client can be your worst enemy
- Time and file management skills
- Effective writing based on audience
- How to treat support staff

5- Next Steps
- Network
- Get involved with the initiatives of your peers
- Serve on a board
- Write articles
- Etc.