Practice Management

First, I love the TV show Kitchen Nightmares.  Second, I love Tom Kane's Legal Marketing Blog.  Third, I live and really love the concept of the niche practice of law as something that is inherently enjoyable to practice and at which to make money.  And, I appreciate the fact that Tom Kane has brought all of these concepts and programs together for his latest post.

As Tom rightfully points out, Scottish Chef Gordon Ramsey on his TV show Kitchen Nightmares works at turning around failing restaurants based upon ?two key issues?.  First, there are too many items on the menu.  Second, the restaurant is not known as the best place to go for a particular dish.  And, that concept relates to law firm's as well.  It is a concept of reorganization he applies over and over again at one failing restaurant after another in this TV show.  And, it works.

You need to build niche practices in which you substantially reduce your menu of services down to something that is exquisitely manageable, knowable and marketable.  In doing so you will become known for being the law firm or lawyer to whom everyone should turn for a particular problem.  It is that narrowing and doing one particular thing very, very well that will get you known, that will help you market, and that will drive business to you.  But, just like the failing restaurants fight this concept tooth and nail, so do most lawyers and law firms.