Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 12, 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 17 E very business person needs a great lawyer. Sure, you can go to one of those legal websites and hope for the best. But those websites only offer documents and only give you the ones you know to ask for. What about the things that you do not even know you need? There is just no substitute for a smart and dedicated lawyer on your team – an issue spotter, a problem solver and, ultimately, a trusted friend. But how do you know which lawyer is right for you? There are thousands of lawyers in Worcester County alone. While it largely depends on your personality, there are some universal characteristics that all great lawyers share, and those are the things you should look for in your lawyer. 1. They understand your business. Whether you own a cookie factory, a brewery, or a tech start-up, your law- yer should know everything there is to know about your business. How can someone help you if they do not understand what you do? Moreover, just having general knowledge of how businesses in your industry operate only takes a lawyer so far. Your lawyer must know about your specific busi- ness and all its little nuances. Great lawyers keep up with developments in your industry, are familiar with your facilities, and know your product. 2. They save you time and money. A great lawyer understands you are busy, and frankly, they are busy too. Efficiency is key. A great lawyer solves your issue in the most practical way possible, factoring in time and money into the decision. Why draft a five-page demand letter if a phone call can fix the problem? A lawyer who opts for the five-page demand letter when there is a faster and more cost-effective solution is one who is not busy enough, which is an issue great lawyers will never have. Great lawyers do not need to squeeze you for fees. 3. They do not fake the funk. A great lawyer tells you when they do not know the answer to your question. They do not fake it or make it up as they go. Run from a lawyer who holds themselves out as a jack (or jill)-of-all- trades. No one lawyer can personally handle all of the legal issues that you will encounter. A great lawyer knows this and does not try to do things they are not qualified to do. Instead, they have relationships with other great lawyers who can help you with a spe- cialized issue. A great lawyer is a well- connected lawyer. 4. They are brutally honest. Sometimes what you want is ridiculous and impos- sible, and your lawyer should put you in your place. If your lawyer thinks marrying your new significant other after only knowing the person for 72 hours is crazy, your lawyer will tell you. If you want to give your new business partner, the foreign prince you met online, access to all your banking infor- mation, your lawyer should intervene. Instead of marching you to a trial where you will get slaughtered, a great lawyer will strongly advise you to settle. In other words, the best lawyers are a tether to reality and will not give in to your demands if doing so does not serve your best interests. 5. You consider them a trusted friend. Your lawyer should ask about how your family is doing, about your recent vacation to Turks and Caicos, about how you are feeling after ACL surgery. It is unnatural to have a per- son play such an important role in the success of your business and have that person know nothing about you. You cannot trust people you do not know, so it is appropriate to get to know the people you need to trust. Because a lawyer can play such a pivotal role in your business, do not settle. 10 T H I NG S I know about . . . . . . H e l p i n g w o m e n s u c e e d By Barb Finer Finer is CEO of Hopkinton incubator TechSandBox. Reach her at barb@ techsandbox.org. K N O W H O W Five signs your lawyer is a keeper W hether they guide your marketing efforts, service offerings or price decisions, your business competitors' activities should always be of interest to you. After all, they are monitoring you and your actions in the marketplace – and you are all likely trying to antici- pate each other's next move. Speak to them. You could visit a competitor's location or online store to get an idea of the client experi- ence. Ask if they offer volume dis- counts, or ask for a price list. How is your competitor's support team on the phone? "Phone and face-to-face contacts will also give you an idea of the style of the company, the quality of their literature and the initial impressions they make," notes InfoEntrepreneur.com. Use technology. Many cyber tools out there show you what keywords your competitors are targeting and which social media messaging is shared most often. But don't forget the basics, says Jim Joseph at Entrepreneur.com. "Sign up for Google Alerts," he advises, not just on your competitors' companies, but on your own as well, so you can monitor what is being said about you. And follow competitors on social media, tracking both the company and its leaders. "For example, as a restaurant owner, you may want to follow the names of restaurants you compete with as well as the chefs and restaura- teurs to get a full picture of their activity," he writes. Talk to your customers. Business competitive intelligence expert Arthur Weiss says asking your cus- tomers about their experiences is one of the best ways to gather informa- tion. "Whenever you win a new cus- tomer, find out who they used before, and why they switched … Do the same when you lose a customer – identify what they preferred about your competitor," he tells Inc.com. BY SUSAN SHALHOUB Special to the Worcester Business Journal 10 1: T r a c k i n g c o m p e t i t o r s 10) Think outside your normal circle. This means, remembering the woman on your team may have missed the conversation in the men's room! 9) Hang around with people who don't look like you, on purpose. That means that your female colleague may enjoy being asked to play golf with you. 8) While I'm on it, have events at tradeshows and company outings that are fun for a diverse group. Specifically be inclusive, mix people up (see No. 10) and don't assume. 7) Check your assumptions at the door. Think a younger-looking woman isn't in a position of power? Or the older woman is an administrator? It's just like the old joke about the doctor not being able to operate because the patient is the doctor' son. 6) When meeting someone new, reach out and shake hands and introduce yourself, even if they were the one to answer the door or if they wear a uniform. 5) Level set. If you call superiors by "sir" or "mister" for the men, be even-handed for the women: "miz" is fine. 4) Think about some level of work-life balance for everyone. Men and women, single and married, working hard and long should be an option, not a requirement. Just because a person is single, make no assumptions on their time and obligations! 3) Offer upward mobility to all. Make sure executives and leaders embrace anyone who shows promise, talent and merit with things like mentoring, education and leadership training. 2) Actively listen. There's something in our culture about women's voices. A woman can say "The bus should be red" and be ignored for the idea when two minutes later, a man is lauded for saying the same thing! 1) Even better, make sure the woman is heard! You, as a leader, can even graciously catch this by saying: "Yes, just like Jenny said, RED is a great." BY AIVI NGUYEN Special to the Worcester Business Journal W W AiVi Nguyen is a partner at Worcester law firm Bowditch & Dewey. Reach her at anguyen@bowditch.com. W

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