If you’re doing work you believe in, keep going – and don’t expect instant results

B-Law is an advisory business – we offer virtual legal counsel to small-and-medium sized enterprises. This means we look after our clients’ legal requirements, offering them legal advice and support in most corporate and commercial activities, including procuring specialist technical advice when required.

As the business founder, owner and funder, I’m currently the sole consultant. AKA, I do everything. Because of this – and because we’re a relatively new business, having been founded in February 2021 – every client win is a high.

On the flip side, not hearing back from potential clients after an initially encouraging reaction can be disappointing. Sometimes, the failure to win business comes from a client’s decision to stick with their current resources. On one occasion, however, an opportunity was lost due to a potential client deciding they needed an established “name” to represent them.

Off the back of the challenges of running a new business, I’ve learned to develop a thicker skin.

Through this, I’m discovering that sometimes an opportunity or relationship that appeared to be going nowhere can suddenly blossom into work and revenue.

So, patience, persistence and belief are incredibly important. If you’re doing work you believe in, keep going and don’t expect instant results.

In the short time I’ve been running B-Law, I’ve learned that I’m better at what I do than I give myself credit for. It’s made me realise that I shouldn’t be afraid to raise my profile.

Also: clients aren’t as sensitive to price as much as they’re wanting value for money. Therefore, the service quality and responsiveness are important – having clear communication with customers is vital to the business.

My advice for anyone going into business is to have a plan. Get it funded and resourced according to its needs, and don’t get sidetracked by attractive propositions that don’t fit with your long-term view. Bring someone else in too – use experts for the areas that aren’t part of your core strengths and don’t be too proud to ask for help.

If I continue to do the things that have worked and learn from the things that don’t, I expect my business to grow and develop at the pace that I want it to. Looking toward the future, I aim to emulate a good contact of mine and operate the virtual business from a beautiful Caribbean island.