Starting my own court reporting firm. Any advice???

[Janiece Young]

Well, after 31 years the firm I have been working for has merged with another firm.  I am taking this opportunity to start my own firm.  If you have any tips or words of wisdom, things to look out for, I would love to hear them.

Thanks,

Janiece

[Janiece Young]

Judy,

Great tips.  

My firm has been supplying me with paper.  I have found a new source.  Sam's Club has boxes of paper for $27.  That is the best deal I have found so far.

[Lorraine Brazil @ BrazilCo]

Janiece,

Congratulations!  I'm so happy for you.   Just get going.  You're gonna do great.  Be diligent about collecting.  Either hire somebody to make those calls or keep up with it yourself.   Next bit of advice, be yourself and just add on to all the good work you've already done in building your reputation.  Don't be shy about you are a business, for-profit business!

Some attorney asked me the other day if I gave a discount because our firm had all the depos in a case.

I said, "What do I look like, the United Way?  Hell, no!  No discounts!!"  

Be ready to put in some hours training people the way you want things done.    

My motto:  Over prepare and go with the flow.    Again, congratulations!

 

[Janiece Young]

Hey, Chris,

Great advice and suggestions in your latest post.

I like the canvas bag idea.

The computer is fabulous.  My friend who is helping me start my business is using it on jobs and he says it is working like a charm.  I have tested the audio at home but I have not used it on a depo yet.  It is a back-up for if my main intake computer would happen to fail.  I am using the Samsung as my computer to edit with at home.  I'm so happy with it.  I feel I really I got a bargain.

You might check on Amazon.com.  Kelli got the same model and was very happy with it.  Hers was even cheaper than mine.  She paid $400 and some dollars.  You will have to ask her the exact price.  Mine was $500 and some.  I can't remember the exact price.

My friend said they had put the price back up to $729 or something like that.  Honestly, it is worth $729.  It's a good one.

I'm so glad I posted this.  You folks have some really great ideas.

Keep them coming!!!!

[Deborah M.]

I don't have any advice, but I wanted to wish you good luck and smooth sailing.  I am so impressed by the wonderful advice you've gotten.  It reminds me of the "old days" when we used to all help each other out and not be so cutthroat.

[Amanda Leigh]

I haven't read through all the replies, so this may have been mentioned.  If you can set your sights to becoming a document production company that offers court reporting services, that seems to work really well.  The companies that are jury consultants who are hired by a party to help them win their case, they also offer court reporting services (amazingly enough).  That seems to be a big winner, too.  I realize these (at least document production--the other, you might ethical challenges with) are down the road a bit, sure, but can't hurt to start out with a mind on the possibility.  The company who handles a law firm's document production and/or their jury consulting is much more important to their case than the court reporter who shows up at a deposition--big picture.  I remember back when I first became a court reporter, in the early '90s, there was talk that Kinko's was going to offer court reporting services.  I just thought that was ludicrous--I mean, how could they do that?  They're a copy place!!  They decided against going that direction, apparently, if that was true--but now I get it.

[Janiece Young]

Well, to update you-all, today I took my last job for the firm I have been at for a month and a half shy of 31 years.  Tomorrow I start with my company.  I have a job booked so I think that I am off to a good start.  It's exciting.

[Amanda Leigh]

Congratulations!  100% is going to feel really nice--and it's been my experience most law firms pay very quickly. :-)

[Janiece Young]

Thanks, Amanda.  Thanks to everyone who gave tips.  Please keep 'em coming as you think of them.  

[Bill Parsons]

To advertise yourself for referral work,  especially from out of state, you should get a listing in the NCRA Source Book and also consider an ad in the JCR Court Reporter Listings.

 

You could also advertise in the NCRA on-line Professional Services Locator.

 

You could also be listed in the on-line Find Law website.

 

Of course, it goes without saying you will want a phone book Yellow Pages ad.

 

Also, you should send letters to all the local lawyers announcing your new firm.

 

 

Also how about handing out the letter announcing your new firm to lawyers you come in contact with on jobs.

 

Bill 

[Martha R]

Aren't the Yellow Pages a thing of the past?   I throw mine away now.   It's all about the internet.

[Bill Parsons]

Hi Martha,

 

I guess it depends on people whether they use the Yellow Pages. 

 

The Yellow Pages have had terrific increases in advertisers, and I think the phone company puts out frequent editions of the Yellow Pages so they can sell more ads.

 

Check the lawyers' ads in the Yellow Pages.  It will blow your mind.

 

Check the restaurant ads in the Yellow Pages.  It will blow your mind.

 

Check the doctors' ads in the Yellow Pages.

 

More importantly, check the competing freelance agencies to see if they advertise in the Yellow Pages.

 

To each their own as the saying goes.  If people don't want to have Yellow Pages ads and have internet ads, so be it.

 

Bill

[Judy]

Doesn't Yellow Pages have on online edition?