By way of Seth Godin’s blog I found Family to Family, a non-profit that connects communities with plenty to communities without enough. Seth notes that F-2-F has a lack of infrastructure necessary to accomplish this. An all-volunteer group is able to become a clearinghouse, connecting people who need and want to be connected.
So who cares? Well, aside from people who are hungry, you should. Because by looking at F-2-F you can glean how a group of like-minded individuals or businesses can band together to accomplish a single goal without being bogged down with bureaucracy. I’m currently working on a similar project over at the Bankruptcy Law Network, so it’s particularly interesting to me.
If we are required to assemble an organizational machine in order to accomplish a goal, then it becomes harder to do so. You want to be a consumer bankruptcy lawyer, but you don’t need to hire a full staff and implement rules and regulations to do so; rather, all you need is a client and knowledge of how to handle a consumer bankruptcy case.
Too many people get bogged down in the minutiae of starting a business, so much so that they suffer from what my wife calls, “Ed Norton Syndrome.” You know, when Art Carney would flap his arms about wildly, waiting for the perfect moment to spring into action? Same thing here, folks – we worry about firm names, hardware, software, office location, look and feel of print and online ads, even the color of the pens we’ll use at work. Meanwhile, clients come and go without having been taken care of. Business slips through your fingers while you’re waiting for the perfect moment.
I’m not saying that there isn’t a need for the basics to get the job rolling, nor am I telling you to rest on your laurels and take no action to move forward once you’ve launched. To do so would be foolish and a hazard to your long-term business prospects.
Rather, talk with a fellow lawyer. Ask for the use of a conference room one day a week. When you get your first client, call a bankruptcy lawyer in town and ask for some guidance. Join NACBA and get on the listserv. Take care of the client, make the most of it. Then, let the snowball build up a good head of steam. The ride is amazing, but you’ll never know if you don’t take that first step.
