You can be an entrepreneur, too

Refer to a business leader as an “entrepreneur,” and the vision conjured up is often that of a technology guru, space explorer, aviation mogul, internet innovator or just an inventor of a better mousetrap. You don’t immediately associate the term with accountants, lawyers, architects, wealth managers or other such prosaic professional service providers. But you should.
What’s more, those service professionals should think of themselves as entrepreneurs, and deliver service and lead their enterprises accordingly.
We are the product
My law firm was formed 20 years ago, when six colleagues departed a larger firm to set out on our own. We were determined to harness the expertise, focus and intimate familiarity that we collectively possessed in our market segment, to create more value for our clients by delivering our service in a way that would enhance our clients’ strategic and competitive positions.
Our law firm management style encourages our professionals, both partners and associates, to approach their service delivery in the same spirit as any entrepreneur:

  • To organize and manage their client relationship in a way that is innovative and creative.
  • To focus on not only improvement of the product we’re delivering, but also help the client deliver a better product to its customer.
  • To yield the most effective and efficient service.

After all, we are selling a product and that product is ourselves.
Our culture prioritizes intimate and instinctive knowledge of the relevant legal issues that distinguishes us from competitors, and adaptation of that familiarity to embrace each client’s unique challenges. Our core leadership values mirror core entrepreneurial values. We measure our success by the extent to which clients perceive us as an integral member of their team and an asset to their business enterprise.
Simply put, we want the client to recognize that they want us on their team — that we’re delivering superior value.
An entrepreneurial mindset
A service professional’s adaptation of an entrepreneur’s mindset isn’t always intuitive or organic. Some professionals perceive their role as perfunctory; performing a discrete task for a precise purpose, without concern for the bigger picture.
Maintaining the entrepreneurial mindset in the context of delivering professional services requires a constant vigilance to understand how your piece of advice or strategic direction fits into the rest of the client’s often complicated jigsaw puzzle. We perform optimally as an enterprise when all employees embrace that culture.
We like to say that on the one hand, there is the practice of law, and on the other hand, there is the business of practicing law. To build institutional success in our enterprise, the two have merged. If one definition of an entrepreneur is to have the capacity and willingness to develop, organize and manage a business venture, along with its risks, then service professionals should proudly hold up their heads as entrepreneurs — and they should lead their enterprises accordingly.

So, calling all accountrepreneurs, architectrepreneurs, lawyerpreneurs and others, approach the practice of your profession with the same tenets and zeal as your successful entrepreneur clients to assure your business success.

 
David Levine is the founding partner of Blumling & Gusky LLP. David has been named a Pennsylvania SuperLawyer in the areas of construction and surety law. He also serves on the board of EO Pittsburgh. The Entrepreneurs’ Organization is a global, peer-to-peer network of more than 12,000 business owners with 173 chapters in 54 countries.