Marathon Subcontracting for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants

Sunday was the Houston Marathon. I always joke that, “you couldn’t pay me to run a marathon.” But, there are people who get paid to do just that. Marathon running can seem like a lonely sport, but not all marathon runners run alone. They hire subcontractors (at least the ones who win enough races to be able to afford them)!

The professional marathon runner’s subcontractors are other runners called “rabbits.” The rabbit’s job is to help the marathon runner keep the target pace and keep the wind off. The rabbits are not going to finish the race (how could they?). Each rabbit is expected to start the race with the marathon runner and then drop off at predetermined points along the way depending upon their own running ability. They often train with the main runner.

Nurses are a tough bunch. We learn early in our careers to be independent (“Don’t worry – I’ll turn this 250-lb patient by myself”) because we know better than to ask for help. As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, you need to change this mindset and start to think and act like a world-class marathon runner. The fastest way to expand your CLNC® business is by subcontracting with other Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. Like any world-class marathon runner, having CLNC subcontractors will allow you to go the full 26 miles, take a vacation and grow your legal nurse consulting business. Without CLNC subcontractors you can only bill for the limited number of hours you’re able to work. The only way to fit 12 hours into an 8-hour workday is with CLNC subcontractors.

Each additional legal nurse consultant you have working on your cases is an additional income stream. You can bill your attorney-clients your full hourly fee and pay your subcontractors 50% of that fee. Subcontracting is what makes the difference between a nice business and a booming one. Have your CLNC subcontractors ready to go. That way, the next time an attorney tells you he has a bunch of cases, you can get your CLNC subcontractors on them quickly instead of saying “No, I’m too busy to take more than one case at a time.”

Even with CLNC subcontractors you are the one who has to run your legal nurse consulting business across the finish line. Think of CLNC subcontractors as a multiplier. Instead of just one of you, now there’s a whole team of CLNC marathoners running beside you. Just don’t call them rabbits!

I’ll be with you for the long run – just as long as it’s not the Houston Marathon.

Success Is Yours,

P.S. Comment and share your subcontracting strategies. Click here to read “Subcontracting (Part 2): 17 Best Practices for Managing Certified Legal Nurse Consultant Subcontractors.”