The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business

Welcome to Week 2 of the 12-Part Video Series: The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business.

This week you will decide on a business name. The simple act of naming your business will make you feel like you’re in business. When you own a business you can and will change a lot of things. One thing you won’t want to change is your business name. So you need to get it right the first time.

We recommend you look to attorneys and how they name their law firms. What do they do? They use their last names. Why? They’re the face of the brand and so are you for your CLNC® business. Resist the temptation to get creative. You want your name to be memorable and to come up in search when people search for you. You also want your name to connect the business to you.

Avoid adding a locale to your business name. You don’t want a name that limits where you do business. You can consult with attorneys throughout the U.S.

We love creating and being creative, but this is not where you need to be creative in your business. We’re going to make it real easy for you.

Choose one of the following names and insert your own name in its place:

• Mary Jones, Legal Nurse Consultant
• Mary Jones
• Mary Jones and Associates

You can apply the first and third options with last name only. Add LLC if that’s the business structure you chose. We’ll discuss business structure in Week 3. All options use your personal name. This is what attorneys will remember.

There you have it – your assignment for this week is to decide on your business name.

Thank you for joining us. We’ll see you next for Part 3 of this series. Until then, know that Success Is Yours and we’re with you every step of the way.

Welcome to Week 3 of the 12-Part Video Series: The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business.

This week you will establish the business structure for your company. There are numerous options, but the 2 most popular are sole proprietorship and LLC – Limited Liability Company.

Sole Proprietorship

This is the simplest business structure to establish. Your personal assets are subject to the business’s liability and all business income will be reported as personal income.

Once you’ve decided on a business name, file the name according to your state and county requirements. These vary by state and county. You can search filing requirements on the Internet.

LLC

In general, your personal assets are not subject to liability, but you should address this issue with your attorney. If you form an LLC we recommend you hire an attorney to ensure the steps are done correctly. For example, you will generally have to:

• File articles of incorporation.
• Choose a registered agent.
• Register your corporation with your state’s secretary of state.
• Comply with tax and regulatory requirements.
• Comply with annual reporting requirements.
• Open a bank account in the LLC’s name.

If your head is spinning that’s normal. It simply means you need an attorney and possibly your CPA to advise you on which business structure is best and to guide you in the steps along the way.

You can set up a sole proprietorship on your own. For an experienced attorney, the process of forming an LLC is simple, but for you it might not be. It must be done correctly. Done incorrectly, it can expose you to legal liability that you don’t want. Network with business professionals to locate a business attorney.

One last tip: Secure the .com domain name for your company and set up your email using that domain name. Keep your domain name as simple as you can. Using a domain registration service such as GoDaddy.com is fast and simple and will guide you through the process.

There you have it – your assignment for this week:

1. Establish your business structure.
2. Secure your .com domain name.
3. Set up an email address using your business’s domain name.

Thank you for joining us. We’ll see you next for Part 4 of this series. Until then, know that Success Is Yours and we’re with you every step of the way.

Welcome to Week 4 of the 12-Part Video Series: The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business.

This week you will purchase professional liability insurance for you and your legal nurse consulting business. You’re probably thinking “But I already have nursing malpractice insurance as an RN.”

That insurance will not cover legal nurse consulting or your role as a legal nurse consultant. You’ll want to have liability insurance that’s specific to your business as a legal nurse consultant.

While LegalNurse.com doesn’t endorse any particular company, two companies that offer LNC insurance are:

• NSO at NSO.com
• CM&F Group at cmfgroup.com

You can also check with an insurance agent to explore other companies offering comparable insurance and whether the agent recommends any other type of business insurance. Always obtain and compare quotes before you buy. And one last tip, purchase the maximum coverage. This is where you’ll get the most bang for your buck.

While we don’t know of any CLNC® Consultant who has been sued, the policies are inexpensive and this is one part of your business where you don’t want to scrimp on money.

There you have it – your assignment for this week is to purchase professional liability insurance for your legal nurse consulting business.

Thank you for joining us. We’ll see you next for Part 5 of this series. Until then, know that Success Is Yours and we’re with you every step of the way.

Welcome to Week 5 of the 12-Part Video Series: The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business.

This week you will set up your home office. To start, make it your goal to keep it simple. There’s no reason for overkill.

Your assignment for this week is to:

1. Identify your office space. Make sure you have privacy. A small private space is superior to a larger space where people are coming in and interrupting.
2. Purchase equipment and software
   • Desk or table for work space
   • Comfortable chair
   • Good lighting
   • Computer
     • Desktop or Laptop. We prefer a laptop – you can take it anywhere and work from anywhere.
     • Windows or Mac – doesn’t matter
   • External hard drive for storage of large records
   • Carbonite® online backup service for documents and files
   • Combination printer/copier/scanner
   • Dual monitors – you’ll be reviewing large volumes of medical records to write reports and the dual monitors will increase your efficiency.
   • Software:
     • Microsoft 365® Business subscription which includes:
       • Word processing
       • Email/Calendar
       • Microsoft® OneDrive to store and access your working documents from any device, anywhere
     • QuickBooks® Online or similar for accounting

3. Purchase office supplies
   • Paper, pens, tablets, highlighters and filing folders
   • Boxes or cabinet space for filing and records

See your Core Curriculum for Legal Nurse Consulting® textbook for additional items.

One last tip: Don’t go overboard. Repurpose any equipment you have now to save money. Your office is important. This is where you will live a lot. You want to create the right space for the right start. But you don’t have to accomplish the perfect office all at once.

There you have it – your assignment for this week:

1. Set up your office.
2. Purchase equipment and software
3. Purchase supplies.

Thank you for joining us. We’ll see you next for Part 6 of this series. Until then, know that Success Is Yours and we’re with you every step of the way.

Welcome to Week 6 of the 12-Part Video Series: The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business.

This week you will set up and maintain bookkeeping and tax records. In Week 5 you subscribed to QuickBooks Online® or another similar service. Now it’s time to learn your new accounting software.

Plan on spending some time figuring out which functions you’ll need and won’t need. Take an online tutorial from the software company to help you get started.

First you’ll put in your relevant business and banking information. That’s the accounts you’ll use for your business. Then you’ll set up:

• Income categories (e.g. consulting fees) and
• Expense categories (e.g. accounting services, office supplies) etc.

One last tip: Hire a CPA from the beginning to ensure you are in compliance with any IRS and state requirements. You want to set your business up correctly from the start.

Your assignment for this week is to set up your new accounting software and get comfortable using it.

Thank you for joining us. We’ll see you next for Part 7 of this series. Until then, know that Success Is Yours and we’re with you every step of the way.

Welcome to Week 7 of the 12-Part Video Series: The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business.

This week you will develop your Unique Selling Position (USP). USP drives everything you do. You have to know who you are and what you have to offer to successfully market to attorneys.

Your USP combines positioning and translating how your knowledge and expertise benefit the attorney. Example: “I have reviewed hundreds of cases as a risk manager.” That statement by itself is NOT a USP. Adding “What that means to you is I review cases in every specialty and get through large volumes of records with efficiency” completes the USP.

Another example – “I have 15 years’ emergency experience. Having worked inside emergency departments, I can share details of how emergency services are provided that you will never find in an emergency medicine textbook. This will reduce the time you’ll have to spend with expensive medical experts.” In theory this type of UPS statement can apply to any specialty.

Develop 5 specific statements of expertise to get to a USP. Expertise to consider includes:

• Number of years’ experience. Attorneys value years of experience.
• Specialties:
• • Specialist.
  • Generalist.
• Your interface with the healthcare system:
• • Clinical. You’re there where the action happens.
  • Administration and management. You manage what happens at the bedside, plus you understand how management and administrative decisions such as staffing and education influence what’s happening at the bedside.
  • Nursing education. You teach the Standards of Care.
  • Research. You’re the expert on accessing and analyzing evidence-based resources.
  • EHR specialist. You’re the expert on EHR systems, including behind-the-scenes processes.
  • Risk management or quality review. You review a variety of cases in every specialty.
  • Case management. You review a variety of cases in every specialty.
  • Advanced practitioner. You can educate the attorney about many medical issues as well as nursing issues.
• Leadership positions.
• Credentials.
• Legal nurse consulting experience.
• • Extensive experience.
  • High percentage of wins.
  • High profile cases.
  • Well respected attorney-clients.

Describe the benefit of each unique expertise to the attorney:

• Saves time.
• Saves money.
• Weeds out irrelevant issues.
• Guarantees the attorney doesn’t miss a relevant fact, issue or supporting research.
• Ensures the attorney understands the real world in which the incident occurred, not just the textbook theory.
• Attorney hasn’t been in the department. “I’ve been there and done it. I understand what goes on behind closed doors.”

Combine each expertise and its benefit to the attorney into a simple USP statement.
Example – “As a hospital administrator for 3 years I can address all issues that clinical nurses at the bedside can, plus numerous issues a clinical nurse cannot such as staffing, accreditation, policy and procedure, and the inner workings of a hospital from the ground up.”

From the 5 USP statements develop 1 strong USP statement. You may combine two or more statements into one. Example – “I have 20 years’ experience in hospital healthcare. The majority of that was as a charge nurse. What that means to you is I’ve seen everything there is to see inside the hospital setting. I know not only the standards for the bedside nursers, but also from an administrative perspective, I’m an expert on how staffing and delegation decisions and facility policies and procedures affect patient outcome.”

Create different USPs for different types of attorneys:

• Medical Malpractice.
• Personal Injury.
• Products Liability.
• Toxic Tort.
• Workers’ Compensation.
• Criminal.

Keep the USP short, pithy and to the point. Eliminate extraneous words and cut directly to the chase.

Everything in marketing starts with your USP.

Put your USP to work for you in your entire marketing plan:

• Letters of introduction.
• Promotional package.
• Interviews.
• Presentations.
• NACLNC® Online Directory listing.
• Resume – List 3-5 bulleted USPs in the summary of qualifications at the top of your resume.
• All your marketing strategies such as:
  • Networking.
  • Social media.
  • Referral.
  • Exhibiting.
  • Advertising.
  • Direct mail and email marketing.
  • Public speaking.
  • Writing for publications.
  • Public relations.

USP drives all of your marketing. It’s who you are and why you’re important to the attorney.

There you have it – your assignment for this week is to create one strong USP statement.

Thank you for joining us. We’ll see you next for Part 8 of this series. Until then, know that Success Is Yours and we’re with you every step of the way.

Welcome to Week 8 of the 12-Part Video Series: The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business.

This week you’re going to stage yourself for CLNC success so you don’t bungle any opportunities that come your way.

No attorney-prospect or attorney-client is a dress rehearsal. A single attorney-client can be worth tens of thousands of dollars or more during the lifetime of your business relationship. Whether you meet an attorney at a party or you’re interviewing with an attorney-prospect, you can’t afford to not be ready.

Your assignment this week is to stage yourself for CLNC success with these 2 steps:

1. Prepare your promotional package. The exclusive CLNC Marketing Center makes it easy for you by providing professionally designed brochures, business cards, letterhead and more. All you have to do is find the design that best represents you and then customize it with your business name and contact information. There is also work you have to do. Go back to the CLNC Certification Program (and the Marketing Apprenticeship if you’ve studied it) to develop and hone your USP, resume, letter of introduction and a sample report (2-3 pages is all you need). You can always create a sample report from the case studies in the Core Curriculum for Legal Nurse Consulting textbook if you don’t have a real case. The sample report is the most important feature of your promotional package. “Showing” is always better than “telling.” The perfect way to start any interview is by saying “Let me show you what I can do for you.”
2. Develop a pool of CLNC subcontractors. Create an alliance with 5-8 Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who live in different geographical areas and have different nursing specialties. Attorneys rarely focus on a single specialty, so you want to be ready for anything that comes your way. One new Certified Legal Nurse Consultant turned away her first case (without requesting mentoring) because it wasn’t in her specialty. If she had staged herself successfully she would have been prepared to subcontract the case with one of you. We can’t help but wonder about the potential opportunity she so carelessly turned away.

There you have it – your assignment for this week:

1. Prepare your promotional package.
2. Develop a pool of CLNC subcontractors.

Thank you for joining us. We’ll see you next for Part 9 of this series. Until then, know that Success Is Yours and we’re with you every step of the way.

Welcome to Week 9 of the 12-Part Video Series: The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business.

This week you’re going to network with anybody and everybody that comes within 3 feet of you. Networking is the one strategy every successful Certified Legal Nurse Consultant uses to obtain new legal nurse consultant jobs. Networking not only works, it’s free. Networking is effective because the endorsement from a third party gives you instant credibility with attorneys – even if the endorsement is from a non-attorney.

Your assignment this week is to:

1. Network with at least two people a day. For each of the next seven days you will contact a minimum of two people you know who can provide you with names of attorneys and legal professionals. You can’t stop networking until you’ve had two people give you the names you need. In short, you’ll have to keep going until you find two people who can help you. Think about everyone you know – friends, family, neighbors and social acquaintances from church, sporting events, school events, etc. The opportunities are endless.
2. Follow up with each attorney or legal professional whose name you’ve received. Be sure to use the name of your contact; it’s the easiest way to get past the gatekeeper. The goal of the follow-up is to set an appointment. If you can get your foot in the door, the odds of obtaining a legal nurse consultant job increase dramatically. A Zoom meeting is an effective option for attorneys outside of your geographical area.
3. Wear one of your CLNC consultant shirts in public. If you don’t already have any, CLNC wear is available in the CLNC Marketing Center. Wearing this will invite total strangers to ask you “What’s a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant?” Almost everybody knows an attorney and your CLNC wear will teach you how to feel comfortable engaging total strangers about what you do. We find that any place there’s a line – coffee shops, grocery stores, the post office, Costco^®, etc. is an opportunity to strike up a conversation that will reward you with an attorney-prospect.

There you have it – your assignment for this week:

1. Network with at least two people a day.
2. Follow up with each attorney or legal professional whose name you’ve received.
3. Wear one of your CLNC consultant shirts in public.

Every one of us has a network. We hope you enjoy networking with anybody and everybody this week. We can’t wait to hear all about your success.

Thank you for joining us. We’ll see you next for Part 10 of this series. Until then, know that Success Is Yours and we’re with you every step of the way.

Welcome to Week 10 of the 12-Part Video Series: The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business.

This week you’re going to tap into one of the most powerful networking platforms in existence. One that you’re probably already spending substantial time on – social media.

Your assignment this week is to announce your occupation as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant on your Facebook page and LinkedIn profile. Ask for help from your friends and contacts. For example, you might post, “I’m now using my XX years of nursing experience to consult with attorneys on medical-related cases. If you know an attorney or legal professional please message me their contact information and other pertinent information about them. Thanks for your help!” Follow up with each lead provided. If you don’t yet have a Facebook page or LinkedIn profile it’s time to set one up.

Whenever you’re on social media, when you respond to a post, do so professionally and specifically. Too many times we’ve seen people post “I’m available.” That’s not a USP and it won’t get you business. Instead, post “I have 15 years of high-risk OB experience that can apply specifically to your issue.”

There you have it – your assignment for this week:

1. Announce your occupation as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant on Facebook and LinkedIn and ask your friends and contacts for help.

The average user has hundreds of “friends” on Facebook and hundreds of “contacts” on LinkedIn. This means that every one of your friends and contacts has the potential for viral communication about you and your legal nurse consulting business. If you’re like most people today, you probably spend a lot of time on social media. Instead of posting recipes or photos of your pets, why not use that time effectively to obtain your next legal nurse consultant job? We can’t wait to hear all about your success using social media.

Thank you for joining us. We’ll see you next for Part 11 of this series. Until then, know that Success Is Yours and we’re with you every step of the way.

Welcome to Week 11 of the 12-Part Video Series: The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business.

This week is stretch week. So far we’ve focused on free things you can do to obtain more legal nurse consultant jobs. Who doesn’t like free? But if you could put one dollar in a slot machine and get back ten would you? Yes – of course you would. This week we’re not going to ask you to break your piggy bank, but we are going to ask you to stretch yourself.

Your assignment this week is to:

1. Set a budget for exhibiting.
2. Schedule to exhibit at an upcoming legal seminar/conference.

Exhibiting is the second most cost-effective way to get in front of a large number of attorneys in a short time. The most cost-effective is presenting at a legal conference, but we know that if most of you were at a funeral you’d rather be in the coffin than deliver the eulogy – so we’ll save that for a different series. When attorneys walk through an exhibit hall they’re interested in what you have to offer and expect to be sold to. That’s why we love exhibiting – you never have to feel awkward about communicating what you have to offer.

You can choose a local, state or national legal seminar or conference. Search for legal seminars on the Internet and choose the seminar or conference that matches the profile for the attorneys you want to consult with (e.g. medical malpractice) and the budget you have allocated to exhibiting.

Determine the promotional materials and items you will need (exhibiting banner, business cards, brochures and letterhead) as well as some small promotional gifts for attorneys. You can order all of these through the CLNC Marketing Center.

There you have it – your assignment for this week:

1. Set a budget for exhibiting.
2. Schedule to exhibit at an upcoming legal seminar/conference.

One attorney-client will more than make up for the cost of exhibiting. It’s the fastest way to obtain more legal nurse consultant jobs.

Thank you for joining us. We’ll see you next for Part 12, the final part of this series. Until then, know that Success Is Yours and we’re with you every step of the way.

Welcome to Week 12 of the 12-Part Video Series: The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business.

This week you will develop your marketing plan. Whether your goal is to obtain your first legal nurse consultant job or your 10th attorney-client you must have a plan. Your plan is like a car’s navigation system. You wouldn’t get in your car and drive from point A to point B without knowing how to get there. So why would you manage your legal nurse consulting business without a plan? You wouldn’t. Having a plan is more important than the plan itself. Why? The plan sets your intentions, decisions, actions and accountability into motion.

You’ve already completed the CLNC Certification Program and have more than enough ideas for obtaining your next legal nurse consultant jobs. Now, it’s time to create a realistic plan you will live with to get those jobs and the attorney-clients to go with them. If you say you’re going to do it you have to mean it.

Your assignment this week is to develop the 4 elements of a marketing plan: objectives, strategies, target dates and budget.

1. Objectives. Set results-oriented marketing objectives. For example: “I will obtain two legal nurse consultant jobs within the next 30 days.”
2. Strategies. Commit to the strategies you will implement to achieve your objectives. You can choose from an array of strategies you learned in the CLNC Certification Program, three favorites of which we’ve reviewed with you in this series (networking, social media and exhibiting).
3. Target Dates. Set your target dates for implementing the strategies. Target dates make you accountable to both you and your plan. Set aside dedicated time to ensure you meet your target dates.
4. Budget. Decide on the budget you will allocate toward each strategy.

As you implement the marketing plan, assess the plan and how you’re doing. What goals are you accomplishing? What’s working? If something is working, do more of it. What’s not working? What do you need to do differently? A plan is and should be dynamic.

Try different approaches, but systemize one strategy at a time. Do one thing really well before you move on to the next strategy. For example, if you implement networking, systemize it thoroughly before you implement exhibiting. It’s important to have numerous pillars to support your CLNC® business, but each should be strong.

Give yourself a little flexibility in how you implement your plan. Life does happen, just don’t let it stop you from obtaining your next legal nurse consultant job.

There you have it – your assignment for this week:

1. Develop your marketing plan. Include objectives, strategies, target dates and budget.
2. Commit to revising your marketing plan.

Thank you for joining us. We’ll see you next for the Bonus Week of this series. Until then, know that Success Is Yours and we’re with you every step of the way.

Welcome to Bonus Week of the 12-Part Video Series: The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business.

• In Week 1 you made a commitment to you and set your intention to take action every day to obtain your next attorney-client.
• In Week 2 you decided on a business name.
• In Week 3 you established the business structure of your company.
• In Week 4 you purchased business insurance.
• In Week 5 you set up your home office.
• In Week 6 you set up bookkeeping and tax records.
• In Week 7 you developed your USP.
• In Week 8 you staged yourself for CLNC® success by preparing your promotional package and developing a pool of CLNC® subcontractors.
• In Week 9 you networked with a minimum of two people every day and followed up with each lead received.
• In Week 10 you announced your occupation as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant on social media and asked for help from your friends and contacts.
• In Week 11 you set a budget for exhibiting and scheduled to exhibit at a legal seminar or conference.
• In Week 12 you developed your marketing plan.

So what’s next? It’s simple – repeat and refine this 12 Week Series any time you want more legal nurse consultant jobs.

Keep your intention focused, stick with your marketing plan and make sure you’re properly staged for success. Continue to network with anybody and everybody that comes within 3 feet of you – whether it’s at the grocery store, on the Internet or in an attorney-client’s office. If you’re busy consulting, you might reduce the number of contacts you network with, but at a minimum you should be networking with at least three people per week and following up on those attorney-prospects you receive.

On a monthly basis remind your social media friends, contacts and connections that you’re a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Announce your involvement on cases (with confidentiality) and speak proudly of the ways you’re making a difference on your legal nurse consultant jobs.

Finally, commit to exhibiting quarterly. One good attorney-client from an exhibiting opportunity can pay your mortgage, put your kids through college or simply fund those dream vacations you’ve always wanted. Exhibiting sounds expensive, but can reap more legal nurse consultant jobs than any strategy – except referral.

Speaking of referral – you can add this strategy to your marketing plan as you gain new attorney-clients from the strategies you’ve implemented in this series. Referral is the most powerful marketing strategy you will implement. Attorneys trust the opinions of other attorneys. Formalize the process. Don’t expect your attorney-clients to automatically refer you. Train yourself to ask for the referral. All you have to do is ask and the attorneys will become your marketing partners. Use the name of the referring attorney when you communicate with the attorney-prospects provided.

Now it’s time to update your marketing plan to include the strategies you will continue to implement. There’s no finish line in business, marketing or success. What you started and committed to when you joined this Series is just the beginning. Repeat the process again and again to obtain the legal nurse consultant jobs and attorney-clients necessary to grow your legal nurse consulting business.

Congratulations on completing the series The First 12 Action Steps for Starting Your CLNC® Business. We’ve enjoyed hearing about all your CLNC successes. Thank you for joining us and know that Success Is Yours and we’re with you every step of the way.

For more on legal nurse consultant jobs read:

• 8 Reasons Attorneys Need RNs for Legal Nurse Consultant Jobs
• 10 Common Misconceptions About Legal Nurse Consultant Jobs
• 27 Nursing Specialties Attorneys Need for Legal Nurse Consultant Jobs
• 5 Simple Ways to Overcome Your Fears of Legal Nurse Consultant Job Interviews
• Number of Attorneys for Legal Nurse Consultant Jobs By State
• 2024: Legal Nurse Consultant Jobs Outlook for Career Growth and Salaries