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Imogene was passing by in the hallway and popped her head in at that moment. “Yes! I tried to speak with Carson about purchasing productivity software, but he wouldn’t hear of it. We had email, obviously, but no intraoffice software. The office I worked in several years ago had it and wow, did it make the office more efficient. We could make appointments, keep client files, send reminders by email or text, and all our court dates were in the database. That tech stuff is amazing.” Imogene had only been with Carson for a couple years, but she’d worked as an administrative assistant her entire career.
“Sounds expensive.” Tanner sighed loudly.
Carly tapped her stylus on the iPad. “It’s an investment in your business. You don’t want to be a dinosaur from the start.”
“No, and it sounds like this will make running a business a lot easier in the long haul.” How could he not have thought about all this? He was a smart lawyer, but he’d been so hyper focused on his cases and getting out from under Carson’s thumb, he’d not done research into all the minutiae of the latest office equipment.
“You have what’s most important: a law degree, a place to practice, and a solid reputation. And now, so do I. We can do whatever kind of law we feel comfortable with, can’t we? Unless there’s something you want to avoid in your practice. During my internship, I worked with a lot of women in tough circumstances and gone after parents who didn’t pay child support. So, maybe I can help diversify the practice with some areas where you don’t normally work.”
Tanner leaned back in his chair as if thinking about that. “I don’t want to appear as an opportunist. No television commercials about how we can get the public paid big money over a tiny mishap that doesn’t do real harm. I don’t like the idea of sticking it to small businesses when somebody randomly trips on the curb outside.”
“Optics are important for sure. But obviously people bring suits over that kind of thing all the time. Would you not take a case if you believed you could win?”
“No. I wouldn’t take a case if I thought the person bringing the lawsuit was a scammer. Winning is easy. But my reputation is important to me.”
Carly nodded. “So is mine. Sounds like we agree on the ethics side of things.”
“I do my share of wrongful death, personal injury, and family law. And I take on some pro bono work as well.”
“I decided in law school that I will always take a certain percentage of pro bono. It’s the way we give back to our community.” Carly was firm in her conviction.
We both turned at a jingling sound. “I found these in the supply closet. Is it okay if I attach them to the front door?” Imogene stood just inside the threshold of the room holding a set of bells in her hand. “All the best places in town have them.”
“I guess it’s a good way to know if someone is entering the office when no one’s at the front desk.” Tanner couldn’t argue with the idea of bells.
“What about security cameras?” Carly suggested. “It’s on my list.”
“I’ve already purchased a wireless system. It’s in my truck. We can get it up and running in the next day or two. I’ve read the instructions and it sounds simple enough to install.” Maybe he hadn’t thought of social media, but security was high on his list.
“So the bells are a yes?” Imogene jingled them again to get their attention.
Tanner nodded his confirmation on the bells. “Yes. Let me know if you need any help.”
As they ticked through Carly’s rather extensive list of must-haves for the practice, some items he’d thought of and some he hadn’t, he again was struck by how much attention to detail and time she’d taken to make certain nothing important was missed. Some of it was going to cost him a substantial amount of money, but all her ideas were worthy of consideration.
“What about parking?” Carly pointed to another bullet point highlighted on her list.
“Parking?”
“Yes. What’s our situation with the parking lot? Do we share with any other businesses? Is it a private lot or public parking? Do we need to designate spots for the business?”
“Jason said he’d never had to designate any spots because there’s a printing business next door that does delivery only, and on the other side is a caterer. The employees park out back, along with the catering vans, but we have several spaces so I’m assuming there won’t be a problem if we schedule appointments one at a time. Plus, there are metered parking spaces out front on the street for anyone.”
“You might want to check with your contact at city hall to make certain they don’t require any parking lot insurance or maintenance fees.”
“Wow, you really have thought of everything, haven’t you?”
Carly shrugged. “I’m a bit OCD when it comes to details. I start at the bottom and work through problems with a fine-tooth comb. I’ve tried to do the same with this. Parking, physical building, IT, workflow, marketing—you get it.”
“I’m starting to. Your skills likely make you invaluable when it comes to clients and their cases. No details left unaccounted for, right?”
“That’s my goal. I’m big on spreadsheets and whiteboards.”
“I’m big on pens and paper.”
They both laughed, but not for long as the newly installed bells on the front door jingled, alerting all that someone had entered.
Tanner tensed. “I thought the door was locked.”
