In June 2008 a young entrepreneurial filmmaker by the name of Patrick Sargent came out to the iContact office in Durham to do a documentary on entrepreneurship. His film, Work Your Way Up, launched today and is available on his website. Here’s the trailer.

And here’s an excerpt from the film where I talk about the immense impact the simple act of writing down my goals, framing them, and putting them in my closet has had in my life.

Here are some words from Patrick: The purpose of Work Your Way Up was to create a film for aspiring entrepreneurs that they could use to guide and inspire them on their journey as entrepreneurs. This project came to fruition about a year ago when I was scouring the market for a film on entrepreneurship for aspiring entrepreneurs. After lots of searching I realized something. There weren't any.

Whenever a client walks into my office to discuss marketing for his small law firm, the conversation invariably starts with: "I don't have enough money," or "Where can I get the money to market my services?"

The reality is that money is not a big problem when it comes to small law firm marketing. You can bootstrap a law business exactly the same way an entrepreneur bootstraps any other start-up.

Here is a starter list of things that you can do today (and over the next six months) to jump-start your solo law practice.
5 Ways to Market Your Small Law Firm & Attract New Clients with Little Time, Effort and Money:

1. Focus on Your Natural Network First

Each of us has a network of people we know, like, and trust (to varying degrees). Leverage this network to the hilt. Call everyone... your friends, relatives, and business associates...past and present. Let them know that you are on your own and explain to them the value you provide. The purpose of these calls is not just to get business in your specialty area; it is also to convince them to come to you first with any legal work. If you cannot handle the work, you can refer them to another attorney, who will (hopefully) return the favor with a referral to you in the near future.

2. Seize All Opportunities for Free Media with a News Hook

Every day, there are news items in the newspaper and on television and radio that fall into your area of expertise. Your local newspaper editor is always looking for expert commentary on these topics. A news story without a quote is not a true news story.