Business Partners and You: Perfect Together

If you are like me and have lived in New Jersey for as long as you can remember, you can still hear former Governor Thomas Kean reciting the state slogan, “New Jersey and You: Perfect Together” (and may even throw in your best Jersey accent for emphasis).  As I thought about content for this article, this slogan came to mind over and over again.  Why, you ask?  It is because I am here to write about the importance of collaborating with our NJALA business partners to achieve your law firm’s goals.  While I may be stating the obvious, our business partners are here to help you, and working with them can help you in ways you never knew.

Let’s face it, you would not be in a management or administrative position without at least some contact with business partners, but when was the last time you reached out and scheduled a quick telephone call or meeting with a business partner to see what is new and exciting?  You may be surprised to find out that our business partners can help you in numerous ways, and that they are not just there to make the sale.  I understand that we are busy, need to get our regular work done and are often hard-pressed to find the time for extra meetings or exploring new company relationships.  We may not have the luxury to take on additional projects or incorporate alternate systems and/or procedures.  My guess is that most of us subscribe to the principle of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”; but, you could be missing out.

We all know that the right products and services are key to successful legal administration.  Business partner relationships are important connections and resources as we conduct our jobs, plan for the future and expand our knowledge of products, changes and trends.  Building future business partner relationships can help us when a product or service changes or when an additional product or service is needed.  Positive relationships with business partners also provide a way to enhance our profession within our communities. 

Recently, I was chatting with one of our business partners, Gabriella Hermey from J. Herbro, also known as Dri-Klean.  Gabriella’s company cleans commercial carpet and office interiors.  She was chatting with a member at an NJALA event about her need to replace the carpeting in her office.  Our member told Gabriella that she assumed their carpet was unsalvageable and would need to be replaced.  Gabriella offered to come take a look at the carpet, and was tasked with trying to lessen the stains and freshen the space temporarily until the budget allowed for the high cost of carpet replacement.  According to Gabriella: “Instead, our team was able to thoroughly remove all the stains and improve the overall profile and air quality in the space.  We’re so pleased to know the client was thrilled with the results and we were able to extend the life of the carpet, saving them money, time and effort, all without disrupting their routine.”   Thanks to a quick conversation with one of our business partners, this member was able to save her law firm the costly expense of replacing its carpets. 

Another member, Elli Albert, told me about a time when she needed a temporary secretary for her office.  “When I was desperate for a temporary floater in my office, I called a few different staff recruiting agencies.  The only one who came up with multiple, qualified candidates, or, in fact, any candidates, was Micki Mersky from our NJALA business partner, Execu-Search.  She placed our temp with us, and the temp was eventually hired as a permanent employee.  I now recommend Micki and her firm constantly.  They are extremely diligent and pleasant to work with.”  Elli was willing to step out of her normal routine and give someone new a chance.  The results were a win-win for all involved.

I am sure I could find many more testimonials from our members about successful experiences with our business partners.  The point is, unless you make the effort to find out what is new or what has changed within the industry, you may be missing out on the opportunity to save your law firm time, money and aggravation.  One simple meeting with a print management company or an off-site storage facility could result in significantly less headaches down the road.  Please make this a professional goal for 2019.  Consider taking a meeting.  You may be surprised with what you find.

We all know that without our business partners, NJALA would not be able to offer our amazing educational and social events and scholarships.  We owe them a big thank you for their constant support.  Taking the time to really get to know our business partners is a great way to show your thanks.  Give them a chance to hear about your projects and initiatives, and let them try to build a solution that will make you “perfect together”.