Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Len Garza, Founder of GARZA Business & Estate Law, located in Princeton, NJ, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is a fully virtual law firm, and I serve business owners and families. I assist them in protecting their businesses and assets for future generations while keeping them out of court and out of conflict.
Tell us about yourself
I've been practicing law for over 15 years, primarily in larger law firms. Over many years, I saw that family-owned businesses and non-Fortune 500 private companies were underserved by the larger firms I was at. I wanted to make a greater impact by working more closely with these companies on a more personal and less transactional level.
About three years ago, I started my own law firm, serving small businesses and families, and it's been wonderful. I have a lot of gratitude for being able to help them and provide them with the legal guidance they need to protect their legacies for their loved ones. Making a real difference that I can see in their faces is what motivates me every day.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
As any business owner knows, you face challenges all the time, so simply overcoming those challenges is an accomplishment in and of itself. Up to now, the biggest accomplishment has been growing the team. I started out as a solo attorney and stayed that way for the first couple of years, but then I reached the capacity of what I could do and the number of clients I could serve.
That wasn't enough for me, and I knew I wanted to serve more people and make more of an impact. I was at a crossroads: I could stay a solo attorney and turn away new clients (I really didn't want to do that), or I needed to hire and build a team (which was initially scary because now, instead of just managing myself, I would be responsible for managing others effectively and being a leader).
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Working on your business rather than in your business. It's so difficult to keep this mindset because there are things going on every day that need attention, but the overall business needs the vision to grow and thrive. Vision is critical.
Learning to delegate has been a really tough challenge for me because I like to be involved in everything. However, learning to delegate effectively is essential for this company and the team members to reach all of their potentials.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be a lifelong learner. As a business owner, you're going to continually be facing things you're new to or don't have experience with. You need to learn to figure things out. The good thing is there are many ways to do this (e.g., reading, webinars/videos, talking to others, etc.)
- Mindset. This is really the most important thing. Keeping a proper mindset is so key to success and weathering the inevitable storms. Hiring a business coach has been key to my growth here, and I highly recommend finding a coach that you can get in sync with to help you in this all-important area.
- Don't go it alone. In the beginning, yes, you'll need to do many things yourself. But once you get going and more revenue is coming in, start looking to hire and delegate to other people (hire employees or use vendors). For example, don't do your own bookkeeping. Hire someone else to do that. Get an assistant (VA or otherwise) as soon as you can afford it. The time you'll save focusing on your strengths will pay off many times over.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://lgarzalaw.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GarzaLawLLC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garza_business_law/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LenGarza4
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lengarza/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.
