State Bar of Wisconsin's video: Small Firm Success: How to Plan for Growth

Erin Ogden and her two partners thought long and hard about expanding their intellectual property and business law firm. “We kept getting more work, and we had to decide ‘Do we want to turn away work, or do we want to bring in additional people?’” Ogden said. “It’s a big decision.” Ogden, managing attorney at Ogden Glazer + Schaefer in Madison, said that they key to growing the firm was adopting a new mindset. “You have to start thinking like an administrator, you have to start thinking like a business owner not just as an attorney, and that is a turning point.” Ogden said that the decision to grow the firm was a fit with the firm’s clients. “We want to stay small but mighty but small but mighty doesn’t mean no growth,” Ogden said. “We work with growth companies, let’s be a growth company and start thinking like our clients.” She said annual strategic planning – and communication about that planning – is key to the firm’s growth efforts. “We’re very transparent with all our employees because we want to have their buy-in and their ideas.” Ogden recently presented on "Implementing Flexible Work Schedules and Maximizing Your Time" at the 2022 Wisconsin Solo & Small Firm Conference. Replays from the Wisconsin Solo and Small Firm Conference Available Replays of selected sessions from the 2022 Wisconsin Solo & Small Firm Conference are scheduled for December. With a CLE reporting deadline fast approaching, WSSFC replays are a great way to earn credits with relevant and timely topics. Go to the WisBar Marketplace and search on “WSSFC 2022.” More than 30 sessions are available in four different tracks: substantive law; practice management; technology; and quality of life and ethics. https://www.wisbar.org/wssfc/2022/Pages/default.aspx