Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Amy Ingram, founder of Ingram Law Firm, located in Kingston, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a boutique business law firm. I provide clients with a lawyer in their pocket. What does that mean? Simple, for a low monthly subscription cost, you can utilize my services for between 10 to 60 hours in a year. After many years of discussing legal services with entrepreneurs and adjacent service providers, it became abundantly clear that people didn't regularly hire a business attorney because they either were afraid of the cost, the unknown, or to be a bother for something that may or may not require counsel. The solution I created was to take the initial hesitation out of the interaction with counsel. You book a consultation for 45 minutes, and we chat about your business, your structure, your needs, and how I can help. During that call, we also talked about how many hours you may need and the price point that is the best fit for the business. That's it. SO when something comes up, you can send it over, and we handle it. If you use your hours before the end of the year, we work out additional needs. It's an attorney in your pocket, and it is game-changing. My customer is a business owner, an interrupter, an influencer, and an entrepreneur, no matter where they are in the process; we can help.

Tell us about yourself

I am a product of a bad business market. I graduated from law school in 2009, right in the middle of the financial crisis. No one was hiring; no one wanted to even talk to a brand new lawyer. So now what. I had loans, and I had no prospect for a job to pay for them. So one day, I said, I'm going to open my own law firm. I didn't do this on a whim; I had spent six months trying to find a job. I was scared, I was overwhelmed, and I was desperate. In early 2011, I started the process of opening my own practice. I created an LLC, got my malpractice insurance, started marketing, and took on clients. And the rest is history. I had moments of saying, what the hell am I doing? I didn't know how to do this, but I figured it out, and I succeeded. I'm knocking it out of the park every day on my terms, and I've never been happier.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

That I continue to make it, I am a young(ish) female in a male-dominated business. I am not local to my area, and I have had to hustle and grind to stay open. But that's behind me now, my reputation proceeds me, and I am able to work on my own terms. That is what it is all about. Working on your own terms. Opening when you want, closing when you want, hiring competent staff to do the work with you, giving high-quality products to customers, and filling a need that no one else has figured out.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

It is a double-edged sword; I'm proudest of it is also one of the hardest things. Working on your own terms. It takes some time when you take that leap and start shaking things up. It is challenging in that people doubt you, you doubt you, and it is extremely hard work. You try things that you think will be amazing, but you fail. You have to be able to get back up from that and figure it out. The figuring out is the hardest part. It is also the most rewarding part

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Be bold. You have to make a splash, not on entry necessarily, but at some point. You find your niche and make a splash. Be the one business people can't stop talking about. Good, bad or ugly, get your name in people's minds and rock their world.
  2. Be humble. Remember that you may be successful now, but you weren't always. There is always someone behind you who needs your help. Never be so big that you can't ask for help and that you lose perspective.
  3. Be smart. Know what you know and what you don't. Every lawyer is not created equal. Google cannot give you all the answers, and when in doubt, ask. It is so much harder and more expensive to fix a mistake you didn't have to make. Success does not mean that you know everything there is to know; it means you've figured out the basics, how to ask for help and to grind.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Don't judge yourself by someone else's measuring stick. It is easy to get swept up in comparison, especially in today's global digital market. But the things that work for another business in a different industry are not what may work for you.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://ingramlaw-ny.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ingramlaw.ny/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingramlaw-ny/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.