Blog

Congratulations to Joe Campbell, our commercial property solicitor, who marries Vanessa tomorrow.

Our best wishes to both of them.

This time 18 years ago my wife was heavily pregnant and I had just resigned from a comfortable and safe solicitors’ partnership.  With no income and a mortgage to pay I recall the emotional mix of excitement and fear. Graeme Quar & Co A Law Firm Advising Business was born a few weeks before our son.

This time last week I enjoyed a lunch of champagne and cake with our team to celebrate 18 years of being in business.  There is still lots of excitement and plenty of challenges.

Graeme Quar & Co has come of age.  In the current financial year turnover has increased by 32%.  Our second branch office was opened last December and the team has doubled in size since 2010.  We are optimistic about the future.

I am asked what advice would you give to an ambitious young solicitor who is considering a legal start up? Easy.  Two things.  Firstly, know what you want to do and write it down.  It is called a Business Plan.  Secondly, stick to the plan.

I still have in my desk drawer a copy of the Business Plan that I prepared in 1994 to present to Lloyds TSB Bank.  It was sufficient to persuade the bank to lend me the working capital and provide an overdraft facility.  I still read it.

The Business Plan said that my new business would be A Law Firm Advising Business.  The firm would target owner/managed businesses in Hampshire and provide legal advice and solutions to those businesses.  This is what we did yesterday, we are doing today and will do tomorrow.

We know our market well. All of our solicitors specialise in business and commercial property law.  We meet and talk to the local business community.  We find out what businesses want and deliver.

Over the years we have resisted the so called easy money in residential conveyancing.  We have avoided ambulance chasing for personal injury work. We cannot write wills and couldn’t spot a decree nisi – but we know our target market.

Whilst the core values of the Business Plan have remained the same our management activities have evolved.  Our 2012 annual review includes a social media strategy, case management IT systems, customer service training and a 90 day plan for every team member.

After 18 years we remain A Law Firm Advising Business.  I am looking forward to the 21^st birthday cake and another glass of champagne.

Graeme Quar

18 years ago, on 1 March 1994, a young solicitor called Graeme Quar opened his own firm, in premises nostalgically referred to as the cowshed, and with Ann, his long-suffering PA.

18 years on the firm is going strong. At lunchtime we allowed ourselves a small celebration.

We are always grateful to receive positive feedback from our clients, and were thrilled to receive this from the director of a company we have been advising about a transaction with a European customer.

Q: How can we improve?

A: More of the same.

Q: Any further comments:

A: One fears picking the phone up to most suppliers because you know it will not go smoothly.  The same can not be said of Graeme Quar & Co.

Thank you.  We try our hardest!

The Department for Work and Pensions has issued a revised timetable for implementation of auto-enrolment (see blog post 6 January 2012 - pensions auto-enrolment – new obligations for employers)

The revised timetable is as follows:

Source: DWP press release