Now, I have made it easy for you to use these custom search engines too, via the Mycroft Project. These are Ohio focused, so if you practice elsewhere, scroll to the bottom for links and resources to create your own custom search engines. To install any or all of these, click the link above the list, then click on the names of any search engines you would like to try:

Install Legal Search Enginges

CBA Directory - Search the Columbus Bar Association

Ohio Attorneys – Search Supreme Court directory (Firefox only)

Ohio Law – Google Scholar – Search Google Scholar for Ohio Case Law

 Ohio Legislature Bills – Search all bills at the Ohio General Assembly

Ohio Revised Code Keyword – Search the Ohio Revised Code by keyword
Ohio Revised Code Quick – Quick jump to a ORC section.

In Chrome, each of these search engines is associated with a keyword. For example, the Ohio Revised Code Quick search, I associate with the keyword ORC. Then, in the search bar (address bar) I simply type “ORC 1302.10″, press [Enter] and I am instantly taken to that code section. In Firefox, these search engines are added to the drop down search box, and in Internet Explorer they are added to the address bar’s drop down search selector.

Creating your own custom search engine is easy, and here are the links to help you do so. If you create a useful one, please share it here, and think about adding it to the Mycroft Project for others to share.

Google Chrome Instructions

Firefox Instructions

Internet Explorer is a bit more difficult and I recommend using the Mycroft Project’s Create/Submit tool.

Slides

Links

Ohio Supreme Court Advisory Opinions: Internet Issues, Advertising

Online Ad Channels: Google, Microsoft, Facebook, CBA, AVVO.com, Lawyer.com

Print Ad Channels: Dispatch, Business First, Columbus CEO

E-mail Marketing Services: MailChimp, Constant Contact

Analytics Services: Google, Woopra, GoodData, BringShare

Tracking Phone Numbers: Twilio, Dubtel

Social Media Analytics: SocialMention.com, Google Alerts, TweetGrader, Klout, Hubspot

More Info

Podcasts: Legal Marketing Podcast, Podcasts Bryan listens to

Blogs: Lawyerist, Larry Bodine, Law Practice Pro, Legal Office Guru, Small Firm Innovation, Solo Practice University

Size. The most common envelope is the No. 10 and it fits letter size sheets folded by thirds. My problem with this envelope size it that I find it difficult to consistently fold documents into thirds, it takes time and patience, and then the documents have strange folds that make them more difficult to scan. My solution, is the booklet envelope, and a 6 x 9 envelope can be stuffed with documents folded in half. This is much easier than thirds, and the documents flatten much nicer when removed. Be warned, if you go any larger than 6 1/8 inch, the envelope will no longer qualify for USPS letter rate, and the large envelope rate starts at $0.88 for 1 ounce letters. You can order size A10 (6×9.5) envelopes and still be within the letter rate, and these are great if you tend to send larger documents. Also, because this size is less common, I think it makes your letters stand out among the stack of mail filled with No. 10 envelopes.

So, the 6×9 booklet is a great envelope. But, you really need two envelopes, the second being a full 9×12 size for larger documents. You can buy these in booklet style (opens on the long end), or open ended style (opens on the short end.) This is a matter of personal preference, but I generally buy the open-ended envelopes.

Bryan’s Recommendation: 6 x 9 Booklet Envelopes, and 9 x 12 Open Ended Envelopes.

Paper. While there are many choices for paper style and color, and probably no wrong answers, you need to first ask this question: How do I address my envelopes? Do you hand write your envelopes, print labels, prefer window envelopes, or print directly onto the envelope? I am a fan of directly printing onto the envelope, but I know lots of firms that use labels. Otherwise, the important paper characteristics are color, texture/weight, and ink acceptance.

Color is important because if you are going to hand write or print onto the envelope you need a light colored envelope to ensure the ink stands out. If your firm has a brand identity, then consider a compatible, or complementary, color, but you might consider a lighter shade. You can’t go wrong with white.

Texture and weight is about personal preference. Generally, very lightweight envelopes (less than 24 lb.) will feel cheap. Very heavy envelopes may increase your postage costs.

Ink acceptance is important if you will be printing onto the envelope. Some envelopes will accept laser printing or ink jet printing better than others. The only way to know for sure is to test a sample envelope. Try to obtain some samples that you can mock up or test print.

Security/Windows. I would caution against window envelopes because that provides a window to the contents of your letter, which can be a security problem. You can also get envelopes with a security lining. While confidentiality is important, it can also be good for marketing to show your clients that you take that extra step to ensure their confidentiality.

Use caution before you buy high security Tyvek® envelopes, they gather static electricity and do not accept printing or stickers well, and you may be stuck using a permanent marker.

Seal. Lick ‘em or Stick em? These are the basic options, either a gummed flap you lick (or moisten) to seal, or a sticker-style flap where you peel off the cover and then fold the flap pressing the sticky part to the envelope. There is also a type of “self-sealing” envelope that does not have a cover on the sticky part and you just press the sticky part to the envelope. In my experience self-seal envelopes are not as reliable and frequently require extra tape to ensure a secure seal. My preference is the peel and seal style, but I find it hard to find them in inventory and it can be expensive to order custom envelopes. If you are stuck with the gummed flap lickable envelopes buy a sponge.

Where to buy: I don’t get a cut of this, so I don’t have any strong preference. Start with your custom printer, who did you use for letterhead and business cards? There are many great choices online such as: Action Envelope (6×9, 9×12), Envelopes.com (6×9, 9×12), and others.

Final tip: Put your logo and website in the return address! While the post office doesn’t need this to return mail to you, it is a chance for everyone who touches the envelope to find your firm. You could even consider a QR code on the outside, or other creat

What do you think? Tell me about your firm envelopes and post a picture of the most creative envelope you

Start with this article: Google Voice: a cheapskate’s guide to cheap VOIP.

At this time, I use Google Voice for my personal voicemail, and I use Twilio for business calls so I can have more advanced routing and filtering.

This program subsidizes the monthly fee ($9.99 and up) if you purchase your printer from Dymo (they also have a laser/inkjet option.) The labels can be purchased from Dymo, or there are a number of less expensive options on Amazon.com.

Downsides: (1) upfront cost of printer is about $100, and (2) you cannot print the right amount of postage for certified mail. The software is limited to printing pre-set amounts of postage for first class and package rates at specified weights, so printing the correct amount of postage for certified mail is impossible. You can slightly over-pay or you can buy certified mail stamps at the post office.

Why not just buy stamps at the post office? Lots of reasons:

1. A single printed stamp looks very professional;
2. I only have about $10 in stamp inventory at any one time, instead of pre-paying for $100 or more in stamps at the post office, or making frequent trips;
3. The label printer is great for printing other labels too;
4. The software keeps track of new postage rates for me.
5. UPDATE: Office sharing attorneys can have their own accounts.

There are other ways to buy postage over the internet and print the postage directly onto the envelope, but these call require a monthly fee of $10 to $20 or more. Postage meters can run as much as $250/mo. for a small office.

UPDATE: #5 above is for multiple attorneys in one office. They can share a single printer and a supply of blank stamps, but each can pay for their own postage with a separate account setup on their computer. This is a huge advantage over trying to figure out who mailed more pieces each month and divide up the bill.

I also bought this postage scale for about $20 and it works great!

Instead, I logged into my OpenVBX server, and installed the Outbound Plugin by Chad Smith. In about 5 minutes I had created my own conference calling system at a cost of $0.05 per minute or less, and the other participants did not require any special knowledge. I could call them to directly add them to the conference call, or I could assign a telephone number (local or toll free) to directly connect callers to the conference call without any codes, pins, or waiting. The solution worked perfect, the call quality was excellent, and I am very pleased that it worked out so well. All of this is made possible by a wonderful company named Twilio.

I am working on a fork of the Outbound Plugin that is more conference call focused, and I will release it when it is ready for public consumption.

In the meantime, here are some details about how to do this with the Outbound Plugin:

1. Signup for a free Twilio account (your first $30.00 is free)
2. Install OpenVBX on your web server, I like to use a subdomain, but it can run in a folder. The install is as easy as WordPress.
3. Download, unpack, and install the Outbound Plugin in the OpenVBX\plugins directory
4. Create a new Flow in OpenVBX that dumps callers into a Conference Room.
5. Initiate an Outbound Flow to your own telephone and connect it to the new flow.
6. Initiate additional Outbound Flows for each participant.
7. To assign an inbound calling number, simply assign the same Conference Room flow to a Twilio number.

Summary

After executing a written contract for the performance of a 17 piece band at a wedding for $2,550, Defendant Tiffany Curtis cancelled their services two weeks prior to the performance. The Franklin County Municipal Court Small Claims Division awarded Plaintiff Rick Brunetto, the band leader, his personal share of the fee at $240. Brunetto appealed asking for the full fee he owed to each of the band members.

The 10th District Court of Appeals held:

The Supreme Court of Ohio set forth rules governing the recovery of damages for an anticipatory breach or repudiation of a contract in Allen, Heaton & McDonald v. Castle Farm Amusement Co. (1949), 151 Ohio St. 522. Where a defendant repudiates a contract before the plaintiff substantially performs and thereby relieves the plaintiff of the obligation to perform, the plaintiff may maintain an action on the contract to recover damages for the defendant’s breach. Those “damages may include the further compensation [the] plaintiff would have received under the contract if it had been performed, less the value to [the] plaintiff of his being relieved of the obligation of completing performance.” Id. at paragraph one of the syllabus.

Brunetto at ¶ 14.  The Court further hinted how the trial court should rule on remand, “…it cannot be contended seriously that the parties expected that a breach would obligate Curtis to pay only Brunetto’s personal portion of the Band’s fee… The contract price is, therefore, the starting point for a determination of recoverable damages.” Id. at ¶ 15. The Court of appeals remanded the case to the trial court for a hearing on the matter of damages consistent with this opinion.

Commentary

This is the right result, and it is the result the small claims magistrate originally suggested. You can help guide the court to a proper damages calculation by using a clearly drafted contract. In this case, the band members still have not been made whole more than 2 years after the breach of contract. As a business practice you can mitigate these problems by collecting fees in advance, having a clear cancellation policy, and using written agreements with your subcontractors.

I will try to obtain a copy of the contract used in this case and update this post.

Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For [some business owners] run after these things, and [your customers know you need them]. Seek first [great customer service], and all these things will be given to you as well. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own . (Matthew 6:31-34)

In your business, do you have the freedom to focus on the important things? Do you accept bad clients to pay the bills, or offer low quality services to make a quick buck? Your business will suffer from these actions.

Focus on your strengths and providing a great product, and your business will grow.