Office Space: The Proverbial Shingle Is Hung

This is the fifth article in a series on opening a solo law practice.

When we last left off, I was working on marketing the new firm, managing money and following leads. By the first quarter of 2010, the firm was about 10 months old, and about to take a very big step — moving into my own office space.

OFFICE FURNITURE

An advertisement on Craigslist introduced me to the owner of a company in Bala Cynwyd who was closing his doors around the time that I was moving into my new office in January. The day I saw the ad was the day I drove up to Bala and paid for the furniture. I spent $500 for two L-shaped desks with overhead credenzas and three very comfortable black desk chairs.

These desks were in great condition. I had spent a few days prior visiting furniture stores, but found it difficult to justify buying new and at top retail price. When I saw these desks, they felt right and looked much better than $250 apiece. I paid in cash, and the owner drafted up a quick contract that we both signed. I had until the weekend to figure out a way to get the furniture from there to my new office.

The winter weather made the move hallenging. I recruited three of my most handy friends to help. We had to disassemble the desks before loading them, and then reassemble them once they were settled into their new home. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it.

After assembly, I treated the guys to brunch for their services. With only two desks filling up the space, it hardly looked like a firm open for business. Yet I felt good about my first office furniture purchase. Next, I thought of how else to furnish the place on a budget.

I grabbed some bookshelves from my uncle's house that he was storing, a small table with two chairs, and a rug from my house. Individually, each piece did not impress me that much, but somehow, when I put it all together, it miraculously looked like a very nice, comfortable workspace. The final touches for the move in were a few diplomas and bargain art pieces on the wall. Without sounding too much like a home improvement television series, I had just furnished my office for $500, plus the costs of a brunch to pay my movers.

COMPUTERS AND EQUIPMENT

Next, I needed computers but had no idea where to start. All I knew was that I wanted two computers and, as you will see was a necessary theme for me, did not want to spend a lot of mo ...