Mark Smith
My Vision:
Provide support services to those who can’t afford or access traditional legal services;
To support attorneys and other legal professionals with their in-house legal practice needs;
To assist small businesses and companies with their everyday business and funding needs.
To educate the individual with legal knowledge and the understanding on how to protect themselves legally and financially through personalized service and products.
To help build capacity in individuals to maximize their whole being to the better of our communities, schools and children.
Tell us about yourself?
Originally a performer/singer-songwriter from an early age of 10 went behind the scenes as a small Indie Publisher and booking agent into the world of entertainment law which then paved my way to starting my legal support services journey as a paralegal/office Manager from 2005 until Present.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
To keep up with the stamina of high stress and activity, make sure get plenty or sleep and eat health and stay fit.
What problem does your business solve?
support services in the legal and financial industries is much needed for law firms, businesses, local governments and the community. My business model addresses all of this under one roof.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
What inspired this was a few personal situations I found myself in. I started this business out of the need to attend to family obligations and personal health issues but still needing to work.
Working from a home office environment was the best option for me and frankly, in the legal services, no-one was really doing it and everyone who tried, wasn’t as successful, at least not when I started in 2009.
What is your magic sauce?
Support services is a niche and not many paralegals are out here doing what I am doing in NYS.
My willingness to go the extra mile with affordable pricing and financing options makes the difference for some. I also offer a range of services that keeps people coming back for multiple needs.
I try to make sure everyone is fully attended to for the most part and do what I say I am going to do. Character and word is everything and that’s my secret sauce.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
To make my business model sustainable, hire several FT employees to reach more and saturate the areas I service as the leader of support services in NYS.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
I can’t do it all, being a Sole Proprietor is really tough at times, because you wear all the hats. Keeping up with all the requests, I have had to turn some away because I just simply can’t do it all.
The more popular I have been becoming the harder it has been. I hate turning anyone away. Challenge is- time versus tasks versus income and that circle it goes in.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
I am actively seeking marketing/vendor partners, individuals and businesses who could benefit from my services and be the go to person for all things legal support and financial.
