Whelp, it's official! I've just about had it with ultimatum marketing from online business lawyers, y'all!

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In case you don't know what I'm talking about, let me give you an example by way of a recent exchange I had on Threads (this is one of many):

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And believe me when I say I KNOW you're not here for petty social media spats, but I'm sharing this with you for a good reason.

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That reason is this: as long as you're hanging around here, you'll never hear me advocating for 100% legal protection for your business.

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You'll also never hear me passing out legal ultimatums like candy.

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Why?

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Because it perpetuates the myth that the law can fully protect your business from something bad happening. Now don't get me wrong: the law can certainly help you be prepared in case something bad happens, but it cannot prevent or save you from something bad happening. Bad things happen, sometimes. That is just how life works.

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And the current trend I'm seeing with small business lawyers on social media is that they're using fear tactics like the one above and posting these blanket ultimatums about the law to scare you into working with them.

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Not only is this problematic from an ethical standpoint (I am firmly against fear-based marketing), but it also plays up the common misconception that 100% legal protection is the correct and only approach for your business.

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But that's simply not true. When it comes to the law in your business, the correct approach is the legal strategy that empowers you to take calculated risks to grow your business sustainably.

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Because the truth is that business is risky. Being a business owner is inherently risky. And it's well established that businesses routinely take risks to increase their revenue.

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And when we (us lawyers) advocate for 100% legal protection strategies, we create unnecessary clashes between the law and your business.

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That's because full legal protection rarely makes good business sense.

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When we view the law as a protector instead of a tool, we significantly undermine its ability to help propel a business forward.

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When we view the law as a protector instead of a tool, we think about the law as a wall that inhibits or blocks forward progress instead of as a catalyst, that when leveraged correctly, can create awesome business outcomes.

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When we view the law as a protector instead of a tool, we tend to talk about all small businesses as monoliths instead of seeing that each business has its own needs, risk profile, and goals. That means trademarking might be critical for one business and wholly unnecessary for another. It also means that business insurance could be a good idea for a business with a higher risk profile, while another business can go without it.

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When the standard is 100% legal protection or bust, we close ourselves off to the myriad of options that the law gives our businesses to maintain legal compliance and grow and thrive.

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So the next time you see this type of ultimatum on the internet, friend, PLEASE I beg of you, don't let it dissuade you.

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Don't let it keep you from engaging with the law.

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And, don't let it deter you from being proactive about the legal strategy in your business.

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Because when you take the time to understand the law and the buffet of options it offers to your business, you can use it strategically to build the business of your dreams on a solid foundation.

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And that's what I want for each and every one of you.

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If you want to read more about my personal views on why I think business law is important for entrepreneurs, check out my most recent blog post.

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If you're trying to get a legal strategy together that leverages the power of the law to propel your business forward, book a Legal Strategy Session ($365) with me.

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If price is an issue, then please, please fill out this survey to tell me which workshops you want me to offer. It takes 60 seconds and a Legal Strategy Workshop (focused on a topic) is one of the options. The price for that workshop would range from $75 to $100 depending on our topic.

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As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I'm pivoting to offer more workshops in group settings to make the law more accessible. Filling out the survey helps me figure out what to prioritize based on your needs.

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Until next time, wishing you good health and prosperity,

Brionna

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p.s. If you want to support my creation of more free legal resources for people who work, then I invite you to donate to The Everyday Lawyer Solidarity Fund. It's just over 60% funded and you can make a one-time or recurring donation to support the cause!