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  • 1.  Zoom Coffee Catch Up / Advice for Newer Mediators

    Early Adopter
    Posted 13-09-2023 05:42 PM

    Hi,

    I am a mediator in Melbourne and was wondering if anyone had advice on how to get business. I had my business quite general then made it more focused on employment mediation and commercial mediation. I have been to business networking events in Melbourne but I haven't managed to get any leads. I was wondering if any experienced mediators in Melbourne or another city or regional town were available to chat via Zoom about their business and what they did when they first started off and what they do to build their business? I have reached out to HR professional on Linkedin but they haven't come back to me in relation to mediation work. 

    Kind regards, 

    Sharlene Kuruppuarachchi 



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    Sharlene Kuruppuarachchi
    Mediator and Lawyer
    GLENROY VIC
    493396706
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  • 2.  RE: Zoom Coffee Catch Up / Advice for Newer Mediators

    Early Adopter
    Posted 14-09-2023 01:23 PM

    Hi Sharlene, 

    There is no easy solution for building a mediation practice especially if you are only doing mediation. 

    I could do a short zoom, but basically I think that having a specialization or niche is a good idea, such as employment law. Once you develop a reputation in that area, it is easier to branch out to others.And you can let your clients know that you also do general commercial  mediation.

    You can also reach out to law firms or potential users and try and organize coffee, or zoom meetings as well as develop a social media, following by posting content. Networking events are also useful - if you net work with other mediators then he can learn more about how to develop your practice and if you net work with Lawyers or people in the employment field, then that is another way to get new business.

    depending on how much experience you have getting on panels is very helpful not only to get the work, but also he will be exposed to parties and lawyers who generally hire mediators for matters outside of the institutions or courts. 

    I hope this helps and I thought it would be good to put it in this chat so that may be others can see it also. 



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    Donna Ross
    International ADR Practitioner
    Donna Ross Dispute Resolution
    Melbourne/Singapore
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Zoom Coffee Catch Up / Advice for Newer Mediators

    Posted 19-09-2023 06:22 PM
    Edited by Ian Richards 19-09-2023 06:52 PM

    Hi Sharlene,

    Well done for leaping into private practice.  Great work connecting with business networks; use these events to gain information on when businesses need mediation and how they find them. You may have done so already; however, small business centres around the country have been set up to help and support small businesses. They offer many services, including developing business and marketing plans.  See https://www.sbcv.org.au/ Start with a plan and define your capture audience first. This will help you to keep track and focus on what is important.  It is also worth having a look at paid Google advertisements. I ran a 6-month campaign in my early years, which paid off (I don't need to pay for Google Adwords anymore).   

    A good supervisor is also a valuable investment. They may be able to help you with inroads. 

    I found this link by David Chin which has a resource kit attached to it that might be helpful for you.   Open Forum

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    Hope this helps :)

    Good luck



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    Ian Richards
    Mediator
    Counselling and Mediation
    Nairne SA
    0402 125 806
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    Original Message