In the circles of Tampa Bay community, Marcus Fernandez can be labeled as a leader worthy of praise. This Bar-certified lawyer has been in the industry for more than ten years and managed to achieve accomplishments that go way beyond a typical law resume. For example, when he is not working as a car accident attorney Tampa, he contributes to the advisory boards of the Make-a-Wish organization or Villa Madonna school. Additionally, he is a member of the Florida Justice Association and the Education Committee of the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce. Furthermore, the client feedback that surrounds Mr. Fernandez tends to echo positivity and words of praise for his dedication.
Where did the idea for the KFB Team come from?
KFB law team was established as a joint venture between myself and two more attorneys. We wanted to create a Tampa personal injury attorney office where individuals from all walks of life can acquire professional help with filing claims and pursuing compensation.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
It looks like a high-level socialization event where I regularly interact with people. Whether it is my business associates, the clients, or others, it is a rare occurrence to find me sitting idle without anybody inside of my office.
How do you bring ideas to life?
By discussing it with my partners. We run a business together and everything that deals with the overall betterment of our enterprise is decided on via joint effort.
What is one trend that excited you?
Like many other attorneys, I am pleased to see that employers are becoming more transparent with their workers. In the past, I dealt with many cases where clients were pursuing damages due to negligence or unmentioned disclosures. Nowadays, the inflow of such instances has slowed down severely as everyone is open and honest about their endeavors.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
I write things down. For example, when I get contacted by a client, I set a reminder to follow up. Similarly, if I come up with an agenda for a few hours of my day, I record the tasks on my phone and use that as a simplified to-do list.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Spend less time studying and more time networking. Being a lawyer is based on a solid foundation of knowledge. Nevertheless, one can be the smartest person in the world and never receive any client work if they have not showcased their business through proper networking.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
Law will always win in the end. Many people like to point out the shortcomings of the judicial system, which are undoubtedly existent, but there is no doubt that a crime will ultimately be evened out with repercussions.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
I communicate with people. This includes checking in with my clients every other day, talking to my partners multiple times during a day, as well as following up on court cases, claims, and verdicts. Based on my experience, the best way to stay in the loop and be productive is to let people around you know what you have coming up.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Good customer service. All of the professionals who work at KFB can be classified as anything from minor slip and fall attorney Tampa to high-level experts on complex court cases. We achieved this status by working with a wide range of clients whose needs considerably differ.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
I used to struggle with meeting deadlines because things would pile up and I would forget about a few items that need to be done here and there. Although it was mostly miscellaneous duties that did not hinder my projects, forgetting unimportant things can quickly snowball into not doing your job. I overcame it by implementing the aforementioned note-writing techniques and planners.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Design a tool that will enable people to synchronize multiple messaging platforms. I personally use things like Skype, Viber, and Whatsapp which require me to switch between apps every few minutes. If you can come up with a way to combine these, you might be looking at some excellent revenue-making opportunities from online advertisers.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I bought some decoration for my office. It definitely helped brighten up the mood, and numerous clients have complimented it already!
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
The previous apps that I mentioned are definitely amongst the most important pieces of software that I rely on. Also, Outlook e-mail helps me document most of my interactions.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
“A Sea of Debt: Law and Economic Life in the Western Indian Ocean, 1780-1950” by Fahad Ahmad Bishara. This is a great tool to get educated on the laws of another country and see how things work in their system. Certainly helps you be more versatile.
What is your favorite quote?
“The power of the lawyer is in the uncertainty of the law” by Jeremy Bentham.
Key Learnings:
• Communications is the key when it comes to remaining organized.
• Hand-written ideas are the easiest way to jump-start projects.
• Networking while studying creates far more opportunities than just studying.
• High-quality customer service assures high retention rates and customers’ loyalty.
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Steve (Stefan) Junge hails from Germany and helps with the day-to-day publishing of interviews on IdeaMensch. While he and Mario don’t share a favorite soccer club, their enthusiasm to help entrepreneurs is a shared passion.