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Professional speaker
Entrepreneur Andrew Woolley’s pioneering business practices in e-commerce and tales from his 22 years as a solicitor have made him a man in demand on the speaking circuit. Delivered in plain English with a wickedly dry sense of humour, whether the occasion demands a relaxed after-dinner speech or informative business delivery on virtual business, e-commerce or business start-ups, Andrew fits the bill.
Speaker Profile
Giving up a perfectly good partnership at a successful law firm to launch the world’s first “virtual” practice in a sector not known for its innovation raised more than a few eyebrows.
But Andrew didn’t care. He has always followed the path less trodden, getting himself expelled from grammar school in his native Coventry, playing in a rock band, taking a job as a dustman and branching out to become a nightclub doorman before tackling law school.
Fitting his lectures around playing rugby for a colliery side, Andrew excelled and was snapped up by a major Midlands law firm, racing up the ladder to become a full partner by the age of 30.
It wasn’t all plain sailing. His irreverent attitude, got him into a few scrapes, like the time he was before a High Court Judge renowned for being fierce and bad tempered and Andrew suggested he “might learn a lot by living a normal life with normal people in the real world”. After a painful silence, the Judge laughed and said: “Probably true. Brave man.”
But Andrew saw a better way and, after studying at Warwick Business School, in 1996 he left to launch the world’s first “virtual” law firm, embracing the latest internet technology to cut administration time and offer clients a more accessible, human service.
It worked. Woolley & Co has expanded rapidly and has made Andrew an expert in IT, e-commerce, websites and e-marketing issues. He has also been a pioneer in home working, exploiting the explosion in communications technology that allows anyone to work from anywhere (“If lawyers can do it, anyone can.”).
For a relaxed, informal affair, Andrew can regale gatherings with stories of his encounters with the law, delivered with a dry sense of humour interspersed with genuine insights into the secret of his success. For more business-minded meetings, he can journey into the minutia of technical legal and e-commerce issues in the plain English style that has become his trademark.
Topics include:
A typical lawyer?
A highly anecdotal account of his life, experiences and legal “funnies”.
The Enterprising Lawyer – a Contradiction in Terms?
Incorporating planning to be different, thinking laterally and using your strengths and addressing your weaknesses.
Virtual-e
An account of how he started and rapidly expanded the world’s first virtual law firm and how, in his view, anybody can do it…and why they should. Now also captured in a practical e-book Planning and Doing Business Virtually, available for just £29 plus VAT.
Running a virtual business / flexible working
How to save and make money by starting a virtual business or department and using flexible working.
How to be e-legal
A view on the bits that you need to watch out for if you are trading on-line.
What’s in a name?
A look at how to protect your trading name (and maybe domain name) and why.
How to supercharge the value of a database.
How to comply with the data protection and privacy regs and at the same time how even a small business can create a database worth a fortune!
Audience Comments:
"Very refreshing. Exactly the kind of challenge that I needed."
"Amusing at times. Provocative and thought-provoking."
"Good content, excellent speaker."
"Fascinating stuff! A ‘pub landlord’ approach to presenting – brilliant! Very thought provoking regarding part-time working/home working too."
Contact Andrew Woolley on 01789 276377 or email Andrew here.
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