How to Start a Mediation Business
Business Overview:
If you are a good listener and have excellent problem solving skills, learning how to start a mediation business could bring you great success. Mediation is a type of dispute resolution in which a third party – the mediator – helps the disputing parties resolve an issue. You may think that mediation can only be performed by trained legal professionals but you’ll find when starting a mediation business that you don’t need to be a lawyer. In fact, much of the training to become a mediator can be done online. But before you get too far, you need to evaluate your own area of expertise. There are many different types of mediation and you need to specialize in the one you have the most experience with. If you are a corporate executive, you could focus on business mediation. Counselors starting a mediation practice can focus on divorce, custody and estate issues. If you have experience with green business issues, you could focus on environmental mediation. As you can see, there is a great opportunity for anyone with an area of expertise to turn this business idea into a successful mediation practice. If you are interested in starting this business but do not feel you are qualified to offer mediation yourself or are not interested in becoming a certified mediator, you can hire experienced mediation professionals to work for you. And since all communication can be done via email and phone, your staff and your clients can be anywhere in the world which makes this one of the most versatile business ideas available today. Once your business is set up and your staff is in place, you need to market your services. Contact local law offices that specialize in your area of expertise and ask to be on their referral list of mediators. You can also place ads in your local newspaper and phonebook to attract new clients. It’s a good idea to have a website even if your business is not exclusively online. Prospective clients need to be able to see what services you offer and how much to expect to pay. A mediation business is not only a valuable resource to people who need conflict resolution, it’s a terrific way to be your own boss and make a profit from your experience.
A Day in the Life of a Mediation Business Owner:
Your day will begin with a check of your schedule to see what appointments you have. If you will be meeting the disputing parties in your office, you will need to make sure your meeting area is prepared (get paperwork in order, have water available, etc.). After your meetings, you will make sure your notes from the meeting are in order and make a note of any follow-up instructions. If your business is online, you will respond to emails and arrange conference calls with your clients to discuss their situations. If you have staff handling the mediation for you, you will make sure their meetings are set up properly and you will follow up with them at the end of the day to check on their progress.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be disagreeing parties who need mediation in order to keep their dispute out of the legal system.
What You Need to Start:
- Niche or area of expertise
- Mediation training and certification or a staff of trained mediation professionals
- Office space including meeting area if your business is local
- Website and conference call capabilities if your business is online
- Excellent listening and conflict resolution skills
- Computer with finance software
The Good:
- Disputing parties usually want to keep their disputes out of the legal system and are more than willing to pay a professional to help them resolve their problems.
- Training is easily done online.
- You can operate this business part-time.
- It’s rewarding to use your expertise and help people resolve conflict.
- You can hire trained mediators to do the work for you.
The Bad:
- It can take a little time to get trained and certified.
- It can be difficult to resolve conflict so you will need to be dedicated and continue to improve your skills.
Resources:
- The National Association for Community Mediation
- Association for Conflict Resolution
- American Arbitration Association
- Wikipedia on Mediation
About The Author
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