Faces of CoWork Me: Ty Brierley – BST Legal
Ty Brierley is not your typical lawyer. With an interesting work background, Ty brings a lot of experience and knowledge to his business BST Legal.
Please read our interview with Ty Brierley.
Can you tell me a bit about BST Legal and why you started it?
BST Legal is a law firm that specialises in property law and conveyancing.
I worked in a law firm for a number of years and then made the decision to work for myself three years ago.
Can you tell me about your background?
Well, when I first left high school I worked as a chef. Whilst studying I tried to run a few different companies, this involved a massage business and a promotions business.
I always knew that I wanted to work for myself, however, as a lawyer you have to work for someone for at least two years before the restriction is taken off your license. Once I got to that point, my business was up and running in a weekend.
Do you have a team? What do you look for in a team?
Last year I had four employees, however I now work alone and I absolutely love it. I found that I was wasting time with admin, payroll and managerial work when I had staff.
After a trip to New Zealand and America some staff left and some were asked to leave which left me to review how this business would work with just one person. When I came back from travelling I saw my productivity go up and I was able to relax so much more. It definitely made a huge difference to my business.
How did you find the transition from working for someone to working for yourself?
Amazing! I like the flexibility you have when working for yourself. I think that I have settled into the right kind of business which has made that transition much easier.
Why did you choose to set up in a coworking space?
Originally I was sharing an office space with an accounting firm in South Melbourne. One of the lawyers I had was working out of WeWork in New York, so we decided to take a look at the Melbourne space. We stayed at WeWork for about 12 months before coming across to CoWork Me.
I was initially attracted to the flexibility of a coworking space and I like how there is a huge social aspect with people around all the time. Here at CoWork Me there is more space and I’m only a five minute walk from home which is a huge bonus.
Originally I was sharing an office space with an accounting firm in South Melbourne. One of the lawyers I had was working out of WeWork in New York, so we decided to take a look at the Melbourne space. We stayed at WeWork for about 12 months before coming across to CoWork Me. I was initially attracted to the flexibility of a coworking space and I like how there is a huge social aspect with people around all the time. Here at CoWork Me there is more space and I’m only a five minute walk from home which is a huge bonus.
What do you do to unwind?
At the moment I’m on a three month drinking ban so I’m looking for new ways to unwind. I love reading as I live on the beach and I just joined an MMA gym so I’m learning something new there. I try to keep busy by working on other business projects as well.
How did you come up with the name for your company?
That was probably the hardest part when I started the business, I just wanted a name that would showcase what the business is about. After a good day brainstorming I came up with BST Legal which stands for Buy, Sell and Transfer, exactly what the business provides.
How many hours a day do you work on average?
When you work for yourself weekends and holidays are non existent, you are constantly switched on. I like to work a total of five working days spread over seven.
Can you think of 3 aspects of your job that will change in the legal area 10 years from now?
Conveyancing is moving towards a digital platform which means that I’ll be able to operate my business from anywhere in the world.
Virtual assistants is another area that some law firms are tinkering with however, its an area that lawyers have to be careful with due to privacy concerns.
As technology advances, I think the job description of lawyers will change. We now have algorithms that are being created to give a judge ruling to a case. However, I’m not too stressed about this profession going because it will just transition into something else.
What would your clients say about you?
They love me (laughs). The thing about me is that I am not a traditional lawyer, meaning I meet them dressed casually. It’s not a suit and tie coming to chat with them. I like how my business operates in a different way. Everything is a fixed fee, nothing is a surprise.
Most of my work comes from mortgage brokers or a real estate agents, so it’s important to keep up good relationships with them.
I have also made the transition to keep everything electronically rather than the old way of doing everything by hand, it’s much more efficient.
Biggest tip for someone starting a business?
Pick something that you’re good at and you love.