Andrea Henry shares tips for protecting your moneymaker and staying true to yourself
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Young Women in Business Toronto (YWiB) aims to provide our diverse community of young, self-identified women with genuine career advice, encouragement, and examples of local role models. That's why, for the next few months, we’ll be interviewing both career professionals and entrepreneurs our community can be inspired by and learn from.
Andrea Henry, Business and Tax Lawyer/ Partnership Whisperer
Andrea, tell us about yourself and what drove your interest to practice law and to focus on small business, especially self-identifying women entrepreneurs?
My story is a bit of a ‘winding road’. I was born here but also grew up in Barbados. I originally wanted to be an anthropologist, however, I didn’t necessarily see a career path in anthropology. I was told that since I liked to read and argue, maybe I should study law! I’ve also always been fascinated by the business sector. I did internships in investment banking because I was fascinated with the world of business; I liked learning about and being involved in mergers and acquisitions, investments, etc. Due to this interest, I always knew if I was to have my own legal practice, it would be some fusion of business and innovation.
I started off as a commercial litigator and spent two years doing well, however, I realized quickly it was frustrating for me. I witnessed client disputes for hundreds of thousands of dollars that had they spoken to a lawyer about, they would have prevented the problem. I decided I wanted to focus more time on supporting clients with the proactive, preventative side of the law.
As a mother of three amazing kids, after my third maternity leave I decided it was time to open my own practice in an effort to be there for my family and have more work-life balance. It was important to me to create a practice I both loved and enjoyed. I decided I wanted to work with entrepreneurs, women especially because honestly, it’s more fun and satisfying. When you empower women entrepreneurs, when you give them agency the opportunity to invest in their children and families... you can see real change in society. I knew from working with larger companies that you can't scale that to a level of impact without legal protections in place.
My mission is to help women gain agency create impact by helping them secure appropriate legal protections needed for their businesses.
On your website, you say “in an industry full of tradition and rules, I focus on one: Everything I do has to serve entrepreneurs better.” Tell us a little bit more about what this means to you.
I know this first-hand: entrepreneurs are busy! Most don't necessarily find ‘joy’ in the legal side of business. It’s not the most fun, perhaps, but it’s important for me to make important processes and legal procedures as seamless and efficient as possible. One way I do this is through providing virtual services (yes, even before COVID-19!) I’ve had meetings with clients with their children perched on their laps!
All forms and contracts are electronically done, in fact, our whole process is designed (and we're always tweaking it to be better!) for easy onboarding, accessible language, and payment plans and subscription services so you can get the protection you need without needing to put up a lump sum all at once. As an entrepreneur myself I invested heavily in coaching, and this would've been accessible if I hadn’t had the ability to pay in installments based on my situation. I wanted to give that flexibility to my clients as well.
Based on your experience, can you offer some general legal advice for women entrepreneurs who are just starting out?
I want to focus on what I consider to be 3 Pillars of a Legal Foundation;
How you own your business/structure - As I say on my website, Protection of your moneymaker! Thinking about protection for your personal and business assets, appropriate type of business/structure, insurance (especially for solopreneurs), looking holistically at protections from risk.
Protect your relationships- All businesses run on relationships, and your key relationships are with customers, but also your team; employers, contractors, suppliers, manufacturers. All of these folks help make your business run so you should have clear, written contracts in place so everyone can be on the same page. It’s not necessarily that people are trying to take advantage, it’s more about misunderstandings. Clear contracts outline what each side can expect and help to reveal the gaps in understanding. The advantage of investing in legal contracts is to ensure from the beginning you know what's going on, much less likely to get into a dispute.
Protecting your intellectual property and brand- This is especially important now while everything is online and customers are interacting with your brand, website, and content online. It can become easy to confuse competitors without a sample level of protection. Women in particular, I find a lot of our IP is in the content we’ve created such as presentations, content, so we need to recognize the value of our work and protect it so no one else can benefit from your hard work.
Later on, I like to discuss areas of franchising, other contracts, investing, licensing, mergers, etc, where relevant. But these first 3 are crucial for new entrepreneurs.
On your website and social channels, you caution entrepreneurs from DIYing their contracts and other legal documents. Why is it so important to seek professional guidance for these activities?
Some of the caution depends on where you buy legal templates from, but my basic answer is that your business is unique. You don’t want to risk missing things or including items that aren't relevant. For example, I have a client who is a writer who often co-publishes books. The person in charge of her recent co-publishing contract used a template generated from a website. It included a Non-Solicitation Clause which basically discourages employees from leaving a company to work with a competitor. This would’ve been fine, except the writers were independent contractors. As they were not employees, this clause was not relevant.
When you start out as an entrepreneur, there usually isn't desire or budget to spend on legal contracts. I get it but it's so important to examine templates in relation to where you live, what makes sense for your business, and the coverage you need. Even if you did your own due diligence and brought a templated draft of a contract, it's a well worth-it expense to have a lawyer review to ensure you don't miss anything
Because I know budget can be a factor for new entrepreneurs, I actually created a resource for them! Secure Startup.ca offers templates designed for Canadian entrepreneurs that are industry-specific. As I said before, your business is unique, and you need to make adjustments to templates to fit your needs, however, it’s better to have a customizable solution that works for you as you grow.
As you start to scale up, you can invest more in legal support. Look for someone with experience in your field. Even a consultation will help you avoid pitbulls in your business and industry. If you don't need a contract ( ex: It was provided to you from the client), it’s important to look for and identify risk. If you don’t, you won't know what can hurt you.
New to business? Andrea has provided a free, comprehensive legal checklist.
The COVID-19 outbreak has actually created a boom for lawyers because it has shown that unexpected things can happen. You realize why you need to protect yourself. The thing is with law and contracts, you can have the best contract there is but that doesn't prevent someone from trying to wiggle out of it or try to get around it. However, an air-tight contract can help to minimize that risk and protect you from damages
Your branding is lively, approachable, and very accessible. What are other ways you say true to yourself in your business and personal brand?
I dont know ...I’m just me!
I’m a single mom with three kids, and I’ve been working for a long time. I didn't want to be in a position to pretend or fit in within the legal industry. I don't wear suits unless I really want to or if they go with my own style, for example, leopard print. I bring up Beyonce in client conversations and reference her in masterclasses. I’m just me. It has always been really important to me to be authentic.
At first it was difficult because I found the legal industry was very traditional, very corporate and serious. People can tell when you're being yourself and if they can interact with you as a human being who likes to wear leopard print, they can see themselves in you. Potential clients can look at my website and figure out if we would work well together.
I realized I wanted to work with women specifically after I had my own young children and couldn't go to as many events on nights and weekends. I had to network and go to events when they were at school and through this change in scheduling, I connected along the way with other moms and moms groups. I realized I was the only lawyer in these groups and maybe I had found a niche!
I say I have two of the hardest jobs there is; a mom and a business owner. In reality, sometimes the business almost becomes like another child. Like so many, we get into business to be the mom we want to be. Our ‘mom guilt’ seems to bond us. I've seen how my business has improved the lives of my own and other’s children- financially and also in terms of worldview. They see their entrepreneurial moms and it inspires them to do something or otherwise exciting with their own lives.
I view my business as activism; the fact that I can be a woman, especially a Black woman, who can take up space in this field and economic power, and pass this legacy onto children. That’s activism.
In terms of developing my brand, I also followed a US-based business coach, Rachel Rodgers, who was a real example for me of someone who looked like me and was successful. I started following her and her journey and work pushed me to also achieve my goals. We need to see people who live like us and have similar lived experiences. Representation is so important to your own success.
Read more: YWiB Role Model Interviews: Entrepreneur Regina Sheung finds support, community, and silver linings
Do you have any advice for women, especially Black women, who are currently studying law or have recently started their career in this field?
I would probably offer different advice for those studying and those who have just started careers, but;
Relationships are everything. Learn how to network. I am an introvert...my happy place in a room with a book. I had to learn how to come out of my shell, deal with humans, build relationships, and engage. It’s so important to build relationships that are meant to last. If someone comes up to you and needs help, you can be there and vice versa. Foster relationships that help you to build rapport and be there when people need you...then they’ll know you and be more willing to support or seek help. Especially in the legal industry- whether in jobs or launching your own practice- relationships are key when starting out.
I know someone who literally used a spreadsheet to track her relationships and land a job. She sent emails to her contact every 6 months and networked her way into CNN. She was able to create a solid network of relationships despite no industry background or previous connections.
If you’re just starting out in your legal career or starting a practice: I am a firm believer in mission.
Find what you want to do, the people you want to serve, and go all in.
If you're focused on where your passions are, you’ll grow and get clients faster. It’s easier for referrals and word of mouth if you’re really clear about who you are and what you serve. When you want to be all things to all people it can come across as lukewarm and less clear what you actually do. Ideally, you should determine a niche field and niche clients
I sometimes get asked if I was afraid to be open about working specifically with women entrepreneurs. The answer is no, because 1) I wanted to work with them, and 2) it does not stop other people from working with you. If people are attracted to what you're doing, it won't matter. They'll self-select into your offering, or go elsewhere.
Young practitioners often try to serve everyone... I know that it's tempting and I’ve felt those heart palpitations which come when you say no and turn away work especially- when you’re just starting out. Learning to say ‘no’ has allowed space for the people I wanted to work with, and for my business to grow the way I wanted it to.
What excites you about the future?
I see more and more women coming into their power, taking up space, and making an impact in the world. That is so powerful; to see women who were traditionally disenfranchised now making a difference in the world socially and also through economic empowerment. The fact that so many women make money and have profitable businesses, especially those who traditionally had less access to funding and opportunities. In my opinion, the Internet has led to democratization of opportunities in business. Before the barriers were so high for marginalized people, but now, if you have a phone and Internet, you can build a business. I see women who start off small and are now making 6 or 7 figures. You see the true impact their success has on their families, communities, and the causes they can support. I’m excited to see the future impact as more and more women enter into business and build their own legacies.
Connect with Andrea: Website Instagram
Andrea Henry is a Cambridge-educated lawyer with more than a decade of experience working with businesses of all sizes and at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey. When she started her firm, she had $1000, three clients and A LOT of hustle – growing her practice to 6-figures in under a year.
Her clients come to her passionate about their businesses but unsure about whether they are protected in the next stage of growth. Andrea started Henry Business Law to help ambitious entrepreneurs feel safe and secure in their businesses and enjoy the exhilaration of growing with the confidence that they have the right legal protections in place.