Building a Mediation Practice Mediator Meeting Building a Mediation Practice August 2012

About you Strengths Your accreditation CD / ACDS / CEDR / ADR Group Your existing career and track record Sector or niche experience Location Your personality Weaknesses Lack of experience Uninformed market

About you Opportunities The group with whom you trained Mediator providers Experienced mediators (twinning-assisting-observing) Other mediators in your area Your clients Your colleagues Your professional association Your address book and personal contacts

About you Threats Other mediators who charge less and network better Experienced mediators Legal representatives ‘Closed shops’

About your market - What sort of mediation work do you want About your market - What sort of mediation work do you want? Who is your target market? Commercial / business Public sector / private sector Employment / labour / workplace Family Community / neighbourhood High / low value Full day Half day Telephone / internet mediation Pro Bono / volunteer Anything / a mixture

Where is mediation work going to come from? Direct from personal recommendations or direct marketing Providers Courts Lawyers Professional bodies Community organisations (NGOs, community based organisations, local authorities)

Your Plan develop a marketing plan based on the above develop a mediator CV develop terms of business price - hourly / daily rate / overtime rate payment terms / before or after travel, accommodation, venue costs cancellation clause draft a persuasive explanation of mediation draft a standard agreement to mediate

Your Plan walk the talk - include mediation clauses in your contracts consider some practicalities such as business cards, brochures, website use social media – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter apply to panels of mediators attend meetings, call meetings, write letters / articles explore the internet and consider studying further

Generally work will not find you; you need to find the work.