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

2. 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

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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

8. 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

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