How Chad Sekoncik Built Legal Services Platform to $1M ARR Using No-Code Solutions
Who is Chad Sekoncik?π
Chad Sekonchik, the founder of Better Legal, is a serial entrepreneur with a background in film from the University of Texas. He began his career at Dell but soon ventured into tech entrepreneurship, launching various startups with a focus on no-code solutions.
What problem does Better Legal solve?π
Better Legal simplifies the business formation process by offering a straightforward, one-price service for startups to quickly and affordably handle all necessary legal paperwork without upsells or hidden fees, eliminating the hassle and time investment typically required in navigating state requirements.
How did Chad come up with the idea for Better Legal?π
Chad Sekoncik, the founder of Better Legal, identified a gap in the market when he realized that his attorney friend was losing potential clients due to high charges for basic legal setup services. Observing that this friend billed $1,500 for forming an LLC, with much of the task involving manual data entry, Chad recognized an opportunity to streamline and automate the process. This insight convinced him that technology could reduce the time spent on forming a new business from hours to minutes, and in turn, allow for pricing significantly below competitors while increasing efficiency.
Chad's background in leveraging automation tools like Zapier and experience with CRM systems informed his approach. By initially integrating tools such as Typeform, Asana, and WebMerge, he created a prototype that drastically reduced the complexity and cost-effectiveness of setting up legal documents. This solution's success, with more efficient processes leading to a higher volume of work at lower prices, inspired Chad and his friend to co-found Better Legal.
Before fully committing, they validated the market demand through trial sales, confirming the idea's viability. Chad's willingness to refine the concept through iterative development and feedback reflected his adaptability. His journey demonstrated the critical lesson that understanding and addressing a real-world inefficiency, combined with technological integration, can open up substantial business opportunities in traditional sectors like legal services.
How did Chad build the initial version of Better Legal?π
Better Legal was initially built using no-code tools like Typeform, Zapier, and WebMerge, creating a streamlined process to replace tedious document handling tasks. Chad Sekoncik, the founder, switched to Salesforce for improved data management, despite its high cost and limitations. Eventually, they transitioned completely from custom code to a no-code platform using Bubble to overcome development delays and high costs.
This migration allowed Better Legal to recreate five years of custom code within a year, reducing development costs significantly to $5,000-$7,000 monthly. The switch to Bubble also significantly increased efficiency, allowing them to build and iterate features faster while reducing dependence on external developers.
What were the initial startup costs for Better Legal?π
- Development Costs: At one point, Better Legal was spending $8,000-$10,000 per month on custom development before switching to a no-code solution to reduce costs.
- Cost-reduction Strategy: By switching from custom code to Bubble, they aimed to cut operational costs significantly.
- Platform Transition: The migration to Bubble as a no-code platform was prompted by high expenses and slow feature deployment, with the entire process taking under a year.
How did Chad launch Better Legal and get initial traction?π
Google Adsπ
Better Legal initially relied on Google Ads to attract its first customers. The founders spent about $1,200 on Google Ads, resulting in two sales and a return of $600. This early investment underscored that people were willing to pay for Better Legal's services and helped them validate their business model.
Why it worked: Despite the low return on initial investment, the campaign provided essential market validation. By demonstrating that some customers were ready to trust them with personal and financial information, the founders gained confidence to improve their offerings and continue promoting their services.
Partnering with a Lawyerπ
In its early days, Better Legal's service was extended through a partnership with a lawyer who wanted to streamline the LLC formation process. By automating this process, Better Legal could significantly reduce the time and cost involved compared to traditional legal services, offering bundles at $299 plus state fees. Initially, about 50 LLCs were set up via this method, driving significant initial sales momentum.
Why it worked: This tactic succeeded because it combined the credibility of a legal professional with the efficiency of an automated system. It allowed them to generate initial sales and feedback at a reduced operational cost, providing a foundation for expansion.
Early Automationπ
The first version of Better Legal was built using no-code tools like Typeform, Asana, and Zapier. This setup allowed them to automate the creation of legal documents and streamline operations with minimal upfront investment. This early approach served around 50 customers in the initial phase.
Why it worked: The use of no-code tools enabled a swift build and deployment without the need for heavy development costs or extensive technical expertise. This approach allowed Better Legal to focus on customer acquisition and improving their service offering quickly.
What was the growth strategy for Better Legal and how did they scale?π
Google Adsπ
Better Legal initially used Google Ads to attract their first customers. They spent $900 on Google Ads, which resulted in two sales valued at $600. This indicated a promising return rate and validated their service, thus encouraging further investment in this channel.
Why it worked: Google Ads helped them reach potential customers who were already looking for legal services online. This direct approach to advertising allowed Better Legal to effectively showcase their simplified and cost-effective solution to startup headaches, immediately capturing the interest of those in the process of forming a business.
Strategic Use of Technology and Automationπ
Initially, Better Legal used a combination of no-code tools like Typeform and Zapier to automate the legal document creation process, saving significant amounts of time and reducing costs for filing new business formations. They later transitioned to Bubble, allowing them to rebuild their system efficiently and at a lower cost.
Why it worked: By switching to no-code tools and later to Bubble, Better Legal minimized their dependency on expensive and time-consuming custom development work. This technology strategy not only reduced their operational costs but also allowed them to innovate and offer faster service compared to traditional methods.
Lean Operations and Lower Overheadsπ
Throughout their development, Better Legal kept a lean operations model with a small team, predominantly hiring part-time contractors through Upwork, allowing them to manage costs effectively while scaling operations.
Why it worked: Maintaining a small, efficient team empowered Better Legal to keep operational costs low. This cost advantage allowed them to price their offerings competitively while investing in critical areas like product development and customer service, which contributed to their growth and customer satisfaction.
Customer Transparency and Simplicityπ
Their marketing focused on customer needs by offering a straightforward and transparent pricing model. Unlike competitors that complicate their offerings with various packages and upsells, Better Legal provided a single all-inclusive price.
Why it worked: This simplicity and honesty in pricing attracted customers who were overwhelmed by the complexity or cost configuration of other services. This clear messaging reduced the hesitation and decision-time for customers, incentivizing them to choose Better Legal for their straightforward approach.
What's the pricing strategy for Better Legal?π
Better Legal offers a flat fee of $299 for comprehensive business formation services, including state filing, EIN, and legal documents, eliminating upsells and simplifying the process.
What were the biggest lessons learned from building Better Legal?π
- Embrace No-Code Solutions: Better Legal transitioned from custom coding to a no-code platform, drastically reducing development time and costs. This shift allowed for rapid feature implementation and reduced dependency on traditional developers, proving that no-code solutions can effectively support complex business operations.
- Iterate and Improve: By moving from multiple software versions to a streamlined no-code platform, Better Legal could iterate quickly based on real-time feedback, enhancing their product faster and more efficiently. Regularly revisiting and improving processes is crucial to staying competitive and meeting customer needs.
- Cost Efficiency Through Integration: Replacing external services with internally developed solutions on Bubble enabled Better Legal to cut down on SaaS subscription costs. This approach highlights the importance of integrating key processes to reduce expenses and increase efficiency.
- Focus on Core Business Needs: Better Legal's initial struggle with front-end development was a lesson in prioritizing business functionalities over technical complexities. Partnering with the right tools allowed them to focus on core operations rather than getting bogged down in development nuances.
- Adapt to Market Conditions: During challenging times, Better Legal adjusted its focus, transitioning to no-code to sustain operations and remain profitable. This adaptability underscores the need for businesses to be flexible and responsive to market and economic pressures.
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More about Better Legal:π
Who is the owner of Better Legal?π
Chad Sekoncik is the founder of Better Legal.
When did Chad Sekoncik start Better Legal?π
2016
What is Chad Sekoncik's net worth?π
Chad Sekoncik's business makes an average of $208K/month.
How much money has Chad Sekoncik made from Better Legal?π
Chad Sekoncik started the business in 2016, and currently makes an average of $2.5M/year.
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