DATE: Friday, May 9, 1997                   TAG: 9705070133

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 15   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JENNIFER C. O'DONNELL, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   64 lines

ATTORNEY SPEAKS FROM EXPERIENCE ON SMALL-BUSINESS HELP

Chesapeake attorney Andrea W. Phelps knows all about running her own business. After all, she set out on her own seven months ago after leaving a large law firm in Norfolk. That sort of expertise comes in handy in Phelps' new practice, which specializes in helping other small businesses, start-ups, entrepreneurs and home-based businesses.

``Leaving the firm was both exciting and scary at the same time,'' Phelps said. ``My understanding of what a small business goes through getting started has greatly increased having gone through it myself.''

When Phelps first entered law school in 1991 she had no idea that one day she would end up representing small businesses and individual proprietors.

``When I decided I wanted to go into business law I thought it would be limited to big corporations,'' Phelps said. ``But I've discovered that there are a ton of small businesses out there that are doing some really interesting things.''

Phelps has done some interesting things herself. She joined the Navy in 1985 after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. Her tour of duty took her to the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm where she was stationed on a submarine tender. While serving in the Gulf, Phelps had the chance to rub elbows with members of the Kuwaiti royal family and various diplomats.

Phelps left the Navy in 1991 to attend law school at The College of William and Mary where she graduated three years later. The young lawyer then cut her teeth in business law at a large Norfolk firm. There she represented a mix of large corporations and a few mom-and-pop establishments.

``After working with some of the small companies, I realized just how dependent this region is on them,'' Phelps said.

Although Phelps enjoyed the challenges associated with helping other businesses, both large and small, she said she was driven to step out on her own.

``I wanted to be my own boss,'' she said. ``I guess I was a little jealous of the entrepreneurs I represented and I wanted to give it a try myself.''

But the desire to call the shots and set her own hours wasn't the only draw for Phelps.

``At the firm I realized that small businesses could be better served. I wanted to create a practice that catered to them,'' she said.

And she did. From a room over her garage, Phelps labors for her clients, which include a small art gallery, a bagel restaurant, two small construction companies, a gourmet gift-basket business and a software writer.

Her duties range from writing legal contracts, such as non-compete clauses, to representing her clients in court. The biggest mistake small businesses make, Phelps said, is to fail to plan for legal issues.

``A lot of small businesses don't go to an attorney because they think it's too expensive,'' she said. ``But it always takes more time to resolve a problem than it does to prevent it.''

Still, Phelps thinks small businesses today have an advantage over their larger counterparts.

``I think that small businesses have done well because they understand what it takes to be competitive and meet customer demands,'' Phelps said. ``They understand what it takes.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN

``I wanted to be my own boss,'' Chesapeake attorney Andrea W. Phelps

said of her decision to leave a large Norfolk law firm. ``I guess I

was a little jealous of the entrepreneurs I represented and I wanted

to give it a try myself.''

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