Virtual assistants can provide a tremendous service for those who have time-intensive administrative tasks that need to be completed daily. But it’s important to remember that when hiring a virtual assistant, you should consider all of the options available and what will work best for your law firm before settling on one individual or company.
In general, having a virtual assistant complete repetitive tasks such as email correspondence, document preparation, data entry, and scheduling can free up your own time so you’re able to focus on growing your practice and engaging in more strategic work. However, not only do you need to find someone capable of completing said tasks but also someone with whom you are compatible. This article provides several things to think about before hiring a virtual assistant for your law firm.
1) What Type of Administrative Tasks would You Like Your Virtual Assistant to Perform?
Before you begin searching for a virtual assistant, it’s important to understand which tasks need more attention and how much time you’re willing to dedicate. For example, if you spend countless hours stressing about organizing your office filing system, constantly file documents incorrectly, or simply looking for misplaced files, hiring someone who specializes in virtual filing could benefit both you and your practice. Nowadays there are many virtual assistants available that can provide outstanding bookkeeping services as well as process incoming client documents such as retainer agreements, NDAs, or incorporation forms.
With that said, some of the more common tasks performed by a virtual assistant include:
- Emails: managing prospects, clients, and other daily correspondence for you
- Virtual Filing: storing your documents in virtual filing cabinets so that you can easily find them when needed. This may include using cloud-based software or a third party site
- Data Entry: enter data, such as bar admission dates, license renewals, and continuing legal education courses
- Spreadsheets: create spreadsheets to track information related to cases, clients, and office expenses
- Social Media Management: posting updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook for you
- Calendar Management/Appointment Scheduling: use scheduling software to help coordinate events with clients or potential referrals
- Research & News Updates: finding articles with relevant news items about your practice area
- Billing and Invoicing Assistance: sending out invoices to clients and tracking payment history
- Bookkeeping: this may also include managing your time tracking software.
For the best results, it’s important to determine which tasks or a combination of tasks would help you most effectively manage your law practice.
2) How Much are You Willing to Spend?
When hiring a virtual assistant, one of the first things that you’ll need to consider is how much it will cost. Not only does pricing vary depending on where and who you’re hiring but can also depend on the type of administrative services you require.
For example, some virtual assistants who provide bookkeeping services have minimums associated with them while others offer monthly subscriptions allowing their clients to only pay for what they use.
On average, virtual assistance services can range anywhere between $25 to $75 an hour with bookkeeping and data entry coming at a lower price point than more technical tasks such as email or calendar management. But if you would like to hire someone for less of the traditional administrative tasks then hiring part-time help such as a college student might be your best bet.
It’s important to remember that when choosing a virtual assistant, quality over quantity is often more beneficial than having several assistants taking on too many responsibilities at one time.
3) Do You Want Someone Local or Remote?
In addition, it’s important to consider what type of environment you’re most comfortable working in before making any final decisions about hiring a virtual assistant. Contact Injury Attorney Utah if you have personal injury.
For example, if you need someone who can help right away and be available to meet face-to-face regularly, you’ll most likely want to work with someone local. However, if you’re not comfortable hiring an in-office assistant or simply don’t have the budget for one, then working with a virtual assistant might be best.
4) Will Your Assistant Be Using Their Own Equipment?
While many virtual assistants offer flexible rates based on time spent, others may charge by equipment usage which includes computer systems and software. If this is something that concerns you as it relates to your projected monthly expenses, then working with someone who already has the necessary equipment could save you some money.
Additionally, you may also want to consider whether or not they will use the latest technological advances like cloud-based software or document storage sites.
When hiring a virtual assistant, there are several important things that you’ll want to take into consideration including pricing, services offered, and what type of equipment your assistant will be using. While some people may make assumptions about this type of work, it’s important to remember that being a virtual assistant requires much more than typing up email responses and filing documents.
Virtual assistants provide valuable administrative support for many small business owners who can’t afford typical in-house office staff which makes them an integral part of running any successful law practice.
