5 Tasks Your Firm Can Outsource to a Virtual Assistant
Here in Silicon Valley, fewer and fewer law firms rely on the physical presence of a receptionist or legal assistant to manage a front desk. And it's not just here, it's spreading everywhere.
Space is expensive and you're most likely a solo lawyer just trying to get started in this world. So what are the major tasks you can outsource to your VA?
Bookkeeping
We don't know about you but bookkeeping is one of those things that we really don't enjoy doing. Maybe it's an attitude thing, but it really rates pretty high on the do-not-want-to-do list. Nonetheless, bookkeeping must be done. Fortunately, a lot of VAs have bookkeeping experience and probably know the current software a lot better than you. Accounting and bookkeeping are areas to seriously consider outsourcing.
Answering the Phone
This one is probably the next most obvious task after bookkeeping. And one should never discount the power of the phone when it comes to bringing lawyer his business. You could answer your own phones, but that has two major drawbacks. Number one, it means you have to answer your own phones. This means that you're taking time from your other work. Number two, it makes at least some clients feel that you're a small operation incapable of hiring an assistant. I know it sounds petty, but appearances do matter for first impressions.
Correspondences
Your virtual assistant can also handle a very large chunk of your email, if not all of it. Your business dedicated email address will be cluttered with all sorts of garbage that will likely suck up at least an hour of your day. That time is precious -- if nothing else, at least to unwind! Task your VA with organizing your emails into the proper folders and ask him or her to prioritize them by urgency.
Calendaring
Calendaring got a whole lot easier with Google Calendar, but even so, handing this off to someone else is just so relieving. I've had experiences in offices where a fresh calendar was sitting on my desk each morning, neatly printed and crisp. It's hard to put a price on that.
Social Media Marketing
You could be forgiven if you want to keep your social media and marketing a little closer to home. Still, having some help could probably end up being a real asset. We've written about the need for small firms to be more proactive about the whole social media marketing thing. Recently, the need to keep all one's social media accounts in a manageable space arose and social media "dashboards" became available. There are many other fine apps out there, including Hootsuite. Get your VA to handle that for you. If nothing else, it will save you time.
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Related Resources:
- Need recruiting help? Find it here. (Indeed)
- Today's Tech: Tips On Going Paperless, Outsourcing, And Law Firm Succession (Above the Law)
- Law Firm Tips for Outsourcing (FindLaw's Strategist)
- 5 Ways Lawyers Can Improve Their Calendaring System (FindLaw's Strategist)
- 5 Problems Unique to Work-From-Home Solos (With Solutions!) (FindLaw's Strategist)