How are you using your time?
Start your own practice they said. It’ll be fun they said…
It’s a dream right, running your own practice. Just think, the shininess of it all, you’ve had that lightbulb moment where you think ‘YES! I can do this!” And what’s not to like, now that you’re your own boss you can work when you like, with who you like and where you like. Isn’t that the textbook definition of living the dream?
But then comes reality. Running your own legal practice is hard work. You’re wearing all the hats, all the time and it’s just plain exhausting. It can be all too easy to find yourself stuck in a rut, constantly chasing your own tail, struggling to move forward in your business. There are only so many hours in the day and at some point in your entrepreneurial journey you will discover that you simply can’t continue to do it all yourself. In order to see your practice grow and flourish, the ability to focus on the strategic and business related tasks that only you can do is key.
As a legal practitioner accustomed to doing your own admin, you might be thinking it doesn’t really take all that much time to whip up those letters of engagement, and entering details for those new clients and prospects into your practice management system is annoying but you’re okay with it, following up on unpaid invoices and unsigned retainer agreements is definitely not on your list of favourite things to do, and the constant back and forth getting quotes from suppliers, scheduling meeting and filing emails is all pretty tiring but you manage. As you can see, the administrative burden definitely adds up. Even if those tasks consumed just an hour of your day, we’re talking 5 hours over the course of a week, 20 hours over a month! When you look at that in terms of your hourly rate, it actually becomes quite a significant area of lost productivity.
Outsource, outsource, outsource
So right now you might be thinking “if only I had a personal assistant!” But there’s a problem, as a sole practitioner or lawyer running a virtual practice, it can be hard to envisage that as a reality when you’re not in a position to either afford or accommodate on-site assistance. What’s a lawyer to do?
At this point in your business journey, one of the best things you can do is invest in an experienced and qualified legal virtual assistant. Working with a virtual assistant gives you all the benefits that an office based assistant can provide, without the costs and constraints that an employee arrangement can bring.
Things to consider before hiring a virtual assistant
Perhaps you’re thinking that a virtual assistant could work for you, but before you embark on your quest to find the ultimate virtual assistant ninja, there are a couple of things you should consider:
Make sure that they are the right person for the job
In selecting your virtual assistant, you need to ascertain whether they are the right person for the job. Do you have an idea of the sorts of tasks you will delegate? Although virtual assistants come in all shapes and sizes, not all services are equal. There are virtual assistants who specialise in a particular niche areas such as legal support or real estate services, virtual assistants that specialise in marketing, social media, website design and so on. Find out what they specialise in and if they will be able to deliver the service you require.
Do your homework
It’s important to make sure that the virtual assistant you select is appropriately skilled in the areas of most importance to you, capable of doing the job or that they have the ability and willingness to upskill where required. Are they suitably qualified for the job? Do they have a good track record? Do they have a strong profile on Linkedin including recommendations? Do they have client testimonials? Use their experience and testimonials to help shape your decision.
Do you have a personality conducive to delegation?
If you think you can do tasks better than anyone else, then it’s going to be incredibly difficult to delegate. If you’re unable to give up some control or have difficulty trusting that what you delegate is being actioned even if you can’t see it taking place. We get it. Letting go can be difficult, you’re trusting a stranger with aspects of your business, but if you’re unable to get over this hurdle then working with a virtual assistant may not be for you.
Work out what you can outsource and start small
Keeping a list of the recurrent tasks you encounter can give great insight into what tasks require your skill set and what tasks can be outsourced. Start out with some small things to build confidence and competence, easing you both into your new working relationship.
Working with a virtual assistant will involve an investment of your time
Using a Virtual Assistant will involve both your time and money. Adopting the mindset that working with a Virtual Assistant is an investment rather than an expense as well as understanding that it takes time to transition your Virtual Assistant into your law firm will place you in good stead to experience the rewards that working with a VA can bring.
These are just some of the things to consider when looking to partner with a legal virtual assistant. Our next instalment will look at some of the perceived challenges as well as concerns around data sovereignty, privacy, confidentiality and conflict of interest.
If you are interested in using a virtual legal assistant or just want to find out more, please contact Katie Leupin of KDL Virtual to find out how we can help you.