Posts made in February, 2009
Local Marketing for Virtual Assistants
I know it’s a plus for us virtual assistants that we can work for clients from all over the world, but I was reviewing my copy of Virtual Assistant, The Series and was reminded that it is very sensible to market locally as well as online. In the case of a virtual legal assistant like myself, I believe this might even be more important because as transferable as my skills are, my background is of course in Alberta law.
So I recently ordered some postcards that I can use to target lawyers in Alberta and hopefully I can welcome some wonderful local clients to my roster! I know that it can be hard to convert people to the beauty of virtual partnerships, but once they see all the many benefits of working with a virtual legal assistant I’m sure they will be spreading the word around themselves! Plus maybe I can convert a few into avid Twitterers like me, lol!
So I’m curious, especially in regard to my fellow VA’s, do you market or network locally at all? Do you find people open minded about the idea of working with a virtual partner? Love to hear from you!
Laurie Mapp, Owner Halo Secretarial Services Contact us for more information on virtual legal assistance!
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Project Management for Lawyers
I wrote a guest post about Google Notebook replacements and project management systems that went up today over at the Small Business Idea Generator Blog. If you are looking for a great project management system, I recommend you check the post out – it’s full of details about several leading systems.
If you are a lawyer looking for a project management system, or like me you offer services to lawyers, just make sure you take into consideration security. Not all systems include ssl encryption, particularly free versions or the lowest paid plans. Currently I’m using Zoho Projects for my virtual legal assistant business, but also love the TeamWork project management application. The reason I’m not using TeamWork for my client work is that they don’t offer ssl encryption on their less expensive plans (only at the $49/month level) and I don’t need the project space offered in the more expensive plan.
Project management applications like TeamWork and Zoho (also Basecamp if you are familiar!) are fabulous tools when you work virtually with your clients. It allows the service provider and client to share documents, make comments, set deadlines, etc all within a secure environment. Email is often not an ideal choice for document sharing, due to both security issues and size limitations on attachments.
Have a great day!
Laurie Mapp, Owner Halo Secretarial Services Contact us for more information on virtual legal assistance!
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Benefits of Working With a Virtual Legal Assistant
A virtual legal assistant can take on so many tasks and projects for your practice, that the benefits might seem obvious. Still, it’s never a bad idea to analyze the benefits and drawbacks involved in utilizing the services of a professional virtual legal assistant.
BENEFITS
The benefits of working with a virtual legal assistant or virtual assistant are legion (in my biased opinion!) and I don’t want to go on and on, so here are a few of the most significant:
- Cost effective, as you only pay for time you need and you don’t pay “employee” costs such as taxes, health benefits or vacation pay
- If the relationship doesn’t work out it is much easier to sever than that of an employee relationship
- No need to purchase/upgrade equipment, your virtual assistant will be responsible for their own hardware and software
- A virtual assistant is a business owner just like you, so they are very empathetic and aware of your needs and deadlines
- Virtual legal assistants often have significant expertise and experience in their field and they work hard to update their education and skills regularly
- Virtual assistants in general are very tech-friendly and aware. They try hard to stay on top of the latest trends in networking, software and technology
- Virtual assistants are independent, but they also belong to a community of virtual assistants across the globe. If your virtual assistant can’t help you, she probably can refer you to someone who can
- Increased productivity is probably the biggest benefit you will realize if you work with a virtual assistant, as not only do they provide an extra set of hands, but more importantly they provide another way of looking at things and a fresh perspective on improving and streamlining your business
DRAWBACKS
It would be unfair to imply that there are no drawbacks in a virtual business relationship. Here are a few things to be aware of:
- Time differences may occasionally cause complications if you find a virtual assistant in a time zone that varies from your own
- You need to have some initiative and organization to truly effectively utilize a virtual assistant. You may need to be able to upload files to a shared database, fax documents to your VA, or be available for clarification of complicated tasks
- While facetime is possible through video-conferencing or very occasional in-person meetings, generally speaking virtual assistant/client relationships rely heavily on written communication which does not suit all personality types
- As independent business owners virtual assistants are free to let clients know they will be unavailable at certain hours or on certain days regardless some individuals wishes for “always-on” help
- I hate to say this, but many people who say they are virtual assistants are neither professional nor reliable. It is definitely a drawback of this profession that it is populated by unskilled and overly hopeful individuals in addition to the many amazing and talented professionals.
If you have read the pros and cons of hiring a virtual legal assistant, and you know that a professional is exactly what you are looking for, I hope I’ll hear from you!
Laurie Mapp, Owner Halo Secretarial Services Contact us for more information on virtual legal assistance!
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Virtual Legal Assistant Ethics
I have always had an ethics section on my virtual assistant site, because I realize how important it is to act in a professional and ethical manner. Working as a paralegal for many years gave me a very strong awareness of issues like confidentiality, conflict of interest and duty of care. I believe that all virtual assistants, whether they work in the legal field or not, should follow a high standard of ethics. But until recently I hadn’t given a lot of thought to actually proving to my clients that I could put my money where my mouth was, so to speak.
Last week though I was lucky enough to spend some time chatting with Andrea Cannavina of Legal Typist. Andrea has a very successful virtual assistant business which also primarily targets the legal industry. Andrea was kind enough to give a semi-newbie to the virtual world a little advice and I was more than glad to quickly take action on her suggestion to get a proper EthicsCheck certification from the International Virtual Assistants Association.
So this week I paid my fee and took the ethics check exam. It is a fairly lengthy and in-depth examination, and that was a good thing in my opinion. A designation is worthless if you don’t have to have in-depth knowledge to obtain it. Today, I received my confirmation that I passed the exam!
Here is the seal I am now able to display on my site!
Laurie Mapp, Verification Number 09-02-20113
I’m proud to now be able to offer this assurance to my clients and hope that other virtual assistants who want to be taken seriously recognize the value of such a certification and pursue it themselves.
And now, it’s Friday afternoon and I’m going to go have a little fun! Have a great weekend!
Laurie Mapp, Owner Halo Secretarial Services Contact us for more information on virtual legal assistance!
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Profiled on ProWAHM
Addison of ProWAHM recently contacted me and asked if she could do a feature post about Halo Secretarial Services on her blog. The post is up today and I invite you to check it out!
It’s nice to be noticed on a blog about being a work at home mom. I love working from home as a virtual legal assistant, but I probably never would have pursued the entrepreneurial path if it wasn’t for my wonderful children. They have inspired me to take on the challenges and rewards of being self-employed and I am so glad they did. I’ve truly never been happier in my career than I am now, and I have really enjoyed many of my past jobs, so that’s saying a lot!
If you are reading my blog and you really want to pursue your dream of self-employment I encourage you to put a plan into place and take steps to make it happen. If you really want it you won’t regret making the move!
Laurie Mapp, Owner Halo Secretarial Services Contact us for more information on virtual legal assistance!
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