Do you run a solo practice, but have more work than you can handle? Or do you have a full time in-house legal assistant that can’t keep up with your busy workload? Or even a practice that is just getting going and you need help ramping up so that you do have too much business?  A virtual legal assistant may be just the solution in any of these situations! That’s the beauty of virtual assistance, it is a flexible solution that can fit so many needs.

So for example maybe you are a lawyer who doesn’t think you need a full-time assistant.  Do you do all your own typing? Research? Email? How much time does it cost you every day? In a previous post I addressed this lost time cost and demonstrated the cost effectiveness of hiring a virtual assistant to increase your productivity.

Do you have a full-time legal assistant or paralegal already? Think you don’t need any more help? You know in my years as an in-house legal assistant the most effective practice I worked in was one with one lawyer and three assistants.  So much work got done!! That particular lawyer utilized dictation to his advantage because he realized he spoke far faster than he typed.  Isn’t that true of most of us? And with the digital dictation options available it is very easy to send your virtual legal assistant instructions via dictation or to have them transcribe lengthy memoranda, court documents or agreements.

And if you are just getting started you can partner with a VA who offers some marketing suggestions and works with you to grow your network. I bet she’ll suggest you try Twitter!! Or you can get a good working relationship established and have your VA work just a few hours a month to start and eventually add hours as your practice grows.

There are plenty of other ways to utilize a virtual legal assistant. You may partner with a VLA only for large files or projects, specific research assignments or even vacation or sick leave coverage of your in-house staff. I hope you’ll think about taking advantage of the wonderful resources offered by virtual assistants – and if you are thinking of hiring one, don’t forget to check out my main site!

Are blogs really last year, last decade, pointless? That was the message I got when I read a recent article in Wired magazine entitled Kill Your Blog. Paul Boutin seems to have been reaching a bit too far in the article though, at least in my opinion.  And I’m a huge Twitter fan, which is one of the platforms Boutin advocated as a replacement for blogging.

I had picked up Wired last week while on a grocery run and the article really surprised me.  But Halloween and sick kids made life a little hectic these past few days and I didn’t have a chance to blog until now, when I was reminded by a post on the subject over at Real Lawyers Have Blogs. I totally agree with Kevin, as useful of a networking tool as Twitter is or sites like Facebook, they do not offer one the chance to truly establish oneself as an expert in a particular niche.

For example, I am working on setting up a Facebook page for my business and I think it is an interesting tool, and a place to connect with either other virtual assistants or potential clients. I think it works best though in conjunction with my blog, not as a substitute for it!

I think blogs offer a great hub for a business.  They are a place to communicate, provide important news and information about your business, and to provide proof that you are still operating not some business that doesn’t even exist anymore.  I also think they are a place to establish your expertise in your niche, which as Kevin had pointed out in his blog, is a significant benefit for a lawyer who chooses to blog. So I do not agree that you should “Kill Your Blog”, there is a lot of life left in it!!

Do you know what you can’t outsource? RELAXATION!!!

This weekend I took the weekend off – off of work, off of parenting, off of housework and it was GREAT!! I went to the mountains with a girlfriend and we relaxed, ate yummy food and went to the spa! I don’t think I even realized how much I need the time to wind down and just have some fun.

The picture above is of a gorgeous mountain in Banff, Alberta.  I am so lucky to live close enough to take a weekend trip to Banff! It was windy and cool, but that didn’t slow us down!

So how about you, do you take the time you need to relax occasionally? Or do you constantly work, and parent and manage and prioritize just trying to get everything done that needs doing? We all have so many things going on in our lives, but even one day of complete relaxation can give you a renewed energy level and sense of focus.  I suspect this week I will be able to get more done and enjoy it more, all because I took a break when I needed one.

And remember, if you need help running your business so you can take a break – a virtual assistant can be your partner in success!

I admit, change can be difficult for me. It took a lot of prodding by my husband to switch to Firefox a while back. And thank goodness! I finally was aware of how many options we have for internet browsers, we don’t have to be stuck on internet explorer!! I’m actually currently trying out Google Chrome, due to some freezing issues after the latest Firefox upgrade. I loved Firefox though, especially with all the great add-ons, but hopefully once I’ve played with Chrome I’ll see what it is capable of, or I’ll try something else!

This brings me to my main point today though. Have you been running your business or practice alone so long that you are reluctant to make changes? Do you realize that getting some help (like a virtual assistant!!) will probably improve things but you deplore the idea of getting into a new routine? It’s may be difficult to make a big change, but so often it makes our lives easier, more enjoyable or less stressful.

I think the most important thing to remember is that most changes can be undone or fixed in some way. For example, you think your business would benefit from hiring a virtual assistant. You get some recommendations from friends, submit an rfp somewhere or do a search. You find a VA that you think will be a great partner for your business. After a month you realize that things are not working out for you. Are you stuck? Nope! Virtual assistants are NOT employees, so you don’t have to fire them, you simply end the contractual arrangement, tell them it didn’t work out and try again! Oh and if you are looking for a virtual assistant, have a look at these previous posts from my blog:

• Passion for Hire
• The Cost of Hiring a Virtual Assistant, part 1
• The Cost of Hiring a Virtual Assistant, part 2

Now back to seeing what browser is going to work for me!

This week I read some great blog entries by some of my fellow virtual assistants, and I just had to share them all with you.  I love the virtual assistant community, and am so glad I can network with these great people!

Over at VANetworking’s new blog, was a great post by Jaime Lee Mann.  Jaime said she originally posted it on her own blog, but didn’t get any comments.  Too bad, it’s a great article!! Glad I found it now.

Tina of Clerical Advantage shares an interesting spin on virtual assistant services in her post Here Comes the Bride’s Virtual Assistant.

April, someone I am happy to work with on the NAVLA site, had a great post this week, which included reference to the list of 50 most powerful and influential women in social media. She delved into the topic of focus, something I need to work on too!

Another must-read post of the week comes courtesy of one of those top 50 women, Alyssa Gregory, from her VA Secrets Revealed book blog.

Finally I’d like to share an incredible post from Stacy Brice of the Virtual Moxie Blog, an industry leader in the world of virtual assistance. This post will be immensely helpful to any VA getting her practice up and running right now. For that matter, if you’ve been a virtual assistant for a while but are struggling, this post could really help you out.

Stacy’s post was part of the Blog Action Day event this week. I posted my own poverty related post over on my mom blog.

Have a great weekend everyone, and happy reading!

I was recently interviewed for a spot on the Business Opportunties weblog and  I wanted to share the post with you all!  I was interviewed by Angela Shupe and she did such a lovely write-up, I really appreciate the opportunity.  They have a lot of fascinating interviews on the Business Opportunities blog that are also worth checking out, like this one about a neat invention called the Dripstik or this one about Erin Ely and her sale of organic products.

Yesterday while on Twitter I noticed that Angela also offer press release writing services, something I may be taking her up on soon, as I really should be sending out press releases!!  You should check out her Write to Press site, it’s got some helpful information on it.

Have a great Friday everyone!

Okay, so I’m working on not quite enough sleep here, due to the joys of a sick baby in the house, but I’ve been doing some reading and thinking about my business planning.  It would help me a bunch if any business owners could answer a question or two for me!!

Do you think virtual assistance is a good concept?

If you use a virtual assistant, what tasks do they perform and has it improved your business?

If you don’t use a virtual assistant, what’s holding you back? Cost, ethics or confusion over the process?

Comments much appreciated, or feel free to reply privately by email to laurie@halosecretarialservices.com!  Thanks!!

You know when you get excited and passionate about an idea and you want to do everything all at once?  I felt that way about starting my virtual assistant business, but I quickly realized that you have to start with small steps, and work your way up to having everything you want.

So here are my simple suggestions for some good small steps to take for any aspiring entrepreneur.

1. Make a list of everything that you think needs to be done.
2. Break your list down into manageable tasks – for example, instead of draft business plan as one big step, try breaking it down into parts and list each part as a task
3. Prioritize your task list. Which things do you have to do to meet your legal obligations in relation to start-up? Which steps do you have to take to get the paperwork rolling?
4. Make a budget and a financial plan
5. Find a support system – whether you hire some help or find a mentor, don’t try to go it alone!
6. Work your way  through your task list a little at time. DON’T get hung up when there are things you can’t do immediately – just move on to the next task and go back later!

I’m only a couple of months into really running my business, and there are still things I’m working on. But by taking small steps I’ve been making progress every single day. Today, I networked, planned some blog posts, search for VA job postings and worked on my Elance profile.  Tomorrow I’ll do even more!

Virtual Assistants received plenty of buzz in the blogosphere this week. Check out these great posts from people who use and recommend virtual assistance as a business solution.  Then go to my main site and see the virtual services I can provide you to improve your business!

Ed Gandia posting on Freelance Switch has a great post about Outsourcing, specifically mentioning tasks that a virtual assistant can help you with.  I love the note that having a virtual assistant can help your business seem bigger and more professional than some people would expect of a solo enterprise.

Viralblog shares how hiring talented people has improved his business and suggests you hire an assistant to improve yours.

Melanie Benson Strick on the Team Double-Click blog shares 9 Simple virtual Team Outsourcing Tips

Meryl Evans on the BBP blog shares that a virtual assistant can help with transcription

On Infogle there is an interesting article called Virtual Assistant Business about the trend of hiring a VA

And on Twitter @DrMommy said

I have to tell you that VA’s are terrific!! My VA is also a
social media VA so she is fantastic!, Don’t have one?? What r u waiting for?

So, what are you waiting for?!

I’ve decided to add a new feature to my blog!

Every Tuesday I will publish a tip on time-saving. It might be about a new technology, maybe just a reminder of effective ways to utilize time, maybe I will suggest a way to multi-task.  If you have suggestions of great time-saving tips I’d love to hear them, the best way to get them to me is to dm me on Twitter @halosecretarial but you can always comment or email if you prefer.

This week’s Tuesday Time Tip is:

Keep track of your time for 2 days and see exactly where you are spending it.  Did you lose an hour to email, or get sidetracked by a colleague?  Do you spend a lot of time in meetings or on phone calls?  After you monitor your time for 2 days you need to sit down and make 3 lists.

1. Things you have to do
2. Things you can delegate
3. Things that you can eliminate

Now all you have to do is follow through (that’s the hard part – sorry!!)  And if you’re looking for someone to delegate to, remember the friendly VA who blogged this tip!!