I got this question at a recent ask-me-anything session, and I felt like the question asker was nervous about how to get started with the idea of using a virtual assistant.
It’s funny, because lawyers are often pretty confident about hiring a real-life assistant, but hiring a virtual assistant makes them uncomfortable.
Let’s flip that upside down.
Hiring a real-life assistant is the thing that should make you nervous. In fact, hiring a real-life assistant should scare you to death.
A real, in-your-office, full-time (or even part-time) assistant brings issues—lots of issues. Plus, a real-life assistant brings expense—lots of expense.
Sometimes a lawyer will hire an assistant, and the person is perfect. The assistant works out from day one and adds value to everything he or she touches.
Often, however, that’s not the case.
How Real-Life Assistants Go Wrong
The bad real-life assistant:
- screws around on Facebook,
- costs more than you thought,
- asks promptly for more money and benefits,
- shows up late,
- leaves early and takes a “pre-arranged” vacation three weeks after starting work,
- makes mistakes,
- breaks the new computer you bought,
- says crazy things,
- has a messed-up personal life (who doesn’t?) and talks to you about it,
- gets romantically involved with the coffee vendor, causing you to worry about the coffee sanitation after they break up,
- lets the phone ring and ring without answering for no apparent reason, and
- leaves you asking your spouse why this person is doing all this to you.
Now, instead of just firing this horrible person you brought into your office, you spend weeks (maybe months and, in a few cases, years) agonizing about what to do. Hiring the assistant was easy. Firing the assistant is something most lawyers avoid more vigorously than meeting with an estate planner. No one wants to fire someone: you’re human.
How Virtual Assistants Go Right
Virtual assistants, on the other hand, work for themselves. They don’t come into your space (usually). You communicate by phone/Skype/e-mail. You set expectations, and you monitor the work product. You keep the assistant for another week if things are going well. You terminate the relationship if things aren’t.
With a virtual assistant, you can buy as much or as little as you need. You’re not on the hook for a salary or benefits. Depending on the deal you negotiate, you may be able to increase or decrease the workload from week to week based on your needs, and you’ll see variability in your expenses based on what’s happening in your business.
Will the virtual assistant be idling on Facebook, sleeping with a coffee guy, and living a screwed-up personal life? Maybe, but it won’t be your problem. If things go well, you’re golden. If they don’t, it’s easier—way easier—to fire a virtual assistant than it is to turn off your cable, cancel your credit card, or switch cell phone providers.
Where to Find a Virtual Assistant
We’ve had good experiences with three agencies (I’m sure there are lots of others):
We’ve also found other, independent folks online via Craigslist and Google. We’ve used some services in the Philippines and found some folks in India via Twitter. I’d start with an agency before hunting on your own.
Virtual assistants come with everything they need. You can expect them to have access to computers, phones, etc. You shouldn’t have to provide any equipment. You’ll also be off the hook for benefits and other human resource issues. You’ll pay an hourly rate, and that’ll help keep it simple. As your usage normalizes and levels off, you might move from an hourly arrangement to a salary (especially in the Philippines), but you’ll want to start hourly and figure out what works and what doesn’t.
Don’t be nervous about bringing on a virtual assistant. Start small with an experiment. See how it goes, and take it from there. Don’t let the terminology or the unusual nature of the relationship frighten you. Getting help is about delegating work to someone who can help you get things done. It doesn’t really matter whether that person is sitting next to you, is sitting down the hall, or is a phone call away.
