Why You Need A Virtual Assistant And How To Hire One - Podcast Episode 68

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN HOW TO SCALE YOUR LAW FIRM WITHOUT BURNOUT? 

If so, I have created A FREE MASTERCLASS FOR LAW FIRM OWNERS where you will learn…

1. How to stop making the three biggest mistakes that keep you overworked and underpaid in your law firm.
2. What to focus on instead so that you can truly move the needle forward to scale your law firm.
3. How to unlock the formula to create more profit and freedom in your law firm!

If this sounds like something you are interested in, click here to give it a watch! 

NOW, ONTO THIS WEEK’S PODDY!  

If you have too much on your plate, it could be a great idea to hire a virtual assistant. But where do you start? I have scaled my family law firm from 1 employee to 15, including 2 Virtual Assistants. A VA is a virtual assistant, where they work from their own space and not in your office. This means you can hire a VA from anywhere in the world, the advantage of this is that the cost can be considerably less depending on which country they are located in. 

To start working on your business and not only in it, but you also have to leverage your time. This is where hiring a VA can be a huge benefit. Getting the low-end tasks off your plate, such as raising invoices, chasing debt, or running your social media accounts, can free you up to do high-end tasks that move the needle in your business. 

1. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR VA FROM? 

• VA Agencies: There are agencies for VA’s in Australia and New Zealand, which will do all of the hard yards for you including interviews, shortlisting, and communicating the overall job description.  This will cost you more than if you get a VA directly, as an agency VA will be averaging around $11.00 – $12.00 per hour. When going through a VA agency, the accounting process is also systemised to be in a monthly tax invoice, in your currency, and including tax which makes the system a lot clearer when it comes to paying your VA than it would if you employ directly.
• Employ Directly: Another way to hire a VA is to do it individually by hiring a VA directly from a website where you can find different VA’s. We have previously used onlinejobs.ph which is based in the Philippines and has a monthly subscription rate of $60.00 per month. This way you can employ reliable candidates for your jobs, or put jobs out there for assistance. This type of VA will then charge through systems like TransferWise or PayPal, which you will need to keep organised and updated. 

PSA: Don’t forget, you don’t need to hire a VA full time! You can hire part-time or even casually. You can also hire VA’s for particular areas in your business, for example, bookkeeping, social media, graphics, or as your personal assistant. 

2. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HIRING A VA? 

• You don’t need a physical office. Your VA may be based working from home, or sometimes they can work from an office,  you don’t need to create an office space for them, either way. 
• They are inexpensive. I have hired mainly from the Philippines, where the hourly rate is between $4.00- $11.00 per hour, depending on where you have hired them and their capabilities

Side note:  Another fab thing about hiring from the Philippines, is that they are only 2 hours behind Australian time, so they typically have very similar work hours to you. 

• Delegation. Sometimes you can be the biggest bottleneck in your business. If you have someone to flick work off to, this prevents low-end jobs from being backed up in your possession. 
• You have more time to give to high-end tasks, where your strengths lie. If you listened to a podcast a few episodes back, I discussed the importance of taking a personality test. I discussed why working in your zone of genius, and why putting your time into tasks that play to your strengths lie is vital in helping you scale your business. 

SO, I AM GIVING YOU THE CHALLENGE NOW TO WRITE DOWN WHAT ARE THE TASKS THAT YOU COULD DELEGATE RIGHT NOW TO A VA OR SEVERAL VA’S? ARE THERE MORE THAN 5 REPETITIVE TASKS YOU COMPLETE EACH WEEK THAT ARE PREVENTING YOU FROM WORKING ON HIGH-END TASKS? 

Next week, we have my Personal Assistant, Brie coming on the podcast to give you the exact methods and tech she uses to successfully onboard, train, and effectively use Virtual Assistants, so keep an eye out for that next Tuesday! 

Until then, don’t forget to like, subscribe and if you have any questions, DM me on my socials below! 

CONNECT WITH Caralee:

Instagram: @caralee.fontenele

Facebook: @caraleefontenele

LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele

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