A few years ago, I reached a point in my law practice where I felt stuck ' yes, stuck-in-molasses-stuck. I had exhausted my capacity as an entrepreneur of serving clients, handling the admin, and then getting more clients to begin the process all over again. The part of my business that was dragging me down was the office work ' billing, retainer agreements, entering business card data--all of which did not contribute to my income. I desperately needed a person to take the office and basic marketing load off my back, to free me up for more important work. But I suffered the same fears that most do-it-yourself entrepreneurs suffer, that we "cannot afford it". I was put off by the additional costs of paying employees salary, taxes, health benefits and other perks, in addition to spending money on extra office space and furniture.
So what did I do? I reconfigured my business, found some ways to work a little more efficiently, automated a few more procedures. Yet I soon find myself banging my head against the same capacity ceiling. I faced burnout. Visions of the Peace Corps in Outer Mongolia danced in my head.
The second time around, though, I had become receptive to the concept of virtual assistance. I was already comfortable outsourcing my website development, tech support, and accounting and bookkeeping functions by working with consultants. So why not farm out administrative and marketing tasks?
Administrative Help Without the Employment Taxes
Like other consultants, virtual assistants (VAs) are generally considered independent contractors. "Assisting" is their business. Among other factors that the IRS looks at to ensure that someone really is an independent contractor (and not an employee in disguise), VAs set their own hours, provide their own office space and equipment, negotiate their own rates, and perform similar services for other clients. This lack of complete control over VAs and their work environment - coupled with their paying their own employment taxes -- lends to their being considered independent contractors.
What Can a VA Do Best? Make a list of all those tasks that do not require your individual attention. For example, building a database of contacts from all my networking events is not a job that requires me to attend to personally. It is a routine task that my VA takes care of, and on completion, sends me a copy that I synchronize with my existing database. An updated database without any interference from me!
Next, list those tasks that you are loath to do. Many of us dislike handling accounts payable and receivable. Now, your VA may not have the right experience to handle these functions, but she can certainly do the legwork to find a suitable bookkeeper.
Developing a Collaboration with your VA The process of finding and building a working relationship with your VA is similar to the process for a regular hire. Asking yourself (and your potential VA) the following questions may clarify your "game plan":
- What type of skills, expertise and background should your VA have?
- Do you require a VA with experience or are you willing to work with someone relatively new? What kind of administrative skills and experience should she have?
- Does she demonstrate professionalism? For example, you may be able to gauge this from her cover letter ' is it well written or is it filled with mistakes? If she has a website or blog, does it instill more confidence in you about her abilities?
- What amount of time are you willing to put into the partnership? Would you want the VA to go through a probation period?
- Will the VA agree to signing an agreement to keep all your information confidential? Does she maintain written agreements with her other clients?
- Does she have any backup? For example, if she should be unable to handle your work in case of a family emergency?
Once you have listed all your requirements, you can post your job to sites such as AssistU.com. Read through cover letters and websites from applicants, and even conduct interviews on the telephone to find out more about their backgrounds and gauge how they run their business. My VA has been helpful to me in more ways than I can count. Not only has she taken over the old and routine jobs, as my business grows, I delegate new tasks to her. By adroitly handling the background tasks, she frees me to stay at the forefront of my business, which is exactly where I need to be. Ask yourself: Would you prefer to be in the background or at the front line of your business? Which will be more profitable?
Fed up with crazy legal issues in your small business? Check out Nina Kaufman, Esq.'s user-friendly business law resources at http://www.GreatBusinessLawResources.com . She cuts through legal gibberish to save you time, money, and aggravation. She also writes and blogs for Entrepreneur Magazine online. Get a free copy of her Entrepreneurs Business Law Primer at http://bit.ly/freebizlaw
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