Help for Solo Legal Practitioners – A Virtual Legal Assistant

By International Virtual Assistants Association · Comments (0)
Tuesday, May 21st, 2013

Closing the Deal With a Virtual Legal Assistant

Those who work in the legal field know that all the details involved in successfully closing a transaction require solidification at the conclusion of the process. A great amount of organization is necessary once the deal has “closed” in order for a solo legal practitioner to serve the client at the highest level.

For example, consider a commercial real estate transaction. A lot of coordination is needed with respect to requirements and deadlines for the purchase and sale agreement, the duties of parties (expected responsibilities of all involved), the feasibility period, UCC searches, title review, and finally, closing of the transaction. Once the money is wired and the property changes hands, is the legal team’s work done? Absolutely not!

Post-Closing Follow Up

A virtual legal assistant can be a tremendous help to solo legal practitioners with follow up after closing to ensure that documents of record are filed, UCC-1s are recorded or UCC-3s are terminated, liens are released, payments are accounted for, and all parties involved receive a complete copy of the closing documentation.

In many cases, commercial real estate buyers may elect to create a new entity when undertaking a new purchase transaction. Follow up after closing ensures that all corporate documents expected to be maintained by the new entity have been created, fully executed, filed as necessary, and compiled in the entity’s corporate record book. It is also helpful to create a calendaring system to assist the client with calling annual meetings and creating minutes and resolutions for those meetings to keep their corporate records up to date.

A completed closing file is the “lock on the box” for a legal transaction. Not only is detailed finalization a best practice, it is extremely helpful to the client to have a complete closing file when a purchased property is sold many years later. A virtual legal assistant can make certain that all the loose ends are accounted for. This ensures that your client receives the highest service possible, and as a solo practitioner, your valuable time is freed to take engagement on that next big transaction!

IVAA Author

Ingrid Petty is a member of IVAA and has recently moved into virtual assisting after having provided legal, administrative and operational support at the executive level for over 30 years. Her company, Terrific Assistant, is located in Texas and offers virtual assistant services and solutions to solo legal practitioners and small businesses to help them operate with higher efficiency. You can learn more about Ingrid on her website at www.terrificassistant.com.

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Categories : Entrepreneur, IVAA, VA Specialists, Virtual Assistant, Working with a VA
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A Virtual Assistant Provides Administrative and Operational Solutions

By International Virtual Assistants Association · Comments (0)
Monday, May 20th, 2013

Benefits of Working With a Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant uses web-based tools and resources to provide administrative and operational support to her clients. Since she works as an independent contractor, her clients do not pay employee-related costs such as taxes, insurance, and benefits. She provides her own equipment to get the job done. The client spends no additional money on office space, computers, or other office equipment. For the assistance of a VA, the client pays only for the actual service rendered, and utilizes the VA only as needed.

Keep in mind that a virtual assistant is also a business owner. As the owner of her own business, the VA has much at stake and is focused on producing quality work and conducting herself with integrity. Her services are as vital and as integral to her own business as they are to her clients. A virtual assistant is interested in “partnering” with her clients to conduct services that will ensure a smooth, steady transition into the next phase of that company’s growth.

Marketing is a critical process for any small business, but one which many owners do not have the time to add to their schedule. A virtual assistant can manage customer databases and handle email marketing - creating and broadcasting a monthly e-zine and drafting newsletters. She can prepare introductory letters and packages for new clients and manage the marketing follow-through program. A VA can edit and proofread content for promotional materials, brochures, and sales packages, prepare thank-you notes for referrals, and research mutual cross-promotion opportunities.

Virtual Solutions are the Wave of the Future

A virtual assistant can provide services to many busy business owners, traveling executives, business coaches, authors, consultants and advisers… just about anyone who operates independently without an office staff or other resources. The tedious, but necessary day-to-day operations can be handed over to a virtual assistant so professionals can concentrate on growing their businesses. A VA can also serve as a personal safety net, making sure flowers are sent on Valentine’s Day and anniversaries, birthdays are remembered, and recognition is bestowed when and where it is due.

A VA can handle administrative tasks, i.e., travel arrangements, calendar management, schedule appointments, transcription, and record keeping.

Are you an event planner? A virtual assistant can manage the announcement of an event, research venues, and direct catering needs. She can send invitations, coordinate speakers, and speaking materials, confirm equipment needed, handle accommodations for speakers and registration of attendees… all without having to be on site.

Web-Based Solutions

Working virtually is the wave of the future. The tools and technology available today make working from anywhere realistic. There are a number of products designed for people on the go that are readily available as online resources. Google Apps for Business and Word 365 are both cloud-based utilities which allow email and calendar sharing so that a virtual assistant can help manage these aspects of her client’s operations.

Quickbooks’ online portal allows both the client and the VA to work within the business’ books from any location from any computer. Invoicing, expense reporting, and bill payment can all be completed from anywhere.

Dropbox is a file sharing facility that gives the client the ability to easily share very large or multiple files with the virtual assistant rather than through a cumbersome email process.

Microsoft’s Skydrive gives the client the capability to share editable files with the VA and with its customers via a public folder shared by an email link. Recipients can edit documents in Word’s web application, which ensures that everyone is always working with the most current version. This is a more efficient facility than sending the document back and forth by email, and a more reliable process for ensuring the most recent version is available to all those working with it.

Today’s new style of doing business on the go demands a new style of support. A virtual assistant is that brand of support. A VA is a business owner herself who “partners” with her client to improve and grow that client’s operations.

IVAA Author

Ingrid Petty is a member of IVAA and has recently moved into virtual assisting after having provided legal, administrative and operational support at the executive level for over 30 years. Her company, Terrific Assistant, is located in Texas and offers virtual assistant services and solutions to solo legal practitioners and small businesses to help them operate with higher efficiency. You can learn more about Ingrid on her website at www.terrificassistant.com.

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Categories : How to hire a VA, Virtual Assistant, Working with a VA
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Is it Worthwhile to Attend a Conference like the IVAA Live Summit?

By International Virtual Assistants Association · Comments (0)
Thursday, April 4th, 2013

Recently on an IVAA Peer Discussion Group call, this question came up from a new Virtual Assistant. We’ve all been there in our business and money is tight at the beginning so it can be hard to justify spending up to $1500 to go to a conference. When you total up registration, travel / airfare and accommodations it can cost that much in the end.

I could make a long list of reasons (networking, learning, gaining valuable knowledge, making contacts, and finding potential partners or clients / subcontractors) but I think the best way is to share my experience and let you decide for yourself if it’s worth it.

In May of 2009, there was a conference called FoVA (Forum on Virtual Assistance) being held in Niagara Falls and I decided to go (I had not been part of IVAA at this point, so did not go to the Montreal conference). It was a year into my business, and with really only a small handful of clients / work under my belt, I was still searching out my real niche and how to make it all work successfully.

I networked a lot ahead of the conference on all avenues. I joined online forum discussions, talked on Facebook and Twitter and got to know who was coming to the conference and they got to know me.

Before I left, one VA I was ‘acquaintances’ with from the online world, asked if at the conference we could talk about me working for her as a Sub. We met at FoVA, talked and she hired me for my 2nd subcontracting gig which I kept until I got too busy to do sub work and had to leave (and we have now moved this relationship to that of “in my circle of best friends”). I also connected with another Multi-VA and landed my 3rd subcontracting position. These contracts, when added to my own clients put me in a great position. Plus I got to learn from these experienced ladies as time went on.

I got to meet several other VAs who I knew from online and more and more friendships developed – again the 5 or so that came from this one conference are not simple friends who know each other but several are close friendships.

Saving money was big for me, so I reached out to another VA online who had been looking for a roommate. We connected – never really ever having talked together a lot. I know she was a little concerned at first because I asked out of the blue! We shared the hotel room at the conference and during that week discovered we were “long lost sisters from another mother” – and to this day have a very close relationship as friends, mentors, accountability partners and the person we call when having a bad day! Because we are in the same line of business we ‘get’ each other’s problems. This is something I can’t do with my older friendships or non-VA friends – they don’t understand what I do, let alone how to commiserate with me or offer advice!

The training at the conference was fabulous! Top notch and from several leaders in the VA industry – you know the Rock Star VAs who have been around for years paving the way for the newbies. Those sessions helped me solidify my business and my niche, and I knew how and when and what I wanted to do in order to keep moving forward as a Virtual Assistant.

So, when someone asks me “Is it Worthwhile to Attend a Conference like the IVAA Live Summit?”

My answer is simply “You can’t afford to NOT go” and neither can your business.

Industry conferences like IVAA Live Summit are meant to help their members / attendees grow and learn – we are not there to sell you a product or program. Our #1 Goal is to Develop You! We are there to teach you, to connect you to others, to help you see how it works for other VAs – good and bad – to learn what you can to take back to your own life and business and make a change! To discover new things and ideas and people that can change your business, and your personal life, forever.

That FoVA Conference (which is no longer around but is very on par to IVAA Live) changed my entire life and knowing now what occurred because of it – I am so glad I racked up a credit card to get there. If I had not taken the step I would not be where I am today in business. Not even close, I am sure.

Was it Worthwhile? I came back with 3 close friends, and about 5 more that are friends but not on the same level (no offense anyone!), 2 subcontracting jobs that brought me about $15,000 income over a couple years as a sub and led to more than $30,000 + in income from other clients created from those relationships – income that continues to this day. I also gained skills to help me focus and build my own Multi VA business with a very targeted niche that has developed into one with a team of 8 Virtual Associates.

So, you make the choice – What does “Worthwhile” look like to you?

PS. I hope to see you at the Conference in Philly!

IVAA Author

Kathy Colaiacovo has been working virtually since 2008. She operates two businesses, a multi-VA firm called Time on Task Virtual Assistant Services and S4B Social Media Training. She is located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She specializes in Online Marketing and Social Media Strategy and Support. You can learn more about Kathy on her website and feel free to download her free report – the Top 7 Key Factors to Networking Online to Attract Clients.

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Categories : Networking, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistant Conferences
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How to Manage Multiple Virtual Assistant Clients

By International Virtual Assistants Association · Comments (1)
Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

We are excited to share this article from Tracey D’Aviero who will be one of the Speakers at our IVAA Live Summit in Philadelphia from April 30th to May 3rd.

Tracey will be presenting at both the New Virtual Assistant Workshop Day as well as a Session at the main conference.  Enjoy her article which will be a little sample of what she will be sharing at her IVAA Live Summit Session:  ”How to Manage Your Work (and Your Clients!) so You Make More Money”.

 

It’s great to be your own boss, isn’t it? … or are you?

Virtual Assistants often work with many clients at the same. It’s a more common model to have many clients than it is to just work with one or two clients (once your business is established of course!).

So what do you do when everyone needs something at once?

As much as you are your own boss in your business, the clients are really in charge of your time on a daily basis.

So how do you handle more than one ‘boss’ at a time?

Simple … scheduling, clarity and good communication.

I have often warned VAs of being ‘at the ready’ with their clients – it’s easy to form an employer-employee relationship with someone that you work closely with, and it’s important to guard those boundaries as a partnership instead.

When you work with a lot of different people, they all have different requirements and different schedules and different deadlines.

Here are a few tips on how to do that:

Block time in your schedule to work on a client’s work. Gather projects that need doing and do them all at once, so that you can concentrate on their work alone. It’s not necessary to tell a client that you are working on their pieces ‘Thursday from 10 to 11 am’, but you should let them know when you will deliver the completed task/work to them.

Be clear with lead time and deadlines. It’s up to you to make sure that they know how much lead time you need for tasks and projects, and then you must hold them to those deadlines and lead times as much as possible, in order to honor the relationships you have with all of your clients. If you have a client who sends you last minute requests, it can throw off your schedule for all of your other clients, who may be respecting your deadlines.

Schedule production calls weekly. It’s important to have regular communication with your clients for the ongoing tasks you have on your schedule for them. By having a quick weekly phone call you can work out any details for the upcoming week, and everyone is on the same page.

Protect your boundaries. Boundaries are very important when you are working as a solopreneur. You have to be sure that everyone around you (including you!) protects those boundaries, so that you can get the things done that you need to get done, when they need to get done. If you are like me, your time is precious and you want to maximize it. So be sure to set your boundaries for turnaround time, deadlines, phone calls, or whatever else, and stick to them.

Be proactive. When you are not working on client work, you should still be thinking about your clients. Be sure to let them know that. If you come across something that you think might be of interest to them in their business (it can be a newsletter style, a branding example, good wording for a sales page or other marketing materials, etc.), be sure to forward it to them to let them know that you are working on their business outside of ‘task time’. They want to know that they are important to you, and that you value them.

Good communication, clarity and scheduling will help you to achieve a smooth schedule and you will be able to handle many happy clients every day.

And of course, that will make your ‘boss’ (you!) happy too!

IVAA Author

Tracey D’Aviero is a member of IVAA and has been working virtually for 15 years. Her company Your VA Mentor is located in Osgoode, Ontario, Canada and specializes in providing training and mentoring support for Virtual Assistants. You can learn more about Tracey on her website www.YourVAMentor.com and feel free to download her Complimentary Business Assessment on www.yourvamentor.com/biz-assess

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Categories : Time Management, Virtual Assistant
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Virtual Assistant Scholarship for IVAA Live Workshop

By International Virtual Assistants Association · Comments (0)
Tuesday, March 12th, 2013

IVAA is pleased to announce a Virtual Assistant Scholarship for the New VA Workshop at IVAA Live Summit

Are you thinking of signing up for the New VA Workshop on Aril 30th?  You COULD win the course fee back!

The day before the IVAA Live summit starts in Philadelphia, we are hosting a New VA Workshop Day. This day long event is intended to help new virtual assistants get the info needed to kickstart their VA business.

We have two very experienced Virtual Assistants each taking part of the day to cover the must have skills you need to make certain your VA business is a success.

A long time IVAA Member, Kyna Baker, the CEO and founder of 5 Star Business Management – www.5starbusmgmt.com is looking to give back to a deserving new Virtual Assistant.     She has offered to provide a virtual assistant scholarship to one of the VA Workshop attendees.

When we asked what prompted her offer, Kyna answered:

“I believe in paying it forward. I also know that going into business can be lonely and you need as much support as you can get. Being able to get the answers you need to grow your business from a few good women (and men) who have been around the block a couple of times, accelerates the probability that you will stay in business.”

For anyone registered to attending the workshop – you can submit your application for the scholarship to IVAA. We will be forwarding this information to Kyna and she will be making the final decision on the winner.

The questions to answer for the application are:

  1. Why do (or did) you want to become a VA
  2. Where do you see your VA business one year from today
  3. What are your expectations for the New VA Workshop
  4. What is the #1 trait you bring to your business
  5. What is the #1 skill you bring to your business

Once you have registered for the workshop (or if you already are), please submit your answers to these questions (all 5 must be answered) to the Marketing Department at IVAA. Application deadline is April 1, 2013.

This workshop is perfect for someone looking for a boost to their Virtual Assistant business or just starting out. If you know of anyone in the local area to Philadelphia, please tell them about the workshop.

Thanks for your support of the VA industry Kyna!

 

* To be eligible for the scholarship, you must register and pay for the workshop, and be in attendance on April 30th, 2103. The winner will be refunded the registration fee of $97.00 
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Categories : Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistant Conferences
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