• By Laura Lee

Attorney Outsourcing Series: What Should You Outsource? – Part 1

Attorney Outsourcing: How To Get Started

The  first step you should take when looking to outsource is to really determine what you are spending your time doing. I suggest keeping a list of everything you do for a week and how much time you spend doing it. At the end of the week, make three columns:

Things Only “I” Can Do
Things I Do NOT Enjoy
Things I LOVE

Next, Put a checkmark next to each item in the applicable category. Be very careful selecting the “Things Only “I” Can Do” category!  Is that really true?

Next evaluate your list, the only things you REALLY have to be doing are those things only you can do. Of course, I usually recommend continuing to do the things you LOVE to do, IF it is not a huge time zapper.

Once you have the list of things you can let go of, it’s time to start determining the type of vendor you need to outsource to.

Here is a short list of some items that I see attorneys (and other small businesses) commonly outsource:

• Marketing – Creating Direct Mail Pieces, Creating Display Ads, Creating Monthly Newsletters, Setting Up Seminars, Handling Distribution of Weekly Ezines or Email
• Admin Support: Keeper of the Gate, Email Management, Calendaring, Client Intake, Travel Arrangements, CLE Management, negotiation with Vendors.
• Paralegal Support: Drafting Documents, Research, Transcription
• Bookkeeping
• Website Development & Maintenance
• Graphic Design
  
• Social Media Management
• Blog Management

In Part II, we’ll talk about each of these categories and how to find the best vendor to outsource to.

Hint – it’s NOT finding a Virtual Assistant who can do it all!

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.

• By Laura Lee

Attorney Outsourcing Tip: Letting Go – One Key to Finding Freedom

Blind to the Need for Attorney Outsourcing

After working with attorneys for twenty something years, I have to admit that I have taken on many of the same “traits”, some great, some not great. I think the one that will wreak the most havoc on your time, is that of being a control freak. The thought that “no one can do it as good as me” or “it will take too long to teach someone else”, keeps us constantly doing things that we should not be doing.

Keeping track of everything you do for a few days, and I mean EVERYTHING, will give you a great insight to how many things you are doing that you should not be doing yourself. Instead they should be delegated to someone with the right skill set that can complete the task effectively and efficiently. Give that person a clear direction on the outcome that you expect, set a definitive timeline, make yourself available for questions, and let go.  You should only be doing what ONLY YOU CAN DO!

You may be very surprised at the results you get!

Would you like to talk about how we can help you save time on your marketing and help you turn ideas into action? Simply schedule a time on my calendar for a no-strings virtual cup of coffee.