How Lawyers Can Build a Bilingual Practice Using a Virtual Receptionist
Any entrepreneur will tell you that taking a business to a level of consistent profitability almost always requires outside help. No matter how skilled and talented the business owner is, there simply aren’t enough hours in a given day for one person to do everything necessary to advance their business.
They may be able to do this when they just start, but quite soon they will realize that their attention is best reserved for the tasks that they alone can do. Sometimes though, a business owner finds him or herself on the cusp of expansion where hiring extra staff might not be warranted and yet outside help is needed. This may be doubly true for lawyers who have very specific demands made on their time and who could easily lose valuable time by trying to deal with some of the everyday administrative tasks that form part of their practice.
The good news is that there are solutions, and some of them come with the added benefit of giving your practice a bilingual presence, call answering, and an advantage over many other competing professional firms.
The Virtual Receptionist
Outsourcing has been one of the hottest topics in business over the last 15-20 years, but up to now, small firms generally didn’t reap the same benefits as larger firms. Now, in 2015, outsourcing is within reach of even the smallest companies, and virtual workers can open up the doors to well-trained, skillful and ambitious employees. One of the most popular categories for this kind of work is call answering.
Among the many benefits of hiring someone outside the company is their basic classification as an independent contractor. This provides the option of fluctuating the receptionist’s hours to meet the demand of your business as well as having an available employee list from much more than the city that your business operates in.
But that isn’t the only advantage.
Specialized Skills
Many “demand workers,” as they are sometimes called, have formidable skills including fluency in several languages, accounting or technical backgrounds, or paralegal educations. As a lawyer you might find yourself backed up by one or more competent and qualified legal assistants without having to cover the costs involved were you to hire them full time.
A bilingual assistant fluent in Spanish, for example, can provide you with a means of introducing your firm to a larger market and be able to communicate with prospective Spanish-speaking clients in such a manner as to establish a professional relationship. From there it is far easier to invite them to become clients and strengthen your practice further.
Growing your Practice
The other major benefit of outsourcing is paying only for the hours you need. While hiring someone full-time guarantees you help when you need it, sometimes the extra expense can be better utilized in other areas of your practice.
With a virtual assistant, expenses are reduced to only the absolute necessities, meaning you are free to use your budget surplus for marketing, better facilities, or improved client services. As your practice grows, there is also nothing stopping you from hiring additional assistants as needed.
Small businesses must be flexible in their plans to respond to market pressures as quickly as possible. Hiring virtual assistants is one option that can greatly facilitate this process.
