Meet the Client – Rachel Roche

Rachel Roche, Roche LegalIn September 2019 our Founder Jen Workman started to provide Virtual Assistant support to Rachel Roche, Managing Director of Roche Legal. Rachel kindly gave this feedback on why she decided to work with a Virtual Assistant and how things are going so far:

The problem

As a sole practitioner solicitor, I was getting bogged down in the day-to-day administration of running the business, such as filing and paying invoices, keeping up with non-client meetings, accounts tasks and payroll. Business development projects that I wanted to get on with also weren’t getting done as quickly as I would have liked, because I was having to deal with small jobs that were getting in the way. As tempting as it was to continue in the same vain, with the emails piling up in my inbox, I realised that I needed some help to ensure that I was using my time in the most effective way. This is when I took the plunge and met with Jen, who had been recommended to me by several contacts, to see what she thought.

The process

Jen was able to quickly assess where she could take on regular and ad-hoc tasks and projects for me and I set about promising myself to delegate anything non-client related to her. This started off by me forwarding any and all non-client emails to Jen and, as time went on, Jen was able to redirect many of these emails straight to her, so I don’t even need to see them anymore. We hold a weekly virtual meeting to round up where we are with my diary and the various projects that I have delegated and we set priorities for the coming week. In the main, I use emails to delegate tasks and meeting requests to Jen, together with the Wunderlist application where I assign repeat monthly and weekly tasks, such as management and financial reporting.

Projects that Jen has assisted me with include completing our professional indemnity application for the coming year, renewal of practising certificates, dealing with our application to become an approved STEP Employer Partner, creating processes for on-boarding clients, writing FAQs for our online reception team, updating our process manual, writing and advertising a new vacancy, arranging events and streamlining our client quoting process for new work.

The result

I feel like I am better able to make decisions in the best interest of the firm, because the small jobs that don’t need my input have been taken away from me entirely. My email traffic has decreased exponentially. Projects that would otherwise still be in progress have been completed and I have a clearer idea of the direction of travel. I also find Jen very helpful to bounce ideas around with and I trust her to discuss my firm’s business much like I would do with an in-house practice manager.  Although I was unsure at the start how using a VA would work in practice, for me it has ended up feeling no different to having someone in the office. Jen is responsive and reliable and I am very pleased to have her on board.

Rachel Roche – Managing Director, Roche Legal